College Experiences That Helped A Social Impact Marketing Manager At Discovery Education Succeed
Amira's key to career success was proactively conducting "informational interviews," which she describes as "finding people who were doing stuff that I was interested in and...ask[ing] them to have a conversation," building valuable relationships and career insights early on. This approach, coupled with internships, provided a foundation that continues to benefit their career trajectory.
Networking, Informational Interviews, Career Branding, Relationship Building, Communication Skills
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Amira Davis
Social Impact Marketing Manager
Discovery Education
University of Georgia - Terry College of Business, 2016
UCLA Anderson (FTMBA 2025)
Marketing
Education
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Build relationships and network through informational interviews to gain insights and advice from professionals in your field of interest. These early connections can lead to unexpected opportunities and help you better prepare for future job interviews.
2. Actively seek out internships and other work experiences to gain technical skills and expertise relevant to your chosen career path. This practical experience is highly valuable to employers.
3. Start building your professional brand early in your college years by actively seeking opportunities to learn about and connect with people in your field. The more you learn and network, the better you'll be able to identify and pursue your career goals effectively.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set up your goal for success in your career?
Of course, interning and doing all the jobs is how you gain the technical experience and expertise this conversation is geared towards. But I'd say one thing I didn't realize I was doing, and people told me to do later on, was informational interviews.
It's a form of networking. At the time, I didn't know this. I would find people doing things I was interested in and just ask them to have a conversation. No one told me to do this, or that it was the key, or that it was called informational interviews.
I was just thinking, "I'm not really understanding the information these people have. Maybe they'll be willing to talk to me." I've also learned that when you're in school, most people want to talk to you.
They want to give back, but they don't always know how. When it comes to supporting a student, they're always great because usually you're not looking for a job. So people are super willing to give advice or a little bit of their time, like 10 or 15 minutes.
Most people go longer because they like to talk about themselves, and they'll give you some nuggets to help guide you. Throughout those informational interviews, I kept being put in places where I could find the next role or an opportunity. That has carried on throughout my professional career.
So, the earlier you start building your brand, building those relationships, getting to know people, and understanding things, the more important it will be. It will also help you prepare. Doing those informational interviews will help you answer questions and find things that are important for people to look for when you're doing actual job interviews.