You're Doing What With Your Major?

Spotlight on UK Alumna Emilee Coomes

Major:  Integrated Strategic Communications  Minor: Spanish

Current Career: Project manager of marketing and communications for The Speed Art Museum

Please provide a short summary of your career path from college to present.

It has been a winding road. Buckle your seatbelt, and let’s take a ride.

Right out of college I bought a one-way ticket to New York City. I landed with two suitcases, no job and a deadline: find work within one month. Two weeks after I arrived, I began working for Dentsu America, a Japanese advertising agency, where my head client was Toyota North America. After a busy and exciting year in advertising, I was itching for a change. It was time to leave the big city behind for a big chill.

My sister and I took 10 days to drive out to California where we worked for wineries and lived in a Sonoma cottage. We crushed grapes and stained our hands 12 hours a day, seven days a week for the entire harvest. After a busy fall, we headed back East, couch surfing across the Southern border. With California dreaming behind me, I spent a few months in Kentucky then headed to the beaches of Charleston, South Caroline for the summer. At Wild Dunes Resort, I managed the aquatic program teaching swim lessons and water aerobics with personally built clientele, while managing 17 interns for the summer program. After the summer, I stepped back into the wine world, but this time for the land of the Kiwis.

New Zealand came calling, and I answered. It was under the Kiwi sun that I worked a laborious and exciting harvest job in the Marlborough region of the South island. I was the only female American on the staff of over 50 employees. I spent most of my days testing samples and translating Spanish to the South American and European winemakers. It was one of the most liberating experiences.

Foreign grapes behind me, I arrived back in Charleston at the Wild Dunes Resort for another summer of managing and teaching. Summer passed, and I slipped on my cowboy boots for a freelance job in publicity for country music artists in Nashville, Tennessee. I freelanced for a year and worked from either music row in Nashville or in coffee shops across the USA. I took full advantage of my mobility and spent the duration of my yearlong contract travelling, at some points for several weeks at a time, striking the perfect balance between work and travel.  After my contract ended, and I was home from a few weeks traveling in New York, Europe, Nevada and Colorado, I received a phone call from The Speed Art Museum. 

I have been working with the museum for a year in February. Although our museum doors are closed during our expansion, we have opened a satellite space in the Louisville neighborhood, Nulu. We have rotating exhibitions, family art activities, gallery hours, parties, etc. I manage marketing projects that include writing copy for all press marketing materials, managing the ad buys, driving the creative process, securing public relations, while maintaining relationships with media, my vendors, museum members, etc. I work directly with the director of marketing for the museum and mange three interns in my department. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the art world and this museum!

Describe your best boss/supervisor.

I have been lucky to experience a plethora of amazing bosses but I have to say that currently my boss is an exceptional teacher, leader and friend. I continuously learn best practices from him in more areas than just marketing, professionalism and relationship cultivation. He trusts me to take leads on projects and manage aspects from start to finish.

What do you do for networking and professional development?

I keep my contacts abreast of my career, published work, neat trips, etc. and when I see their company in the news or hear something interesting about their industry I strike up a conversation. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but I do maintain relationships with individuals from a variety of industries and keep my connection genuine. A great example of effective networking for me has always been volunteering at special events in industries that I enjoy. When I first arrived in New York City, I reached out to the Advertising Women of New York because I had met members at a conference the year before and asked if I could volunteer in their office. In exchange for my time, I was welcomed to join a few of their events with leading advertising women in New York. It was at one of these events at the Chelsea Piers Driving Range that I hit the perfect drive, which resulted in several interviews.  I think that events that are called “Networking Events” are forced and feel contrived. 

How would you describe a successful job search strategy?

Grow it from grassroots. Start with some kind of goal in mind. “I want to be in the art world.” Then ask yourself, “In what capacity do I want to work in the art world, who do I know in this industry that I can talk with for advice, what city do I want to live in and what companies, institutes does that city offer in the art world?” From there start talking to everyone you know and make people aware of your career path, goals, and interests, but keep it a two way street. In return, express a genuine interest in other’s personal and professional objectives.

What career advice would you give to students and alumni?

Explore. Time is a thief so don’t waste it in a job you can’t tolerate. If you have vacation time, use it. Traveling makes you more interesting because it gives you confidence, provides unique experiences and a plethora of conversational topics. But be smart about it, just don’t up and quit. When I decided to leave my full-time job in New York, I had a plan and a goal. I wanted to explore the states by car with my sister and learn about wine, then take that experience and use it in some capacity. Understand that your degree has layers and multiple uses, and pair that mentality with a memorable personality.

What I know now that I didn’t know as a student:

Real life can be just as fun as college if you let it. Adult spring breaks do exist.

Favorite UK memory/class etc.: 

My college memories all run together as one big sparkling moment in my life, full of amazing people, huge houses and tiny dorms, inspirational professors, cheap beer, tons of trips and athletic events. UK was one of the catalysts that led me to learn more about myself, the world and life.

           

You're Doing What With Your Major?

