Being able to work cross-functionally to communicate ideas and value in clear, concise, and inspirational ways has propelled me further than I ever realized it could.
When did you graduate from BYU?
BA English 2013
What is your job/position? And how would you describe what you do in that job/position?
Senior Director of Product Marketing. I help tech companies launch products and drive product growth through messaging/positioning, and marketing strategy.
Describe the path that you took from your BYU English degree to your current career, highlighting the important realizations and turning points that paved the path for you.
I left BYU thinking I would go into PR but struggled to really enjoy the work. I was doing a lot of writing and knew that was a strong skill of mine so I looked for opportunities to use that as a way to pivot in other areas. I ended up joining Qualtrics to run their content marketing (lots of writing and creative thinking). From there I had the chance to take on a more business focused role in product marketing.
What are the specific skills that you cultivated as an English major that you now use in your professional life? And how do you use those skills in ways that set you apart from your colleagues?
Communication & storytelling-- both verbal and written. Being able to work cross-functionally to communicate ideas and value in clear, concise, and inspirational ways has propelled me further than I ever realized it could. It's helped me manage my career but also helped me create value for companies by creating and launching products.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your English degree helped you in your life?
English courses at BYU pushed me to challenge ideas and think critically about problems, people, scenarios, etc. That's made me more self-reflective and pushed me to look at the world around me with the view of "What am I not seeing fully? How can I have more grace for this person? How can I be better? Or how can I make this situation better?" Asking good questions drives more personal growth. BYU and BYU English courses helped me do that.
What do you wish you had known as an English major? Is there any advice you’d like to share with current students?
I wish I had looked more at where English intersects with business, since that’s what I do with HR. I didn’t think I’d be very interested in business, but it has turned out to be quite an interesting field! Plus, there’s a lot that someone interested in becoming a writer may want to learn about business—they are essentially becoming an entrepreneur.
Contact
rachelabarker@gmail.com