I went to Indiana University. I majored in Communications and had minors in Psychology and Entrepreneurship. During my summers I spent my time getting experience to prepare myself for the world after college. I interned for the California State School System and did 2 separate internships at Boeing, 1 in their finance department, and 1 in Contracts and Pricing. I worked hard to earn leadership roles in my sorority, heading up charity endeavors as the Philanthropy Chair, and spending a year as the VP of Recruitment. I loved every single experience and valued all that I learned, but when I started looking for jobs before I graduated, I realized that it wasn’t necessarily enough.
As I started to interview, I met with a similar message from several companies. “You need 2-3 years of experience before working with us.”
I was confused because none of the companies I was interviewing with seemed to offer training or the experience that they seemed to require. It seemed like a catch 22. How was I supposed to get the experience to get hired, if no one would hire me without it? I knew that what I had to offer would be valuable to a company. I knew I was willing to work so hard to prove myself if someone would just give me the opportunity.
Fortunately, I found a small marketing firm in St. Louis that had an entry-level opening, where they offered training in many departments. I joined the company, worked hard, and got the experience that eventually afforded me the opportunity to open my company here in Chicago.
Because of that, I have worked hard to create a training program here at Coast that gives new college graduates the opportunity to get their foot in the door right after finishing school. We provide training in sales, marketing, finance, human resources, advertising, public speaking, time management, professional communication, leadership, and much more.
I wanted Coast to be a place that gave college graduates support as they entered the competitiveness of the “real world.” A place where they would be mentored, developed, and given room to grow and make mistakes (which are the best ways to learn).
I am so grateful to the company that gave me my start, and I believe in paying it forward. I am proud that year after year, we offer an opportunity to people just like me, who need to be given a chance to prove themselves professionally.
When people come to work at Coast, we take them from no experience to professionals who are polished, confident, with a variety of professional experience under their belt. Here they have a chance to get outside of their comfort zones, take risks, and grow more than expected in their first year of working with us.
If you are looking for a place to be taken care of, mentored, trained professionally, and pushed to your full potential, I would love it if you looked into our company. We have huge goals, we’re looking to expand, and we’re looking for people who want a chance to prove their worth, just like I was.
I made it my mission to make my company a safe haven for ambitious graduates who just need a chance. Energy, innovation, creativity – these are just some of our values. We are excited about expanding and growing this year, and we are excited for all who get to be a part of it!
Nicole Skovgard
Nicole is President and CEO of Coast Inc. She started her company looking to make an impact in Chicago both for clients and for people who joined the Coast Inc. team. She's impressively grown market share for our clients and through our work with them, provided numerous opportunities and a place for career development for our team members. In her off time, Nicole is curled up enjoying a good book and glass of wine in the company of her adorable labs. You can learn more about Nicole and the team by visiting coastincorporated.com.