Hello Again: I'm a "fourth year"

Hello everyone! Long time no see, or long time no read?

I hope you had a great summer and that you're enjoying the lingering summer temperatures.  Shout outs to members of the Tufts Class of 2016! We're seniors now, so that means we are the most experienced and mature trailblazers on campus getting ready to enter the real world. It's all so bittersweet. But graduation is still far away so we have plenty of time to catch up and prepare!

I kicked off this summer traveling with my mom and grandmother throughout Italy for 10 days. It was so beautiful and amazing, and little did I know that it would actually help me with my internship. That we will get to later. We started in Rome, went to Sorrento, Florence and later flew out of Rome. I love to travel and haven't gone on a trip with my family in a long time, so it was super nostalgic. When I was little we spent time at resorts, and my family would drop me off at the kid's club. It's great now to be able to share more of the traveling experience. (Sorry for getting so anxious about missing trains and flights, Mom)

My Mom, Me, and Grandmother. Three generations on a mission at Pompeii!

In June I started as an Account Coordinator Intern for SapientNitro's NYC office. SapientNitro is a global marketing/advertising and consulting agency, which is headquartered in Boston, that focuses on the integration of technology and storytelling to engage consumers in a constantly changing world. SapientNitro mainly focuses on creating digital marketing campaigns for clients, while also integrating strategy insights to tell a story in both the physical and virtual spheres.

Now you might ask, what exactly is an Account Coordinator? An Account Coordinator role serves as a liaison between an agency and their client. They help to bridge the gap of communication to the client during the inception and creation of projects, while also working and overseeing internal departments (strategy, program management, experience designers, creatives, etc.) to make sure the work is addressing the client's concerns.

Looking at Nutella all day and not eating it is an acquired skill

So going back to my earlier hint - this past summer I worked with the Nutella USA team!  Who doesn't love Nutella?! It's an Italian spread which has quickly taken over the world, and several college campuses. What was great about my internship was the flexibility to work within domains outside of the Account Coordinator role with the Nutella brand. I learned about social media analytics, marketing, and presenting. The result? A more thorough understanding of how the advertising world works.

The internship program was especially great because I was able to talk with others in different domains, ask questions, and understand their roles at SapientNitro. The work culture is definitely a place where I felt comfortable (as I was able to rock sneakers everyday, perfect for the Westchester to NYC commute). It is an open, focused and fun space where talented and smart people thrive together. I was really excited about being able to experience the creative side of advertising through helping conceptualize new content for different social media platforms, attending Nutella photo shoots, and working with a spectacular group of innovative people. Merging analytical knowledge with creative was extremely interesting to me and is a great strength for SapientNitro. All I can say is: SapientNitro, you guys are the "bee's knees!"

2015 SapientNitro NYC Summer Interns accidentally color coordinating on the last day

Throughout the summer I also attended keynote speeches and business events with my Mom at the Harvard Business School Club in NYC. It was interesting to meet so many different people pushing the boundaries of business and marketing in various capacities. So maybe there's grad school in my future? Eventually.  I guess that calls for a later blog post.

After having to say grazie and arrivederci to SapientNitro and all my fellow summer interns, I returned to campus as a pre-orientation leader for the Tufts F.I.T Program. Shout outs to Group #4 "F.I.T of the Wrist!" I enjoyed greeting the incoming class of 2019 while trying to get some of their youth to rub off on me. Being a mentor is really awesome - you are not only giving advice to incoming first years, but you also learn from your mentees and co-leaders. My group was awesome!

F.I.T Pre-Orientation Group #4: "F.I.T of Da Wrist"

I'm so excited to be back on campus and to see new and old faces. Our blogger team this year is looking to take up right where we left off and provide our readers with amazing posts! We will explore our own career development as well as spotlight resources and topics that can help college students during their journey to graduation and beyond. And of course, there will be great jokes and classic gifs sprinkled in between.

Welcome back everyone!

Carpe Diem,

Nicole Brooks
Class of 2016

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Alumni Spotlight: Steven Wolfe Pereira, EVP of MediaVest

By Angela Sun

This week, we meet Tufts alumnus and Media superstar, Steven Wolfe Pereira. Mr. Wolfe is the Executive Vice President of MediaVest and Managing Director of MediaVest Multicultural (MV42º). MediaVest, under Starcom Media Group, is a leading full-service media specialist agency. Mr. Wolfe studied International Relations and Economics at Tufts University, and has had extensive experiences across five different industries throughout his professional career.

