Christina Poetz, B.A.J. ’22, fulfilled her dream of moving to California just a few short months after graduation. Poetz landed a job as Marketing Coordinator at Larson LLP, a law firm, and relocated to Los Angeles in August. We asked Poetz about life in the City of Angels:
1. Have you faced challenges during your transition from Indiana to California?
“The transition hasn’t been too bad for me! I’ve been sure this is where I’ve wanted to end up for a long time, so it feels very rewarding to be here soon after graduation. The biggest adjustment is starting over and trying to figure out where everything is and even just little things—for example, what dentist to go to!
My best friend from high school has lived here for the past few years because he goes to the University of Southern California, so we ended up living together. He was the reason I was able to visit so much beforehand. I also have a cousin who lives in Hermosa Beach. It was nice to know people going into the move.”
2. How did you find your job, and why do you think you landed it?
“I had a remote internship that I started in January in entertainment PR. It was a temporary position. My employers knew I wanted to end up in Los Angeles and they basically told me I could keep working until I found a job. I started looking for full-time positions in March and really struggled to find a job. I think a lot of people were hesitant to hire someone who was not already in L.A., so it took a while to find people who took me seriously. The job I have now is one of the many I found on LinkedIn. I would say this is my favorite job-finding tool. You can apply for the job and LinkedIn will tell you when they’ve viewed or downloaded your application. LinkedIn will also keep track of everything you’ve applied for and when you did.
After many failed interviews, this one finally felt right. I want to personally shout out Communications Studies professor Mr. Mike (Polites) as I kept repeating to myself ‘an interview is just a conversation,’ before I talked to the interviewer. It really calmed my nerves. It took a lot of practice, but this was the first interview I didn’t feel nervous about!”
3. What are your duties at your job?
“I’m the marketing coordinator at Larson LLP. I do a lot of internal communications such as newsletters, coordinate sponsorships and galas for the firm, sign the attorneys and partners up for networking events, manage our LinkedIn page, coordinate interviews with potential associates, prepare for onboarding for our new attorneys, write about recent news and alerts on our website, and probably more I’m not thinking of! (You can see recent posts at the bottom of our page under Latest News and Latest Alerts.)”
4. What do you like most about living in L.A., and what do you like least? What are a few of your favorite places (restaurants, etc.) so far?
“There are so many things I love about living in L.A. The first thing is a pretty basic answer, but it’s true! You can go to the mountains, a beach, or the city all within 30 minutes.
The second thing I love is how diverse it is. There are so many different neighborhoods to explore that offer great food and shops. All of the live music is a plus too! I’ve already been to two concerts and one festival since I moved here and have more planned. The food is top-tier. Think of anything you’re craving, and you can be sure L.A. has at least five different spots for it. Some of my favorite food spots so far are Rice & Nori, Akuma Ramen & Sushi, Monty’s Good Burger, Beachwood Cafe, and all of the Korean BBQ!
The one thing I dislike is parking. Parking is not convenient at most places, and it can take a while to find a spot.”
5. What advice do you have for upcoming graduates who want to move to L.A., or just somewhere out of state?
“Just go for it! Almost every time I told people I was moving to L.A., they would laugh or think I was dreaming way too big. This is the perfect time to go for it and move somewhere fun. If you love it, then you love it. If you hate it, then you can move somewhere else. Wherever you go, just be sure to have a plan!”
You can connect with Poetz on Twitter.