Ruth Oshlag ‘19 epitomizes individuality and interdiscipline. While at Temple University, she majored in both communication studies and English with a minor in art. All of those interests culminated post-graduation when she started working as a freelance copywriter, and most recently as a communications specialist at Garrison Hughes, a Pittsburgh-based advertising agency. Oshlag is excited to work onsite with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of Garrison Hughes' primary clients, and credits the clarity she received at Klein College of Media and Communication as a stepping stone to her current success.
It was always Oshlag’s goal to combine her many interests and turn that unique mix into a feasible career path. Even at the beginning of her college journey, she did not set limitations on her future. Eventually, she settled on her two majors when she discovered not only the "breadth that you get from communication" and communication theory, but also the ability to further explore her love for reading and writing."
After graduating, Oshlag moved back to her native Pittsburgh and became a self-employed freelancer. While promoting her services, she learned just how much establishing a network can work in a graduate’s favor. Revamping her website, attending career-relevant networking events and keeping in touch with professionals who offered useful advice and connections all allowed her to build a respected reputation. This emphasis on networking was stressed to her by Klein College Career Services, and is a strategy she believes made all the difference.
“While you’re freelancing, you’re getting experience not only with the work that you do but also your personal brand and how you present yourself, which will be invaluable if you’re looking for a full-time job and interviewing and associating with co-workers day-to-day,” she says.
Though her network provided her with knowledge about the opportunity, Oshlag took the initiative to pursue the opening for her current position at Garrison Hughes. She believes that her academic and professional know-how led her to establish a practice of “grow-as-you-go.” Not only does her background in communication and art serve as a legitimate foundation for creating advertising content, but her experience in studying English provides her with a marketable skill; she says that her employer loves to see that she can “strike a certain tone” that reflects the agency’s interests.
Sherri Hope Culver, an associate professor of instruction in the Department of Media Studies and Production, was Oshlag’s instructor for Children's Media at Klein. Culver found that Oshlag was a rare student who stood out not only in talent and curiosity, but also because she was not afraid to ask for guidance.
“She’s been great at letting me know that things are happening and also coming to me as a sounding board for advice [and] decisions that she has to make that are related to her career and try to balance that and brainstorm where new opportunities might be,” Culver says. “And all that is wonderful, I’m thrilled to help her.”
Oshlag advises other students to design their undergraduate education as they see fit.
“Keep in mind that this is only the first step and chances are that even if you have 50 passions now, at the next step of your journey you’re going to find even more things. And you’re never going to be able to do everything, but hopefully the thing that you do is one of the things you love.”
Through Garrison Hughes, Oshlag mostly works at UPMC’s corporate location. However, she expects to make trips to the regional and specialty hospitals that are a part of UPMC’s network to speak directly with health professionals. As she moves forward, she plans to continue keeping up with the faculty, staff and other young professionals she met at Temple.