 

Spotlight on UK Alumna Michelle Harris

Major: BS Chemical Engineering (1994)

Current Career: Strategic Planner for Gresham, Smith and Partners

I am currently a strategic planner for a large architectural and engineering Firm headquartered in Nashville, TN.  I currently report to the Firm’s CEO, helping the management team develop their strategy to position the firm for success now and in the future.

Brief Description of Career Path:

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, I began my professional career in engineering consulting as a chemical engineer.  Through years of process engineering experience, I eventually transitioned into project management and senior level consultancy.  Along my journey, I learned quite a bit about strategy, which included identifying a strategy to save my job. I put my background in engineering to use in a different capacity; as manufacturing moved overseas, I found a place in the job market in site selection and economic development for manufacturing facilities overseas(working remotely from the states) and consulting communities on what kind of industry to attract as they began to lose manufacturing jobs locally.“Change is inevitable, and I realized I had to embrace it.” As the job market continued to transition, I continued to evolve professionally and continued to expand my network.  While reconnecting with colleagues and quite happy in my role as a consultant, I had no idea I was about to connect with individuals at Gresham, Smith and Partners who would give me the opportunity of a lifetime, to write my own job description!

Favorite UK memory/class:

Teaching UK 101 to freshman. I have always enjoyed giving back to others, especially where something so great had been given to me.  When I took UK101 as a Freshman it helped me understand the new world I was signing onto in college.  It connected me with peers and faculty that would help me all throughout my college education.  Being able to be a part of teaching the class and truly connecting with the apprehensions of some of the freshman gave me the opportunity to give back. 

What I know now that I didn’t know as a student:

Real world application! So many classes were so theoretical.  Even with a summer internship, many times the classes were not translated well enough into real world application.  In some cases I had been working years before I realized what I was supposed to be learning in the theoretical classes and more importantly, why I needed to learn it.

Advice to others considering a job or career change:

Change is inevitable. Embrace it.  Also, realize that in everything you do, you are creating an experience for yourself and for others whether it is for your clients, your supervisor, your peers or an interviewer.  Keep up with change, don’t grow stagnant in the role you are in and strive to create the most rewarding experience possible. If you are passionate about it, it makes good business sense (personally and professionally), continually monitor the situation around you and you may find an opportunity to give it a try.  One of the fastest growing elements of change to stay on top of is technological advancement and how it impacts us individually and the world we live in.

You’re Doing What With Your Major?

                                      
                                         Spotlight on UK Alumnus Dr. D. Lamont Smith

Major: Advertising/Journalism (Communications-1997)

Current career: Doctor of Chiropractic, specializing in Active Release Techniques (ART)

Brief description of career path: Upon graduating from UK, I got “stuck” in a sales position. Although I was good at it, I did not enjoy what I was doing .So I found myself at a crossroads when I was selling cell phones in a mall kiosk. I had a talk with myself and said “This is for someone else. This isn’t the place for you.” After speaking those words to myself, I decided to reflect on the things I enjoyed doing and classes I enjoyed taking in the past. And then I remembered when I was in the 10th grade, at Lakota High School, taking Mr. Moore’s athletic training class and loving it! I also recalled being in the training room and the Nutter Practice Facility, and knowing the “medical” lingo I was hearing. At that moment I decided to talk to my dad about chiropractic school, because he’d mentioned going back to school for chiropractic in the past. He introduced me to his chiropractor and my mom’s friend introduced me to his chiropractor, and within two weeks of the initial thought, I was enrolled in school to start taking my prerequisites. I became a Doctor of Chiropractic in 2005.

Favorite UK memory/class etc.: There are many, but I will only share three. Academically, the one that really sticks out for me is when I was in my Advertising/Journalism class we were paired into groups to work on ads for the “new” Kentucky Thoroughbreds hockey team. After presenting our ads to the Kentucky Thoroughbreds ad/marking executives, several of our ads were chosen. Another memory was when the football team beat Alabama (1997) for the first time in 71 years. I was on that team. And lastly, I have fond memories of interning in the UK Media Relations office the summer before my senior year. I met so many good people and wished that I would have had more time to spend with them.
Class I wish I would have taken at UK: Biology and Chemistry because it would have fast tracked me into my new career - LOL!

Next dream job: To be the football team’s chiropractor for my alma mater…(smiling).

What I know now that I didn’t know as a student: What do you mean? I was like every other college student… I knew it all! Seriously, I wish that I was more informed about internships. If I would have known about internships, it would have been a great opportunity for me to gain experience in my field of study.

Advice to others considering a job or career change: Decide what you are interested in. Weigh the pros and cons and if the pros outweigh the cons, consider conducting informational interviews with someone in that field.

You’re Doing What With Your Major?

As a new blog initiative, we will periodically spotlight UK alumni who are doing something unusual or out-of-the ordinary with their major. We hope you will enjoy these alumni spotlight features.

Spotlight on UK Alumni Nick Such

Major: BS Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics [minor] (2009)

Current Career: Co-Founder Awesome Touch
Since graduation, I have worked in venture capital, started a touchscreen software company (a spinout from a friends' senior design project at UK), helped launch the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and was accepted to Stanford’s MBA program.

