Hi, it's Grace. I'm here to announce some changes to GradSimple.
Fun changes!! 🤗
We've felt like we've kinda grown a little stiff in the way we communicate with you all. The whole vibe of our newsletter is meant to be productive and meaningful, but lighthearted. Not a corporate memo. Certainly not a LinkedIn post. Things were getting a little stuffy.
Can we be chill? It's more fun this way. For you and for us.
Content won't change, but we're bringing the vibes back. If Gen Z knows anything, it's how to maintain unprofessional professionalism.
We're going to write newsletters, from us to you 🫰🏼
Tyler and I will trade off weekly. Same meat and potatoes, different narrators (or peas and carrots, if you're not a carnivore. Or pasta salad, if you're fun).
So...anyways...
We've been going to get matcha on weekends recently! 🍵
Yesterday, it was an iced earl grey maple matcha latte. As delicious as it sounds, but I couldn't really taste the maple. I'm a sweet matcha girlie, so I could have done with a bit more syrup.
Are you a "matcha tastes like grass" person?
I used to be. One trip to Japan changed that. Now I mainline the ceremonial-grade stuff. What's your favorite summer afternoon drink?
Despite everything I've just shared...mine is lemonade. 🍋
⚖️ It's A Poll!
What you think you like and dislike can completely evolve over time. Even if you've tried the thing over and over again.
Like, I used to really, really hate matcha.
It took one good drink to entirely change my perspective. The perfect amount of sugar, just the right ratio of milk and ice.
You can probably guess what I'm going to say next: the same is true for our careers. Ha!!
So, lmk...
| If you were trying to break into marketing or creative work right now, what would worry you most? |
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☀️ Meet Jordan: Humans of GradSimple
Jordan's story felt very familiar to me.
She’s working a stable, well-paying role as an HR Administrative Assistant, doing exactly what a lot of us are told to do after graduating: get your foot in the door, build experience, learn how companies work. And she’s doing that well! She’s reliable, adaptable, picking up work across teams, learning skills she knows will matter long-term.
But...she's also seeing the trade off. This is, unfortunately, relatable. The path she took to gain experience is also the one that’s making it harder to leave.
Admin roles don’t usually come with clear next steps anymore, and in a job market where “entry-level” increasingly means years of experience, breaking into something more aligned (in her case, publishing) starts to feel less like a next step and more like starting over.
Jordan talks about this tension: doing what you're "supposed" to do, and still feeling stuck between where you are and where you want to go. I've been there, I am there. You've been there, you are there.
How do you move past it?
🗞️ A Love Letter to Words: Pivot Report
Picture this: you're sitting in a cozy New York office, sipping coffee (black, two sugars). You're reading through manuscripts, and suddenly, your eyes light up. This is it, you've found the next great American novel.
And...scene.
That was cute. There's no "Literary Agent" degree, we know this. There isn't an obvious on-ramp. And if you go looking for entry-level job postings, you'll find approximately three of them, all in Manhattan, all unpaid or close to it.
Literary agencies hire editorial assistants and agency assistants (keyword being "assistant"), and those roles are where almost everyone starts. You'll be managing submissions, answering queries, and keeping agents organized.
You'll also learn how to develop your taste, wade through the slush, and eventually start building your own list.
Agents sign clients based on their gut and their track record. You build that by reading constantly; in your genre, across genres, across what's selling and what's not. Strong communication skills are incredibly valued. The people who get noticed can articulate why something works (or doesn't) effectively. *Ahem* arts degrees, I'm looking at you!
Perhaps most importantly, publishing runs on relationships. Getting in is less-ish about your resume and more about who knows your name. Yeah, it's one of those. Which is either comforting or a bit terrifying, depending on the type of person you are. Query tracker communities, writing conferences, Publishers Marketplace...these are non-negotiable foundation stones.
Feeling interested? Nervous? Motivated? All of the above? If you're deciding on a path right forward right now, this is where having enough context is vital.
Come ask us a question in GradSimple Insiders. Tell us where you are and where you're trying to go. We'll fill in the rest.
Are you figuring out your career the hard way?
Most people who aren't will tell you the same thing. At some point, a hiring manager, a VP, or someone who'd spent years inside the industry they were eyeing sat them down over coffee and told them exactly what the job market looked like, which paths were worth pursuing, and what it took to break in.
Most people never get that coffee chat. That's what Insiders is for.
Find out how to find a career on easy mode →
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This was a fun write. I hope you enjoyed reading it :)
⎻ Grace
P.S. What do you think of the new format? We're still testing things out! If you love it, respond and lmk. It you don't care, lmk. If you hate it, also lmk. But in a nice way, pls.