Author: Havannah Tran

I am a liberal arts trained, self-taught designer with a background in development and content creation. I’ll be joining Joy as a product designer after graduating in May of 2019.

new job

new job

3 Questions to Ask If You’re a Chronic Overscheduler

I am a “yes” woman — but not in the conventional sense. Instead of blindly agreeing with the policies of my superior, I agree to do absolutely everything that is within my skillset. Write copy for someone’s startup? Sure. Make a logo for a school organization that needs rebranding? Yeah, of course....

make your workplace better for women

make your workplace better for women

Why You Need a Mentor – Even Before You Graduate

Like almost every college first-year, I changed my career path. I initially decided to study economics and English, then go to law school. All my work in high school had been centered about going to law school, including a two-summer internship at a non-profit law firm. But once I was in college,...

intern

intern

7 Tips to Secure an Internship

For undergraduates, navigating the working world can be confusing and intimidating. School might teach you the fundamentals of your future occupation, but it doesn’t prepare you for what it means to have a career. What is it like to work for a salary? While entering the workforce will be foreign to some...

science phd

science phd

Why You Don’t Have to Choose Between STEM and Humanities

This year is the year I choose my major — and frankly, I still have little to no idea what to specialize in. I can’t help but think that by choosing to major in English, computer science, or the arts exclusively, I would be missing something. On the other hand, I can...

job search mistakes

job search mistakes

Is Grad School Worth It (Straight Out of Undergrad)?

This coming August, I will enter my sophomore year of college. While my graduation day is still a ways off, I am starting to think about life after earning my B.A. Do I want to jump right into the workforce? Or will it be more advantageous for me to pursue graduate work?...

How to Choose the Right College for You

Spring brings both joy and pain to the high school senior. On one hand, finishing up that K-12 career brings a sense of accomplishment and relief; on the other hand, this time also asks the typical 18-year-old to make one of the biggest decisions of their life. As someone who went through...

Why You Should Negotiate Salary, Even at Your First Job

“Your starting salary at the first company you work for is always going to suck.” I can’t exactly cite this quote to anyone in particular since I’ve heard it too many times to recall the original source. Point being, I was under the impression that my starting salary at my first job...

What College Students Need to Know About the Gender Pay Gap

Before I was aware of the gender wage gap, I thought – as any rational person would – that employees would be paid the same for their same quality of work regardless of gender. But alas, this is not the case. The reality is, at least for a few years, the gender...

Is Getting Into an Elite School the Only Way to Define Success?

Upon entering high school, I was under the impression that my life would resemble that of Marissa Cooper from The OC, coming home past my curfew because I was out with a cute boy or getting into some shenanigans with my best gal pals. If we ignore the blatant reality that I...

Why I Chose to Study English

If I had a dime for all the times someone questioned why I decided to study English, I’d probably have enough money to put me through law school. Jokes aside, I honestly can see where the confusion lies. My high school academic record reads like it belongs to a poster child pre-med...

8 Things I Wish My High School Counselor Told Me About Applying to College

Being a high school senior is tough. With the competitive nature of college admissions these days, balancing academics, extracurricular activities, family commitments, and applications is truly a feat. While high school counselors are at their disposal during the crucial months of October through December, seniors are tirelessly scouring college confidential forums, messaging...