Yasss finally a Fordham lady is joining the Professional Posse! I met Shay McGroarty when I was a mere baby sophomore on Fordham's Campus Activities Board. She was, of course, a stylish and hilarious senior. I still don't know how I tricked her into being friends with me, but here we are three years later with a thriving cross country friendship -- she's currently out west living that LA dream.
When Shay agreed to join the Professional Posse, I knew everything about her responses would be flawless. Lo and behold, she sends me her photos and there were outfit changes -- literal outfit changes! I died. Never have photos more accurately captured someone's personality.
There's so much I admire about Shay. She moved to Los Angeles after school and is working her way up in her dream industry. She owns
the coolest Etsy card shop ever (and
sent me one when I landed my Birchbox gig!) When we chat, she either has me crying laughing about how she pretended to be British at a party where she met Josh Peck, or is talking me off the ledge two days before my graduation (I was worried that I didn't already have a job). She's great at taking life as it comes -- always with grace and a whole lot of humor. I knew she would make an incredible addition to the series and she did not disappoint!
Oh, and for fun,
here's a throwback of Shay and me at Fordham dressed like we're straight out of the jazz age.
Name: Shay McGroarty
Field / Industry: Entertainment
Title: Assistant
Hometown: Wilton, CT
Current City: Los Angeles
Age: 25
Alma Mater: Fordham
The Job
Describe your role?
I’m an assistant to a talent agent. If you’re thinking Lloyd from Entourage you’re almost there, except my boss is actually an amazing guy and very nice. I just assist him every day. Someone once told me that while you’re at an agency you need to make your boss your top client, so basically that’s what I try to do.
Why the entertainment industry?
I’ve always loved movies. Being in the business I know what’s happening before most of the world does in film and television. I get to read scripts before the movie comes out and see agents push their clients for roles. It’s intoxicating watching a movie come to life before your eyes.
What was the application and interview process like?
My current position did not have an application process. I had remained close to a former agent and she passed my resume on to HR. HR called me up and scheduled a formal interview. In all honesty I thought I blew my HR interview. I had been reading the trades, studying Paradigm’s talent roster, picking a few clients to really have an in depth knowledge of their career, and the minute I got asked “Who are some of your favorite Paradigm clients,” I blanked. Shut down. I thankfully came up with one for talent and one for lit. Apparently I did a good enough job. After that interview I interviewed with my boss and got the job.
About how many jobs did you apply to when you graduated?
I can’t even begin to remember. I applied to hundreds of jobs. The Entertainment business is VERY competitive and it really is all about who you know.
What tactics did you use for finding your job?
I got my current position because I had worked closely with an agent who transitioned over from my previous job. She really went to bat for me and got me my interview with my boss. She honestly texted me one day and asked “What are you doing tomorrow? I told this agent that you should interview and he’s free tomorrow.”
What’s a typical day look like? Is there a typical day?
There is no typical day. Every day is different which is one of the reasons why I love this industry.
What do you love about your job?
I love being in the know. I love having access to almost any script I want. I love being able to see a movie go from start to finish.