Career Path of a Global Corporate Comms Director at Media Company
Nikki's career path began with initial aspirations of law school, leading to a political science and philosophy degree, but a required internship at the United States Senate sparked a passion for communications and messaging. This led to roles with Governor George W. Bush, publicly traded companies, and Halliburton, ultimately culminating in a Senior Director position where Nikki can now proudly declare, "this is what you do with a degree in philosophy."
Communications, Political Science, Risk Management, Public Relations, Corporate Communications
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Nikki Wheeler
Senior Director Global Corporate Communications
Media Company
Metropolitian State College of Denver
Georgetown, MA
Political Science, American Studies
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Business Strategy
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. The importance of internships: Nikki didn't realize an internship was required to graduate, highlighting the need for students to proactively seek out internship opportunities.
2. Discovering passion through experience: Working in the Senate helped Nikki realize her passion for communications and messaging, leading her to deviate from her original law school plan and pursue a different career path.
3. Versatility of a philosophy degree: Nikki's father questioned the practicality of her philosophy degree, but her career demonstrates how it equipped her with critical thinking skills applicable to various roles in communications, crisis management, and representing major corporations.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college?
Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Sure, Marco. I want to start out my career path with an anecdote that often reminds me of how far I've come.
I remember coming home from college during spring break. My dad was sitting in the kitchen reading the newspaper. He put it down, looked at me, and asked, "I don't see anything in here that says 'philosopher wanted.' What exactly do you do with a degree in political science and philosophy?"
My career path was set from the beginning. I entered college with the idea that I was going to law school. I signed up for political science and philosophy because I recognized them as essential tools for building my critical thinking skills. I thought, "That's what I need to be a lawyer."
What I didn't realize was that to graduate from college, I had to have an internship. In my senior year, my advisor said, "You're on track, but we really need to get that internship." I asked, "What internship? You need an internship to graduate?"
So, I applied to be a United States Senate intern for the summer and was accepted. I spent my summer working at the Senate and built a very positive relationship with my home state senator. At the end of my internship, he invited me to join his staff when I graduated.
What's funny about that is I remember him making me this offer and explaining that I'd have to ask my mom first. I was supposed to be enrolling in law school in the fall and needed to talk to her to see if it was okay for me to work for him instead.
Needless to say, my mom was thrilled that I'd have a paid job right out of college. My first salary was a whopping $18,000 a year, and I was very proud of it. I even qualified for government cheese, but I was not deterred. I went to work for the United States Senate.
When I graduated, my path deviated. Working in the Senate, I realized I wasn't passionate about being a lawyer, but I was passionate about communications and messaging. So, I enrolled in graduate school at Georgetown, where I majored in philosophy and literature.
My career has taken me around the world. From the United States Senate, I went to work for the office of Governor George W. Bush, who you know as President Bush. I then went into the private sector where I represented publicly traded companies like Philip Morris, Monsanto, and American Plastics.
I transitioned my career to focus on crisis and risk communications. I then worked and lived in the Middle East for Halliburton. I've gone on to represent the communications interests of companies like Amazon, CenturyLink, and a myriad of other Fortune 500s. It's been a great career.
Today, I can tell my dad, "This is what you do with a degree in philosophy."