Here's a glimpse of where I’ve been professionally, and where I hope to go.
The Story Begins
Like many starting out in college, I was uncertain of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I had worked a lot of odd jobs growing up, and that trend seemed to pour into my internships—one being in PR at an assemblyman’s office, and another as an analyst at one of the largest multinational investment banks. By the end, I was as a proposal writer and laborer with a construction company.
The only constant that was clear was that I liked to write and design, and I wasn’t half bad at it. So, to supplement what I was doing “officially” and scratch a creative itch, I took up freelance work.
It started as minor, sporadic projects around campus, like proofreading presentations or editing papers, but segued into copywriting and designing graphics for philanthropy ads, student events, and the memorabilia associated with them. From there, freelance work continued as a stop-and-go habit alongside my full-time jobs, or to fill the gaps between them.
Some of my projects included logo and web design for a clothing startup, an email campaign for an East Asian swimsuit line, a handful of articles for a fashion and art magazine, UX writing for two mobile apps, and editing several short stories and television pilot scripts.
College to construction
Holding onto my final industry, I stayed in construction after graduation where I was able to take on some project management responsibilities and get more deeply involved with the writing and designing side of the business.
I wrote technical documentation for building proposals and contracts, drew design plans, mapped out workflows, and maintained all company communications and marketing collateral. Additionally, I got the chance to work directly with clients to meet their goals.
It was a great experience right out of school that helped me further develop an eclectic skill set and get insight into the different parts of business and their workings.
Tech in the Big City
Eventually it was time for a change, so I joined a tech startup in Manhattan where I could work with people in similar roles in a high-energy environment—two factors that do wonders in driving creative collaboration and growth.
The company I worked for specialized in simplifying intranet maintenance through real-time, drag-and-drop mechanics and solid responsive design. In the spirit of promoting that kind of software, many of the blog articles, social media posts, and digital copy I had written for the company featured related topics. They often covered technology and trends correlated to the digital workplace, and in turn, the product. Regarding the design side, the client sites I built, reviewed, and promoted through my copywriting benefited my understanding of user experience and how every subtlety plays its part in the final take-away.
Working there was incredibly rewarding, as it was a first for me in establishing a new company’s brand and getting it off the ground successfully, going as far as hitting a revenue growth of over 290% within a year. However, as priorities shifted, I realized it was time to move on.
A Switch to Sustainability
Ecological sustainability was always something I had been fascinated with, and when my current company within the Energy-from-Waste and Environmental Justice sectors was looking for a well-rounded marketing creative, I jumped on the opportunity.
Since here, I’ve become the creative lead on all department projects, having conceptualized, developed, edited, managed, and measured everything written, designed, or filmed. I’ve also achieved quite a bit by releasing the most ad content in company history, shattering its client and employee engagement ceiling, and creating a new, bolder corporate identity—all of which contributed to the company’s record-breaking growth and performance.
To the Future
Although I am thankful for what I have, there is always room to improve and be part of something greater. While I can’t say for certain where that will take me, I do know this: I want to continue to learn, I want to hone my craft, and I want to do so alongside those who share my passion for it.
“It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead.
The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.”