College Experiences That Helped a Managing Director at SHIFT Communications Succeed
Alan's journalism degree from Cal Poly, coupled with experience at "the only fully student-run daily newspaper in the nation," provided invaluable training in "working under pressure, working under deadlines, working collaboratively," directly translating to agency life at SHIFT Communications. The foundational knowledge of journalism, including "how to write, learning how to be curious," remains incredibly useful in Alan's PR career, regardless of specific tasks.
Communication, Teamwork, Journalism, Writing, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alan Dunton
Managing Director
SHIFT Communications
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
NA
Creative Writing, Journalism
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Business Strategy
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Study journalism to learn writing, curiosity, and inquisitiveness.
2. Work for a student newspaper to experience working under pressure, meeting deadlines, and collaborating.
3. Journalism's foundational knowledge is useful for various PR roles like social media, content creation, and publicity.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I studied journalism at Cal Poly. That was a huge boon to this effort. Learning how to write, be curious, and be inquisitive certainly helped.
I worked for the school paper at the time, which was the only fully student-run daily newspaper in the nation. It was amazing working under pressure and deadlines, collaborating with other people.
That's what an agency is, right? It's a lot of like-minded people doing the same thing for the same reasons, regardless of title or job function. We're all in it to serve our clients and help each other get through the day.
I think Cal Poly was incredible at teaching the science of journalism, which is incredibly useful for PR. That core, foundational knowledge of how journalism works has been incredibly useful for the entirety of my career.