This interview is made possible thanks to the kindness and generosity of 𝗔𝗿𝘁ū𝗿𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝗸𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗮, who graciously agreed to share his story and experiences with our community.

 

As a lovely reminder of where every journey begins to take shape, 𝗔𝗿𝘁ū𝗿𝗮𝘀’s BA thesis was titled “Trauma as an Unhealing Wound in Jonathan Safran Foer’s Novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”

 

We hope 𝗔𝗿𝘁ū𝗿𝗮𝘀’s story offers a powerful example of how persistence, openness to opportunities, and the courage to keep trying can shape a career journey, even when the path is bumpy and rejection is part of the process.

 

Welcome—and enjoy the interview!

 

What did your path look like from graduation to your current job? How many different jobs have you held along the way?

 

Since graduating, I’ve worked at a few Lithuanian and international startups, as well as at a PR agency. A year after graduating, I took a gap year and went to New Zealand for a year with my now-wife. I picked kiwis and did dishwashing.

Once, I was so desperate to get a job at a specific company that I applied six times. Five rejections, a few months of back and forth, and I finally got it. Recently, I applied for a role at an international startup and had five one-hour calls as part of the hiring process. And I didn’t get the job. So the path has been bumpy for sure but it has allowed me to gain diverse experience that I wouldn’t have gotten had I not tried and tried and tried.

 

Which specific competencies gained during your studies are most useful in your current work?

 

I would say the ability to distinguish what’s worth one’s attention and what’s just a fad. I’m not entirely sure I’m calling it correctly, but in marketing, there’s currently a concept called “taste”. I think we learned how to have taste for anything, really.

 

What skills are most valued in today’s job market? What should graduates have “in their backpack” when entering the workforce?

 

Be very open to any opportunities that come your way. Try to abstain from labeling yourself and believing too much in the label. You’re so much more than just what you studied. If you really want something, you will get it. But you have to be proactive and really, really want it.

Also, be ready to get smacked with a rejection after rejection. Understand that most of the time it’s not about you, it’s about what the company needs at the time, how much resources it’s willing to spend to make it work. Sometimes the recruiter is having a bad day. A lot of getting a job these days is luck. Just keep trying and don’t take it personally.

 

Did you need to learn new things after graduation to adapt to the demands of the job market?

 

Yes but most of it is soft skills and the ability to understand the context, e.g. what’s happening in the job market and how you can position yourself best to land a role you think you’d thrive in.

 

What has been your biggest professional challenge so far, and how did you overcome it?

 

Perhaps realizing that at the end of the day, for most employers you are just a number. And if you want to be more than just a number, you have to dedicate your entire life to it. Both ways of existence are okay of course, it’s just what you personally prefer.

 

Do you have any advice for current students who are just starting to think about their career paths?

 

Yes - be open to any and all opportunities that come your way. Even if you don’t think you have the skills or experience for it, you should still at least consider it. There’s a profound change happening right now in how we work (yes yes AI), so just keep that in mind and be grateful for whatever comes your way.

Also, take risks while you’re young.

 

In your opinion, what are some of the “invisible” benefits of studying English Philology that only become clear once you start working?

 

The taste thing I mentioned earlier. Ability to read the room. Compassion. Knowing how and what to read. There’s so many and they’re so invisible. You’ll need to go through the program and see it for yourself!

 

Thank you, 𝗔𝗿𝘁ū𝗿𝗮s