 

Why did you choose to pursue a career in Media? 

I have worked in a variety of sectors ranging from Investment Banking to Technology. But the Media industry is particularly exciting because it is at the intersection of my passions for media, technology, and business. What my company does is analogous to what an investment bank does, except it is in the media business. A creative agency develops the advertisement, and then we invest the dollars for our clients in their media strategy, planning, and buying. For example, we decide what gets put on TV and what gets put on online. For me this isn't work, this is fun. I get to talk to all kinds of people, from leaders at technology companies to content producers in Hollywood. My company gets to do things that have never been done before. We recently did a mobile news feed takeover on Facebook for Walmart, and it was picked up by the WSJ. There is so much innovation in this industry. It is important for me to continue to stay inspired ('Be Inspired' is the title of Mr. Wolfe's blog, which can be accessed here). 

 
How did you secure your current position?

Well at one point, I didn't even know that the business existed! But the people you go to school with and the people you meet in the professional world are invaluable to your career path. I started in Investment Banking, then moved on to Technology. Through my experience in Technology, I met a contact who I then partnered with to start a hedge fund doing Asset Management. A contact I met through Banking then recruited me to work at the Media Agency. The common thread of my career development has been the power of relationships.

What is one of your proudest achievements?

There's something very 'club-like' about media. It's all about who you know, and can be very tough to break into. Media and advertising is a great career path, so I wanted to improve accessibility for the multicultural community in particular. Since I am a big believer in paying it forward, in 2011, I created the first annual Multicultural Media Talent Pipeline to provide multicultural students and graduates with the opportunity to come to New York during Advertising Week and meet with industry leaders and executives. In organizing this event, we also did a service for the benefit of our clients. We represent Walmart, Coca Cola, P&G, Kraft, Heineken, Honda, and more. We and our clients recognize that there is a real need for more multicultural talent in industry, because there is so much untapped potential in multicultural advertising!

 

How has your experience at Tufts contributed to your career?

Being part of the Tufts Alumni Network is great because the Tufts alumni are particularly open to talking to other alumni in the business world. My education at Tufts has also served me well. Though it may not have been immediately apparent, in the long run, my major in International Relations actually gave me a diverse set of skills that have been useful throughout my career. I enjoyed the training I received from studying the building blocks of International Relations, Anthropology, and so on. 

What has been your formula for success?

I started off as simply a member in the work force, but now I also oversee hiring. The critical factor to success is having the right DNA. I will take someone that is wiling to work hard that has a great attitude, someone who is willing to be the first one in and the last one out. To qualify, you don’t have to have all the skills, but you have to have all the smarts. Smarts are the entry ticket. If you go to Tufts, then you already have the smarts. So then what you need is to gain the right skills, have the right attitude, and be an active problem solver. I would take someone who can identify all the right challenges and get the job done over someone with a 4.0 GPA any day. 

What advice would you give to students on the job hunt?

Whatever industry you are going to be in, it is key that you read all the publications of that industry. So for advertising and media, that would include Digiday, Adage, Mashable, Adweek, the WSJ, the biz section of the NYT, and so on. You need to understand what people in your industry are talking about, and you will need to continue to be a student--even after you graduate! 

I would advise anyone who is interested in media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and finance to feel free to reach out to me at Steven.wolfepereira@mediavestww.com. There is a large responsibility for alumni to give back. So do your homework, and connect the dots. Just off the top of my head, I remember that there is an alum who is at Facebook and killing it. The former chairman of NBC is also an alum. So reach out to alumni in the Tufts Alumni Network Database, and make sure you have a clear understanding of how your online presence across your social media channels look before you reach out to alumni.

Once you're in the work force,  you will have to roll up your sleeves. It's hard to roll up the ranks, and even harder to change industries. But you can't be afraid of failure. Every time I went into a new industry, it was a challenge. I had to pick up all the new metrics, and for sure there was a learning curve. But there is nothing to fear because even failure is valuable as it teaches you what you like and what you don't like. Keep going on a journey of discovering and building your personal brand--ask yourself, what do you stand for?

 

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Notes from the Digitas Open House

By Angela Sun

I recently attended the Digitas Open House in downtown Boston. I am greatly excited to share the experience with you, and have included italicized 'tips' throughout to help you become a master of OPN (open house navigation) and a connoisseur of 'working the room'.

As this was my first open house, I wasn't sure what to expect. So with little more than the blessing of my career counselor to "relax and have fun," I hopped on the T to Digitas LLC at 33 Arch Street.

