Professional Writing Brochure November 2013 | Page 11

Emily DRAKE
Social Media Specialist
at Imagination Publishing
Chicago, Illinois
As an advertising major who was
more interested in the public relations
aspect of the ?eld, Professional
Writing was the perfect additional
major for Emily Drake, a 2011 graduate. The program provided her with the
hands-on experience she was looking for and motivated her to seek outside
learning in four different internships.
Immediately after graduation she was hired as a social media and
communications assistant for Balance Concierge, a national healthcare company.
Here she wrote and developed their social media communications plan and is
now responsible for maintaining their various social media sites. Continuing
to work part-time in that position, Drake moved to Chicago to work as a social
media specialist at Imagination Publishing, a content marketing agency. There,
Drake gets the opportunity to work with the social media presences of brands
such as Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and Nature Valley. “It’s amazing to be getting to
work on such great brands right off the bat,” Drake said.
For Drake, the PW professors are the best aspect of the program. “I learned
so much from each one of them—they really pushed me,” she said. Because
networking—both in and out of the Professional Writing program — has gotten
Drake far in her career, she advises students to get as much experience as they
can and keep in contact with their networks even after graduation.

Follow Emily on Twitter
@DrakeEmily