Brendan Gepson received his Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design/Marketing from Midland University in 2016. We caught up with Brendan to talk about what he's been up to since graduation, how he landed his dream job, and what advice he has for soon-to-graduates from his alma mater.

What have you been up to since you graduated?

After graduation, I worked for a small marketing firm in Omaha, and then in March of 2017, I started working in the Marketing Department of the Nebraska Humane Society! I’ve been living in Omaha and working there ever since.

Talk about your job, and why you love it.

As part of the marketing team at NHS, I help with graphic design and social media. I do most of the graphic design for the shelter, which includes digital ads, posters, postcards, and print pieces like newsletters and other mailings. I also run half of our social media — if you follow the Nebraska Humane Society on Twitter or Snapchat, that’s me!

This job and NHS are awesome for multiple reasons. For one, if I need a break from work all I need to do is walk down a hallway to play with a cat or a dog (or a pig, or a duck, or a rabbit, or a guinea pig, or a goat, etc.). We can also bring our own dogs to work, so even if I’m not working near our dog and cat kennels that day there are still animals all around. I also love getting to interact with the public through our social channels. It feels great to know that someone adopted a dog from us because I photoshopped it to look like Chewbacca and tweeted it out. I’m not sure there’s any other job where you can do that.

How did you find your job?

While I was job searching, I reached out to some connections I had made to see if they knew of any good positions that were open. I messaged Kristine Rohwer, (the former Marketing Project Manager at Midland and my former work-study boss) to see if she knew anything. She pointed me to a job listing for my current job online. I applied, went through the interview process, and now I’m here!

What advice do you have for current students on finding their dream job?

A few things - apply for a lot of jobs, even ones you think you might not be qualified for. Also, make it clear on your resume and in your application that you’re willing to grow and learn new skills. You might be comfortable with your skill set, but it’s important to keep learning even after you think you’ve found your dream job. Make connections because they will come in handy - keeping in touch with Kristine was great because I was able to find my Humane Society job with her help. I also reached out to several former teachers when I needed a job and they were also a great help. If you’re an art or graphic design major, make sure you have a good portfolio and make sure it shows a variety of work so that employers know what you’re capable of.

What is your fondest memory of Midland?

My fondest memory from Midland was from my time as the President of Short Attention Span (SAS), the campus improv group. I was the President for two years and I have a lot of good memories from that time. This is going to sound super cliché but knowing how to improvise is an important life skill that comes in handy even if I’m not on a stage.

How do you spend your leisure time? Any hobbies?

I spend my leisure time doing what any well-adjusted 24-year-old would do — bingeing shows on Netflix. Right now I’m watching The Good Place on repeat. I also spend time thinking of stupid puns and jokes to tweet from the NHS account, and I like to do personal graphic design projects if I have the time.

What’s a fun or interesting fact about you?

I wouldn’t say I’m a huge Barry Manilow fan, but one time I sang backup for him as part of the Midland University Choir. His jacket had a lot of sequins on it. Seemed like a nice guy. Also, I have three kidneys.

Have anything else to say?

The Nebraska Humane Society is always looking for great volunteers! We have hundreds of people who help walk dogs, clean cat kennels, and more for us every day. If you want to get involved, check out www.nehumanesociety.org! Also, if you're not registered to vote, go to vote.org and sign up! It's easy to do and voting is a right you should take advantage of.