Job Title: Vice President, Communications (DirecTV, Inc.)
USC Course of study: Communication Management master's degree
Describe your current occupation:
Director, Communications for DIRECTV, Inc. My job is telling the DIRECTV story to a variety of audiences to enhance the company's image and help it achieve its operating goals.
How did you get there?
By default I began my career in aerospace procurement and decided shortly thereafter that it wasn't for me (don't even ask!). After devouring Richard Bolles' career classic, What Color is Your Parachute? and doing all the exercises, I found there was a career called corporate communications where I could combine my love of writing with my interest in business – and get paid well for doing it. From there I mapped out a career transition plan – taking on volunteer leadership positions in professional associations to build my portfolio and develop a network of contacts, getting a PR certificate from UCLA Extension, completing the M.A. program in communication management at USC, and going on lots of informational interviews to develop an understanding of the field and how to break in by making a lateral move. I was able to do so by moving within my own company – I took all my knowledge of the company and industry and was able to apply all of my communications and PR coursework to my new job, so the actual transition was easy. Then I made the leap to my current company through a contact I made through a professional association several years earlier. It pays to think of networking and relationship building as a long-term investment, because you never know when someone is going to be in a position to help you, and when you're going to be in a position to help someone else. And you don't have to be the life of the party or work the room – you just have to be interested in building one-on-one relationships and trying to give as much as you get.
How did you get your first job?
Whoops, got ahead of myself. Please see above.
How did your experience at Annenberg help?
The Annenberg courses enabled me to target my project work towards areas that were directly applicable at my company. It also helped me to think more strategically and to present my ideas at a higher level – something that becomes more important the higher up you go. Many of the courses had practical applications to things I still do every day. For example, Communication Research comes in handy every time we want to gather feedback from a particular audience. Also, at many companies, it's common for senior management to hold advanced degrees, so Annenberg is just one more extra edge in that respect, too.
What advice do you have for current Annenberg School students in your occupation?
Choose a profession based on your interests and passions, decide what you want to do and develop your own career plan, choose your courses strategically based on your future career goals and target your projects accordingly, get involved with relevant professional associations and be active and visible on the board or other in leadership roles, get relevant work experience via internships, and meet as many people as you can and plan to stay in touch with them during the course of your career.
In your opinion, what is the Annenberg Advantage?
The Annenberg Advantage is having a strong grasp of the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of communications as it comes into its own as a key management function.