Katie Couric First Wanted To Work In Advertising But No One Would Hire Her

While on the hunt for a job during her senior year at the University of Virginia, Couric took a trip down Madison Avenue to interview at advertising agencies, Ad Age reports.

"I wanted to be on a creative team," Couric said. "Basically, I wanted to be Peggy Olsen."

But she bombed the interviews. Couric told Ad Age the tale of her absolute worst interview at Grey Advertising:

It was a terrible, rainy nasty day. I had a very bad cold which made for an inauspicious beginning. I walked outside and had a cheap umbrella that blew inside out in the wind, I couldn't get a cab and I had mascara running down my face. I was a pretty pathetic sight. I interviewed with a couple places and nobody was interested in hiring me. But my last interview of the day was with a head of personnel at Grey. I think her name was Barbara. I got there and my feet were soaking wet. During the interview I started crying. I'm not proud of that. I was just so discouraged. And to add insult to injury she told me that I 'should consider getting a job closer to my parents.

Some things probably work out for the best.

Her first job in 1979 was at the ABC News bureau in Washington D.C. and the rest is history.