Upon my arrival, I immediately spotted the the sign-up desk marked by red and white balloons. Waiting in line with me were students from Brandeis and Boston College. I had the great fortune of interviewing Emily Kueffner, a recruiter and organizer at Digitas. She said about 100+ students and faculty from Boston and around the nation attended that evening.

Tip #1: It is not uncommon for spots to open up last minute as pre-registration can be an inexact art. Check with an organizer beforehand to see if standby sign-up is an option if the online registration is full.

After signing-in and depositing a complementary raffle ticket, I was directed to the 17th floor. The steel doors of the elevator opened to a modern, artistic office space set against the backdrop of a spectacular nighttime cityscape. There were two levels, featuring a main gathering area and two exhibition halls: Mobile Lounge and Brand Live.



Diagram: Digitas


The schedule included free time to explore the exhibits, a career panel, and a networking session.

I headed first to the Mobile Lounge where Digitas project managers were doing a demonstration on Near Field Communications, in which microchips inserted into products allowed for consumer interactivity. Imagine scanning a bottle of detergent with your mobile phone and being able to get the product information, or even make a purchase. Digitas' role is to connect its clients with the latest technologies that can bolster brand recognition.

Tip #2: Ask questions. After the session, I approached one of the project managers and had a follow-up conversation about the timeline for adopting NFC technology. Asking questions is always a win-win because you learn more, and demonstrate your interest and curiosity.

Afterwards I attended the panel presented by a Senior Vice President of Project Management, Executive Creative Art Director, Associate Art Director, and Senior Analyst of Account Planning. Digitas live-tweeted the panel, so feel free to check out their Twitter account for the highlights. Topics discussed included how the speakers built their advertising careers, what their favorite Digitas campaigns were, and what advice they had for entry-level students. My favorite detail was the Account Planner's comment about having the courage to try new things, as she had recently picked up copy writing.

Tip #3: Take notes. Remember that really inspiring thing that person said that one time? Don't get stuck with amnesia. Taking good notes will help ground your knowledge, and write the most unique and personalized thank you notes...because it never hurts to throw in a good quote!

And then there was the post-panel raffle. Now the last time I won something was a book basket in sixth grade. So how I won the raffle is beyond me, but I received a slot in Digitas' Job Shadow program in early March. A windfall perk that made me extra glad I made the trip!

Finally, the most useful, but also what many people find the most daunting--the networking session. Various booths were set-up on the upper level based on different capabilities, such as Creative, Account Management, Account Planning, Media, Marketing Strategy, Strategy and Analytics, Project Management, and Technology.

From personal experience, here are some of the best tips I have for working a room:

Tip #5: Be your own publicist. Always be armed with a quick blurb to introduce yourself, just like at the Career Fairs. A simple "Hi, I'm Angela Sun, a senior at Tufts University. I have a strong background in journalism, business, and in particular, marketing. I am interested in xyz capability, I was hoping you could tell me more about..." will do.

Tip #6: Warm up to a room before working the room. One way I do this is by saying a brief hi to someone I know first. But make sure to be a lone ranger throughout the event so you can do what you came to do--meet people! Another thing I will do is physically drift towards existing conversations to get a sense of what other students are bringing up, and what the established communication style is. But I always work off a mental (or physical) prioritized list of the booths. I will start off with a booth that is on the middle or bottom of my list to warm up, before going from the top to make sure I hit all targets in time. 

So at the Digitas networking session, I approached Video Production first. There, I further familiarized myself with some of their campaigns, before speaking with the Account Management, Marketing Strategy, and Project Management capabilities. But I still had some time left over, so I stopped by the Technology booth.

Even though I'm not an engineer, I recognize that the engineers are the people who execute the vision and are a critical part of the team effort. So as a digital marketing professional, it is beneficial for me to get acquainted with their people and their work. Plus one of the senior engineers showed me a coloring game they developed in Beta, so I ended up sticking around for longer than planned...

All in all, this trip would definitely go down in my Archive of Most Special Career-Related Experiences. I mean, there was a swag bag and a candy bar. #Howmillenialsarewon.

Ms. Kueffner from Digitas says that Digitas hoped to showcase its talent, work, employees, and office space. "In the services industry, the people represent the company. If you have bright, innovative, passionate people, then you have a bright, innovative, and passionate company," she says.

Digitas typically partakes in the Career Center's career fairs and posts opportunities on Jumbo Jobs. So keep an eye out if you are interested in the company!

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