Got my first job! Working as a digital marketer at Groot Hospitality

Name: Cassidy Jordan Cann

Hometown:
Royal Palm Beach, FL

Degree/Major: Bachelor’s in public relations, minor in psychology

Where are you working? I do digital marketing at Groot Hospitality, the leading lifestyle hospitality collective in South Florida. I’m a social media manager.

How did you get your job? I got my job after a friend sent me the listing from Dave Grutman’s Instagram. I worked my industry contacts and had everyone put in a good word for me to secure the interview. Grutman is the owner of Groot, LIV at the Fontainebleau and Story in South Beach.

What was your greatest fear going into your first job and how did you face it or overcome it? My greatest fear was adjusting to nine-to-five life. It’s still a challenge but I’m optimistically facing it every day. I just take it one day at a time and try my best to find methods to prepare and organize myself.

What surprised you the most about your first job? What surprised me the most was how supportive and understanding everyone was. No one expects me to have the answers 24/7. It’s okay if I don’t know something; what matters is what I do next to educate myself and gain the information I need to get the job done. What also surprised me was the fact that work doesn’t stop when I leave the office. Hospitality is a 24/7 business, and I have to be ready at all times.

What advice do you have for those beginning the job search process? I would definitely recommend researching good resume building tips, networking and maintaining the relationships you make with people. I would also say not to settle if you are afforded the opportunity to stay afloat during the job search process. Internships can help you get your foot in the door and help you figure out what you like about a particular industry. Conferences and workshops also help! There are so many organizations that provide resources specifically to help your job search so get involved!

What does a day on the job look like? A day on the job begins in the office on South Beach where I refer to my social media strategy for that day and decide how to roll it out. At any given time, I may be called to one of our venues (LIV, Story, Komodo, Planta, OTL) to grab content or assist media personnel in capturing content that we need. We have meetings multiple times a week, and we are in constant communication via email, iMessage, etc. Each day has been completely different thus far, and I’m so happy to be constantly kept on my toes. I crave it!

How does your job connect back to your coursework? I would say my job connects back to my coursework because my job requires me to connect with various individuals with verbiage and images. It’s all about communication. Even though my major was PR, my coursework also prepared me for a career in marketing.

How was your transition from school to work? How do you balance your time? My transition from school to work wasn’t easy because I took the entrepreneurial route straight out of school, so my hours were determined by me and my needs. Now, I have a set schedule, but my industry and my amazing company also requires me to be flexible for last-minute demands.

What’s been the coolest thing about your job so far? The coolest thing about my job is definitely the fact that I work with some of the coolest individuals on the planet. Google us. Take a look at our social media. They have single-handedly curated the “cool” in Miami. They define it and everyone else follows. I get to work with some pretty cool celebrities as well and have access to the hottest events and venues in town. The occasional free food is also AMAZING.