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Drew University Alum Offers Career Tips to Sociology Students

Angelica Neer C’18 stressed the importance of networking and campus resources

April 2023 – Angelica Neer C’18 recently spoke to a Drew University class, Sociology of Mass Communications, to discuss her career and offer advice to students.

Neer, a sociology major and business minor, now works as a senior marketing manager at Paramount Global and started her own marketing company, hatch. Marketing Agency, LLC, in 2017.

“Setting yourself up for success in whatever industry you’re interested in is undoubtedly the most important part of college,” said Neer, who noted the importance of networking with alums and professors and taking advantage of resources like the Center for Career Development.

Neer held a number of internships during her time at Drew, including roles in social media, public relations, insurance, and freelancing, and started her own business specializing in digital design of logos and websites. These experiences helped hone in on what she did and didn’t want to pursue after graduating.

“It made job searching my senior year much more stress-free and seamless,” she said.

Neer looked back on her time at Drew and reflected on the opportunities that led to her career.

“Drew provided access to alums in the field, opportunities to network both in and out of the classroom, and, at the time, a handful of marketing courses sparked my interest in the industry. Because Drew is a liberal arts school, I also had the opportunity to take a wide range of courses and, by process of elimination, I realized marketing was my true calling.”

Drew’s liberal arts, interdisciplinary structure also led to a set of soft skills that Neer stressed to current students.

“I can’t express enough how important speaking and interviewing skills are and how often they are exercised. It was a steep learning curve to present regularly to executives and crowds in the hundreds when entering the workforce, so the more practice students have the better.”

Neer also pointed to the New York Semester on Media & Communications, which brought her into New York City and introduced her to her future employer, Paramount Global (then Viacom). In several classes, Neer was able to create and pitch marketing campaigns, study famous marketing symbols and campaigns, and learn about different industry paths.

The one thing Neer kept coming back to was the importance of networking.

“In my opinion, I would not be where I am today without it. My first job out of school was at Business Insider. By networking with a Drew alum who worked there at the time, I was able to climb the pile of applications and expedite my interview process. Engaging with alums has been vital in my career development and can make the difference in students’ futures.”

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