Erik Obst, Longwood Alumni
By Julia Bogdan
Erik Obst, a 2015 Communication Studies alumnus with a public relations concentration, is living his dream job every single day as the Public Outreach Manager at Whitebarrel Winery in Christiansburg, Virginia.
Despite his title, Obst is highly involved in many different aspects of the wine industry, including a sommelier, sales and distribution representative, event planner, and even has even assisted in the entire wine making process.
“My dream was to be a corporate lawyer, before I discovered wine,” Obst said. “My career path went way different than what I was expecting. [However] I like to believe I am doing my dream job every day.”
A typical day in the life of his profession is what he refers to as “craziness.”
“There is never a day that is the same. One day, I am driving across Virginia selling wine and the next I’m knee deep in crushed grapes creating the next vintage,” Obst said.
Obst isn’t quite sure where he wants to go in the future, but he is content with that.
“At this point in my career, I am focusing on the present. Are there a ton of different places I could go and explore in the world of wine? Of course! But right now, I love where I work and who I work with. Not to mention, I’m learning more than I could have ever imagined,” Obst said.
Obst usually gets the question, “Is wine related to your degree at all?” His answer is “Yes!”
“There are thousands of moving parts in this industry that require the skills I obtained through my degree,” Obst said.
He also said that goes for anything, and that one must have dedication and discipline outside the classroom for whatever industry they are enthusiastic about.
“[My academic training at Longwood helped me with] thinking on the spot and always being prepared. In my industry, you are either prepared and know what you’re talking about, or they will call you out in a heartbeat,” Obst stated.
“[When I was in college], I don’t think I understood the lessons behind the lessons. I was more concerned about understanding theory,” Obst said, “but it was the experiences outside the classroom, like attending the PRSSA conferences and luncheons that truly made an impact. It was in those settings where I would talk to my professors and other professionals to gain real-world insight.”
Obst’s lasting advice is, “don’t be so focused on a specific field, like PR, go and find out what you care about. Research it. Dive into it. Find what you love and go for it.”