Major:
Integrated Strategic Communication
Year Graduated:
2010
Hometown:
Bowling Green, KY
Current City:
St. Louis, MO
Current Employer:
Mars, Inc. Associate Brand Manager
Top played song on your playlist?:
Not going to hide it, likely Taylor Swift.
Where has your CI degree taken you?:
Everywhere I never thought I'd be and I love it! I worked at a Lexington agency, Cornett, for a couple years before moving to Sydney, Australia to work for LinkedIn as the Associate Marketing Manager. And now I've just moved to St. Louis!
What is your favorite thing about your job?:
Never the same day twice. Or even the same hour. I love that I can jump from a video shoot to editing content, and then run into a strategy meeting before working on the budget.
What¹s the most valuable thing you learned in CI?:
There isn't one proper way to do something. Whether it's a presentation, a campaign, a pitch, etc., everyone brings something different to the table. Don't be intimidated by this, but embrace it. We are each unique in our creativity and ideas. Work with your classmates/colleagues to incorporate their strengths. What I might consider a strength a partner might consider a weakness and vice-versa. Use those to build out the best result.
What advice would you give to current CI students?:
Find a mentor. I've been fortunate in my career to have really smart, strong superiors and colleagues who have helped to shape my career. It wasn't until a couple years ago that I realized how important their impact had been and how much I admired the way they carried themselves both professionally and personally. I asked two of them to be my mentors and proceeded to set up a thirty-minute monthly call with each one. Our topics could be anything from my career development, overcoming challenges they've faced in the workforce or how to manage work/life balance. The important part is to have that person(s) in your professional life who you can look to for advice and honest feedback.