What was your major at CI? What was the month and year of your graduation?:
My major was political science with a minor in marketing and I graduated in December of 2009.
What is your job title and the name of the company where you are currently employed?:
I actually have several different jobs & job titles; currently I am the Marketing Manager at Charles Dunn Company, a commercial real estate company in Downtown Los Angeles, Marketing Director for several local Anytime Fitness locations (Camarillo, Moorpark, and Westlake Village coming soon!), and additionally I have my own business, Madison Consulting, where I freelance marketing consulting for various clients.
What particular skills or talents are most essential to be effective in your job?:
Since I work with several different clients/jobs, it's important to me to stay organized and be able to effectively multitask. Additionally, since I specialize in internet/social media marketing, it's important for me to be creative, resourceful and quick thinking as the landscape is always changing.
Why did this type of work interest you, and how did you get started?:
I've worked in and been passionate in marketing for as long as I can remember, however I became specifically interested with digital marketing with the rapid popularity of Google and I was intrigued to figure out how and why it worked, and what it would take to get a business of the first page of target search results.
How well did your college experience prepare you for this job?:
My college experience helped me to foster a lot of the fundamentals I still use today. While my major was different than my ultimate career (political science to marketing), I did find that working a few years in political fundraising helped me to better understand how people think and why they react certain ways, which is crucial to marketing. Being a member of one of the first classes at CSUCI taught me to be patient and independent which is invaluable experience in any industry.
Did you complete an internship while at CI? If so, what was your position? How did the internship help you in your career development?
I started an internship at a boutique PR & marketing firm while I was in high school and continued working there through my time at CSUCI. This experience too was valuable as I learned a lot of the internal workings of a PR agency and although the Internet has changed a lot of the ways PR is done today, learning those fundamentals was important.
Did you go to graduate school? If so, what program and university did you attend?
I did not go to graduate school but it's always an option in the future!
Do you have any advice (job hunting or otherwise) for CI students?:
I think my biggest piece of advice would be to gain work experience as soon as you possibly can. Even if you end up changing careers or majors, changes are the skills that you learned can be carried over in some way, and will be a valuable resource to both yourself and your employer. Most importantly, ALWAYS be willing to learn something new. I'm researching new techniques and procedures every day and don't ever expect to know everything or ever stop learning!
Would you be willing to connect with current CI students who have questions for you on LinkedIn? If so, please include your LinkedIn url.
Absolutely! My LinkedIn url is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssaselogie