As part of our COM 426: Senior Seminar in Communication, my classmates and I attended a Zoom meeting with several alumni from the University of Michigan-Flint’s Communication Studies program. The alumni, whose graduation years ranged from 2011 to 2021, each discussed how their time at UM-Flint helped prepare them for their respective careers.
While we were in the main Zoom session, each alum introduced themselves and provided a brief overview of their career and the skills they utilize daily. After the main session concluded, we had the opportunity to join a breakout room with alumni who have careers similar to those we aspire to after graduation.
Both breakout rooms had about 3-4 alumni in them, and we had the opportunity to hear further insights about their careers and how they achieved success in them, as well as to ask questions tailored to each alum to help us better understand what it might be like to have a career in their field.
I joined a breakout session with Harley Brown, Caleb Holloway, and Paige Coates. Harley, a 2021 graduate, currently works for student life and engagement at Michigan State University. Caleb, a 2019 graduate, works as a digital content manager at NBC25. Paige, a 2011 graduate, currently works as the global director for communications at Inteva Products. I chose to join this specific breakout session because I am interested in pursuing a career in the journalism industry after I graduate in the fall, and I wanted to gain Caleb’s insight into what he thinks the industry might look like in the next decade.
Overall, I think this career panel was very informative and insightful. It was very nice to hear from people who were once in my shoes and see what they are doing since graduating. One of the most significant pieces of advice that I will take away from an alum is to raise your hand and be willing to pivot. A lot of the alumni talked about how important it is to be willing to be flexible when entering the job market and how you need to be willing to do any job, even if it is not the job you initially wanted. Throughout my time at UM-Flint, I have learned to be prepared for all aspects of the ever-changing job market, and this alumni panel is just a recent example of the professional support I have received during my time here.
