College Experiences Helping a Director of Brand Partnerships at Neighborhood Goods Succeed
Christine's early success stemmed from securing "endless internship and part-time job opportunities" in New York City, building a strong work ethic and network while developing time management skills. Their individualized "New Media entrepreneurship" major at Gallatin, combining digital arts, communications, and business, provided a unique foundation perfectly aligned with their career aspirations in brand partnerships.
Networking, Internships, Time Management, Entrepreneurship, Career Exploration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christine Waters
Director of Brand Partnerships
Neighborhood Goods
New York University, 2012
N/A
Entrepreneurship
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. She started interning early in her college career, which helped her build connections and gain valuable work experience.
2. She developed strong time management skills by working part-time jobs while studying.
3. She created an individualized major focused on New Media Entrepreneurship, combining digital art, photography, communications, and business to build a strong foundation for her career goals.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I was very lucky going to school in New York City because there were endless internship and part-time job opportunities. I started in the fall of freshman year, and my first internship really just helped me get my foot in the door.
One internship led to another, which opened up even more opportunities, just from having that first experience. Working part-time was a necessity for me at the time; it really gave me the work ethic and the ability to time manage and balance multiple priorities. So, I was able to develop my time management skills early on in my career. Building those initial connections and starting my network at a young age was really helpful.
Separately, when it comes to my education, I chose to study an individualized major at a school called Gallatin. I was very creative in what I studied; it ended up being called New Media Entrepreneurship. It was something a bit atypical and really targeted towards what I wanted to explore after I graduated.
It was a combination of digital art, photography, communications, and a good chunk of business and entrepreneurship classes. So, it was really different and specific to what I was interested in, and that really gave me a foundation for where I wanted to take my career after I graduated.