Joseph Hamway

Joseph Hamway was an inaugural member and former managing editor of The Cyclone Chronicle from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024.

I’m currently a Junior Content Writer for a small Australian startup called ClassBento, with a lot of our U.S. team based in New York City. 

Living and working in New York had been a longtime goal of mine, but after graduating from Centenary in December ‘24, I quickly realized just how difficult the job market really was. That is something I foolishly didn’t expect post graduation. I truly wasn’t fully prepared for the level of competition or for how much effort it would take to land a role (especially in the city), particularly one that would allow me to afford living here. 

I submitted hundreds of applications before I finally started hearing back and making progress, which can be highly dehumanizing and discouraging.

I’m happy with where I’ve landed. It’s a solid first job out of college, my team is small and close-knit (about 8 of us in New York), and everyone is laid-back and supportive. It’s been thrilling to kick off my career while also achieving my dream of living in New York this year.

ClassBento is an event/class management platform where people can book creative workshops — everything from cooking and painting to craft classes, virtual experiences, and team-building activities. 

As a Content Writer, my role includes editorially optimizing class listings on our site, onboarding new teachers nationally to help their classes grow, and applying SEO (search engine optimization) strategies so that our listings/website show up prominently when people search things like “cooking classes near me” or “best pasta-making classes in NYC.” 

It involves a lot of SEO keyword research to see what people are googling and what words or combinations of words have high monthly search volume. This helps gauge what’s performing well, and if high performing SEO keywords are implemented into copy it helps us rank well on Google search results. SEO has been my biggest learning curve — it’s tricky and actually constantly evolving, especially in a landscape where we’re competing with AI and AI Overviews. 

But it’s also exciting, relevant, and a valuable skill to gain. Centenary should consider a SEO class for their marketing students! 

Beyond SEO work, I also refresh and optimize long-form articles on our site and have started writing some new ones myself. Our articles advertise classes and target certain cities to give inspiration to someone looking for new things to do where they live, or maybe if they’re organizing something like a birthday or bachelorette party. Since I’m one of just three Content Writers in the U.S. for ClassBento, I wear many hats, and the work is consistently busy and engaging. 

One thing I appreciate about the company is its emphasis on close collaboration and work-life balance. It’s really not a strict, stuffy office job — but instead very laid back and open where I feel more like friends with my coworkers, manager, and boss. I also value that a portion of our U.S. booking revenue supports NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), a mental health organization.

Looking back, Centenary’s newspaper really helped me build a foundation in writing, particularly in structuring articles, understanding flow, knowing your particular audience, and working through edits and peer reviews. While the work I do now is less journalistic and free rein, those skills definitely carry over.

For graduating seniors, juniors, or even new sophomores…my biggest advice is to seek out as many valuable internships as humanly possible before leaving Centenary. Build your resume early, and don’t hesitate to take full advantage of the Career Center, bug them often for any opportunities, ask questions, and make them a resource. Networking is also essential. Be proactive: connect with people on LinkedIn (everyone should have one), send direct messages about job opportunities you’re interested in, and don’t be afraid to ask for conversations/calls. The more you network, the more natural it becomes. Networking is the name of the game. You have to be aggressive and go after what you want. 

It’s also important to stay on top of trends in your industry. While AI is a controversial topic in schools, it’s already playing a huge role in the way we live and work. You shouldn’t ignore it. Learn how to use it as a tool to improve productivity. At the same time, if you’re in writing, don’t let it replace your own skills. Keep practicing and refining your writing, or you’ll lose the abilities you’ve worked hard and spent money to develop. AI can be helpful for streamlining certain tasks, especially in the workplace, but your individual voice and craft are what will set you apart.

I really do occasionally miss the Centenary community, going to classes, and writing for the newspaper. It felt like simpler times, haha! As Fall works its way in I get nostalgic about being at Centenary even just one year ago, all the great people I met and worked with, and contributing to something so special like the Cyclone Chronicle.