At SPS Phoebe...
- Sought to build out her analytical skills
- Finessed her writing and presentation craft
- Interned at a global marketing agency
- Learned how to reposition brands
- Turned her time at Columbia into a fulltime job…
You were already working as an account manager at an agency in Australia. What brought you to SPS?
I did my undergrad in PR and advertising and took a 3-year course at the University of Technology in Sydney. I was working in account management at M&C Saatchi. After about three years, I decided that I wanted to move on to strategic planning, but I needed to build out my analytical skills. That’s when I discovered the Strategic Communication Program at Columbia. The curriculum was tailored to analytical thinking and finessing writing and presentation skills. I felt it would help get me where I wanted to go.
How did you decide on Columbia?
New York has always been a dream of mine. The career prospects here are fantastic. There’s an internship component to the program as well. It’s great hands-on experience that you can’t get anywhere else. SPS also transitions you to New York very smoothly, and there is a strong international community.
Your internship led to your current job, didn’t it?
Yes. I interned at FutureBrand where I am currently working. I landed a summer internship in the strategy department as an analyst, which was fantastic. When I graduated, they offered me a fulltime role. Today I’m a brand strategist. For instance, I worked on the repositioning of Pitney Bowes. We’re redefining them and what their future will look like. It’s what I wanted to do when I entered the program.
How do you feel about your Columbia experience?
I think the network of people in your cohort is really beneficial. Even with alumni, there was a strong community. Having those connections in the city was great; you don’t get that anywhere else.
