In 2016, I graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Management Information Systems. Green as I was, I thought I had just two options when it came to the direction I could take my career: I could be a systems engineer, or I could go into sales.
As you've likely guessed, neither of those paths worked out (despite my attempts). Instead, I tapped into a skill I'd been developing since grade school, but had never really considered as a career driver: writing. I worked as an intellectual property analyst processing reports for Facebook and Instagram by day, and I spent my nights and weekends creating content and a website for my own personal blog.
Eventually, I was able to leverage the success of my blog to land myself a job as a community manager at Main Street Hub. I oversaw the social channels for a book of clients, creating posts and responding to Yelp reviews for businesses in the food, retail, and automotive industries. Then, after a year of doing that, I was promoted to the position of content specialist, which gave me the opportunity to sharpen new hard skills: graphic design and targeted promotions. I learned and grew a lot in that role, but after another year or so, I was ready to keep moving forward.
Having always had a passion for fashion, I had to pinch myself when I began interviewing for a copywriter position at Kendra Scott. I got the role, but little did I know that it'd be a trial by fire. I hustled for those 6+ months, copywriting for everything from marketing emails, print catalogs, in-store signage, focus pieces for magazines (Including Southern Living), internal newsletters, SMS blasts, and more. It was a whirlwind that I'll never forget, and when my contract was up, I felt like I'd gained more experience in that half of 2019 than I had since graduating high school.
That leads us to where I am now: Gartner. In March of 2020 I began working as a content writer for Gartner, covering the HR and eLearning industries. I wrote blog posts, eBooks, infographics, and videos, earning myself a promotion to Senior Content Writer in just a little over a year. Currently, my role primarily consists of content strategy and execution, with a focus on SEO and research-driven tactics such as surveys and interviews.