Brief Description of Career Path:
While working at GE and Toyota as an engineering co-op student, I discovered that I loved solving problems and making systems more efficient. Leading UK’s Solar Car Team during my senior year, I got a taste of the world of technology-based entrepreneurship, and decided I wanted more.

Favorite UK memory:
Running across the finish line in Calgary, Alberta, Canada next to Gato del Sol III, the University of Kentucky’s solar-powered car. We started in Plano, Texas and covered 2400 miles in 9 days. The team was founded in 1999, and that year, 2008, was the first time a UK Solar Car Team vehicle ever completed a cross-country race. After nearly a decade of R&D, two fully-constructed vehicles, hundreds of student team members, and thousands of extracurricular hours, it felt pretty good for my teammates and I to finally see the checkered flag.

Class I wish I would have taken at UK:
Psychology or anthropology. When running a business, I’m always trying to understand what motivates people to make decisions. As an engineer, I think I overlooked many human aspects of creating new technologies. Perception is reality, more often than I expected. A new gadget is only as good as the ability of people to understand how to use it.

Future Dream Job:
Exactly what I’m doing right now. It’s not uncommon for technology entrepreneurs to start one company, sell it, and start another. There are a few ideas I’d like to pursue after we build AwesomeTouch into something of significant value.

What I know now that I didn’t know as a student:
You don’t need a degree to start a business. In fact, there are several advantages to starting a business while still in school, including easy access to a broad alumni network, and being surrounded by lots of smart people who are potential co-founders. The UK Entrepreneurs Club is making it a lot easier to learn about these resources, and helping more students try their hand at starting a business.

I also never realized that a business is just a malleable vehicle for pursuing a passion. I didn’t really start off liking “business”, but I did like solving hard problems by creating new technologies. I eventually realized that if I found a problem that a lot of people were experiencing, and solved it for them; they would be willing to exchange money for that solution. All of a sudden, a fun project had become a business!

Advice to others considering a job or career change:
The best time to find a great option is when you have a good option on the table.

An MBA is a great way to make a functional or industry career change. And don’t write off top programs like Stanford and Harvard. They are well within the reach of UK graduates, and it really strengthens your application if you’re pursuing interesting projects on top of your normal role at work.
Consider learning how to write software. It’s a hot skill set, as demand is super-high right now for people who are decent programmers. Thanks to the internet, there are some quick and easy ways to become a decent programmer. Even if you don’t pursue it as a career, it will help when that day comes along that you inevitably will work on some project with a programmer. And with all the things that run on software today, from refrigerators, iPhones, our financial system, and even your car, it might offer some perspective on the very human logic that operates the world around you.

Favorite books:
I'm a huge Michael Crichton fan. He's a great example of someone who pursued his passion instead of more obvious career choices (how many Sci-Fi authors have Harvard MD's?). I recently finished Atlas Shrugged, and learned a lot from its perspective on the balance between profit and social good. Malcolm Gladwell's books all seem to have a way of turning my brain on. The whole list is here: www.shelfari.com/nicksuch/shelf

Favorite blogs:
Some entrepreneurs and investors I've learned from: steveblank.com, avc.com, jasonlbaptiste.com

The "news" in the tech startup world: techcrunch.com

Where I go to relax: xkcd.com (ok, it's a webcomic, but it's brilliant!)



UK Alumni Career Spotlight

“Savvy job seekers know the paper resume is a dated approach to your job search. Having a professional video profile complete with your traditional resume, personality profile and relevant accomplishments will increase your chance for hire by 30% or more – it just works”.


-David DeCapua, CEO TalentRooster, UK Alumni (1990 BA Communications)

Here in Alumni Career Services we recently learned about emerging video resume technology called TalentRooster. Even better, we learned that TalentRooster was developed by UK alumn David DeCapua. TalentRooster allows job seekers to create a full blown digital video profile, complete with traditional resume, video resume, links to social media sites, a personality profile and much more. Plus it can be posted on all of your favorite social media sites. Employers, staffing agencies, and recruiters are also using TalentRooster to conduct initial candidate screenings and to determine who to invite to the interview. Good Morning America even recently spotlighted this new tool.

David has fond college memories of attending UK basketball games when Pitino was the new coach in town. David’s first job out of college was an account executive with Physician’s Sales and Service where he started a territory from the ground up in North Miami, Florida then moved to central Ohio and replicated this same feat. David went on to join Dawson Resources, an executive search, recruiting and staffing firm in the Columbus, Ohio area that focuses on positions in accounting & finance, call centers, creative, industrial, IT, office and VMS areas. During the economic downturn, it became clear to David that with the advent of social media, the way people job search has drastically changed. He wanted to be a part of that exciting time and developed TalentRooster. David says that while taking a huge financial risk, starting TalentRooster was probably the best career decision he has ever made. In between running two businesses, David is also a city council member and, enjoys spending time with his wife and three young children as well as, studying Civil War history.

David has generously offered a link for any UK alum or student to create a free digital video profile http://talentrooster.s3.amazonaws.com/Misc/TRSite/TRUniversityProgram.htm.