What is your job/position?
VP of Technical Operations at an Ad Tech company. I oversee strategy, prioritization, partnerships, and certifications.
Describe the path that took you from your American Studies degree to your current career or life situation.
I chose American Studies because a friend was doing so and recommended it. I was pretty indecisive. I was also sure I was going to seek an MBA after graduating so wasn't hyper concerned with the job marketability of the American Studies major. I worked for 3 years after graduating at a leadership consulting firm, then attended the Marriott School of Management from 2007–2009 and received my MBA. I interned with a leadership development group at HP in 2008. I was offered a full-time position at HP but instead opted to go work for a start-up in Venice, CA, that I was introduced to through an MBA colleague. I'm still working for that start-up 14 years later.
What are the specific competencies you cultivated as an American Studies student that you now use in your professional life and that set you apart from your colleagues?
1) An openness to broad, cross-functional thinking. The course offerings encourage a diversity of course types across a range of subjects that force you to be comfortable with context switching and employing a wide variety of tools for problem solving. Throughout my career I've been able to juggle software coding, employee management, sales, customer success, business development, legal contract review, and many other things. Additionally, I've been able to "speak the language" of those working in those departments. American Studies encouraged an openness to varying disciplines.
2) An ability to summarize large amounts of information. Reading assignments were often tremendous, and exams required distilling hundreds of pages into key concepts. This skill is invaluable for distilling disparate market feedback into a specific product vision/strategy.
3) An ability to construct logical, coherent arguments. My American Studies classes had no tolerance for bluster. If you weren't clearly making a point and backing that point up with clearly relevant evidence, your grade would suffer. I know how to get to the core of an issue, articulate it to colleagues, and direct conversations toward solutions that are solving the right problems.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your American Studies degree has helped you in your professional or personal life?
I appreciate museums, history, and art more than I would otherwise. Having a small foundation of knowledge goes a long way to making museums and documentaries more accessible and engaging.
What do you wish you had known as an American Studies student? What advice would you share with current students?
1) Don't pick a "focus" in American Studies. Variety and diversity is one of the core advantages. Choose courses from as wide a range of disciplines as possible. 2) Have a post-graduate plan. Mine was an MBA. Law School is another popular choice. With so few required major hours, get a minor as well (or two or three!) and choose one that aligns more closely with career prospects (education, computer science, information systems, political strategy, entrepreneurship, design thinking, business).