Our team is awesome. 'Nuff said. Now it's our time to spotlight former #TeamHype employees who are kicking some serious a** since spending time on our small but mighty team. Today, it's time to *air five* rockstar Abby Jones!

After interning for CultureHype last spring, Abby went on to write for the Dallas Observer & now lives in The Big Apple (NYC) as an editorial intern for Billboard Magazine. As a graduate of the University of North Texas, Abby makes the CultureHype fam proud as she continues to spread her love for creative writing.

How has working at CultureHype helped you in your career so far? 

"Working at CultureHype taught me a lot about how to effectively work with people at different authority levels. Prior to my internship, the only people I really had to work with were my peers or my professors. Working in PR helped me become more comfortable in how I worked with & addressed people in different positions."

Would you say interning at CultureHype was a beneficial experience? 

"Working at CultureHype helped me come to the conclusion that I wanted to work in the music industry, so I’d say it was pretty beneficial! Although I’m currently in music journalism, I had been applying for PR & marketing jobs related to music and I think I could have easily thrived in those, as well. CultureHype is unique in the way they foster clients in the local music scene & I’m thankful I got to work closely with that. I’ve always been interested in music, but CultureHype reinforced my decision to implement it into my career."

How was the transition from college into the workforce? 

"Honestly, rough at first! As plenty of graduates do, I moved back in with my parents while I continued a seemingly never-ending job search. The opportunity to intern at Billboard came suddenly—my life did a total 180 in one week. It was equal parts exciting & exhausting. I think when you’re in that post-grad limbo before employment comes around, you have to be prepared for something like that. Now that I’m settled in NYC, I feel like I’m supposed to be here. It’s very fulfilling."

What is your day-to-day life now working as an intern at Billboard?

"I have the early shift! I get to the office at 7 a.m. & pretty much immediately start plugging away at news stories from overnight. I get assigned articles throughout the day whenever news comes up, which is pretty often. If things get slow, an editor will likely have me transcribe an interview. I’ll probably end up working on longer feature articles as my internship goes on."

What do you love the most about working at Billboard?

"I love that I feel like I’m actually contributing to the digital component of Billboard. I was immediately thrown into writing on my first day & I’ve always felt productive & helpful. It’s a very positive work environment, & I feel like the editors really want me to grow & finish the internship with an impressive, varied portfolio. The only person I fetch coffee for is myself!"

How is it working for North Texas Daily and the Dallas Observer?

"I learned so much more from working at my school’s paper than I did in any of my classes. I got to explore Denton in such an immersive way by reporting on the things that make the city unique, all while improving my writing skills week after week. When I consequently became an editor for the Daily, I became a more confident leader but also a more careful, in-depth writer. Those are experiences you can get at any campus paper, not just UNT’s! Freelancing at the Observer was cool because that was the first time I was ever paid to write something. I got to interview some really cool creatives in Dallas & I felt extremely rewarded to see my byline in a major publication like that. It served as a good stepping stone for me between my schoolwork & what I do now."

What are some tips you can give readers to enter the job of their dreams?

"Apply, apply, apply. The pessimist in me comes out when I go job hunting. It’s silly, but I never feel qualified enough for any of the jobs I want! But just keep looking & applying—it never hurts. Do whatever you can to better yourself in the meantime. For me, that meant freelancing & contributing to music blogs on a volunteer basis."

What are some cool events you attend now because of Billboard?  

"So far, I’ve been able to watch bits of some in-office acoustic sets that Billboard live streams on Twitter. Sometimes, some pretty big names will come in, & I can take a break from staring at my computer screen to check out a super intimate performance! What else could I want?"