It is not uncommon for young adults to feel insecure in their abilities or become lost while navigating the professional world. Cohort 12 alumna Amanda Nachman’s new book Qualified aims to help young adults land their dream careers by making connections, building their personal brands, and growing their leadership skills. In my interview with her, she emphasized her passion for empowering people to realize their full potential.
Amanda attended UMD from 2003 to 2007, where she studied English. While in college, she interned at a magazine, where she discovered that she loved the creative process. During her senior year, she founded her own publication, College Magazine (now collegemagazine.com), which is written by college students for college students. The magazine features topics ranging from academic advice, career guidance, health, and general life tips. After Amanda graduated from UMD, she began a full-time job as a consultant, while continuing to pursue College Magazine as a side hobby. Since then, College Magazine has grown to reach millions of readers annually, featuring student writers from universities nationwide.
In late 2018, Amanda launched her own podcast, Find Your Passion Career, to continue helping young adults navigate their professional lives. This podcast features professionals pursuing their passions and sharing their journeys and advice with others. After Amanda created an impact with her publication and podcast, she was inspired to write Qualified as a compact resource containing all of the important materials from her podcast and public speaking. These resources include tips for cover letters, resumes, cold messaging on LinkedIn, and more!
Qualified was published on September 1st, serving very relevant in a time period when many young professionals feel overwhelmed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about advice she would give QUEST students currently searching for internships or full-time roles, Amanda said, “Be resilient, make connections to open doors, build your brand, and build upon your current skills.” Additionally, for students fearful of taking risks to pursue their dream career, Amanda gave this insight, “When doing something you’re passionate about, you’re going to thrive and enjoy it. Listen to yourself, take out the outside influence.”
From speaking with Amanda in the brief time I did, she was able to provide a lot of encouragement and expert advice. If you are interested in learning more from Amanda, check out her book on Amazon, and feel free to leave a review to support her! Congrats Amanda on all of your success!