College Experiences That Helped a Managing Partner at Zepol Media Partners Succeed
MaryAnne's success stemmed from hands-on undergraduate experience, specifically "working at the newspaper," and a double major in graphic communication, which complemented their passion for typography despite a lack of drawing skills; this combination provided a strong foundation for a career in media.
Hands-on Experience, Double Major, Communication, Typography, Practical Skills
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
MaryAnne Talbott
Managing Partner
Zepol Media Partners, LLC
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
none
Creative Writing, Journalism, Film, Media Arts, Visual Arts
Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Creative
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Hands-on experience is crucial: Seek opportunities like working at a newspaper or engaging in similar practical projects related to your field of interest.
2. Double majoring can be beneficial: Explore combining your primary major with a related field to broaden your skillset and knowledge base. This can provide a competitive edge and complement your chosen career path.
3. Develop a strong foundation in relevant skills: MaryAnne's emphasis on typography and its integration with images highlights the importance of acquiring practical skills that are valuable to the media industry. Identify and develop skills that align with your career aspirations.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
The main thing was working at the newspaper. Anything you can do in college that is hands-on and specific to what you think your career is going to be is helpful. Your career path will probably change a little, but something you genuinely want to do will help you more than any class or other activity.
Whether it was a club or a real newspaper, that was the main thing that really helped me. The other thing was double majoring. I added a double major in graphic communication as well.
I didn't want to major in purely graphic design, partly because I can't draw, which is a bad admission. I like typography, I love type, I love letterforms. I've been messing with that since I was a little girl. Graphic communication was more about typography, printing, and making type and images work together.
I double majored, and taking on those extra units to get the double major was really helpful too.
Advizer Personal Links
zepolmedia.com, alamosacitizen.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryanne-talbott