INTERVIEW: Olivia Lynch of NewGrad

We spoke to Olivia, founder of online collaborative platform NewGrad, sharing advice and real-life experiences post-graduation.

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My name is Olivia and I started NewGrad in February 2019, whilst I was living in New Zealand. I graduated from The University of Sheffield with a degree in Law in 2017 and I honestly did not know what to do next. I worked at a law firm for a few months, volunteered and did an internship at a start-up. I loved to travel so I decided to do a Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand, which would allow me to work and travel in New Zealand for 12 months. It did not go to plan. Although I loved New Zealand, it was not the year abroad I had planned and I found myself very lost and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, so I started NewGrad for other graduates who may be feeling the same.

I wanted to read honest conversations about life after graduation. I wanted to know that other people were unsure about which career path to take as I was. I wanted to know about people who had lived and worked abroad. I wanted to know about career paths other than traditional graduate schemes, so I started writing about my own experiences and connecting with other graduates.

NewGrad has grown from just me writing content, in my bedroom, in New Zealand, to over 45 Student & New Graduate writers, who produce content for NewGrad’s free, weekly newsletter and the NewGrad website. I am so proud of NewGrad and everything we have achieved with it so far. We interview graduates on how they got to the career they are in, we talk about the realities of life after graduation, the highs and lows, living and working abroad, the graduate job search postgraduate depression, solo travel, moving to a new city and how to find and apply for internships. There really is something on there for everyone and I get so much positive feedback on how the page has really helped people, which is amazing.

I know that this is a very uncertain time for many students, who may have found themselves unable to graduate this year and many people are at home, struggling and worrying about what to do next. So, we have created lots of content to help people feel happier and healthier during this time, with a few different initiatives: NewGrad book club, cooking & baking tutorials, at home workouts and of course, our student writers have been sharing their advice on how they are coping during this uncertain time.

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Thank you so much to Olivia for an insight on what NewGrad is all about, and how you can get involved. Be sure to check out her website, and Instagram and Facebook pages @newgraduate.

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