SAEM Alumna Graduated with E-Commerce Position Lined Up at Dick's Sporting Goods Monday, July 13, 2015
Meet Victoria Blackburn
Job title: E-Commerce Content Coordinator, Athletic Apparel and Accessories
Employer: Dick's Sporting Goods
Degree earned: B.S. in Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management
Graduated: May 2015
College activities: Strong Women Strong Girls, Campus Activities Board and work study office assistant for the School of Business
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
High school: Carlisle High School
Current residence: South Side, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hobbies/interests: Yoga, ballet, cooking, art and film
LinkedIn: Victoria Blackburn
How did the Career Development Center connect you to your position?
I worked with the Career Development Center several times during my last semester for last minute help with my resume and met with Amy Bittner to discuss potential employment opportunities. Amy contacted me a few days later with a job opening for Dick's Sporting Goods in the e-commerce department. She sent me contact information and I followed up right away.
Tell us about your role as an e-commerce content coordinator.
As an e-commerce content coordinator, I work on the web content for the athletic apparel team products in the accessories division. My role is to write unique copy for each piece and then edit and upload product images from this division to the public website.
What factors made you choose Point Park and its SAEM major?
I took a nontraditional route with education by pursuing a career in ballet after high school. When I decided to go back to school, I knew I wanted to attend college in a city that had a strong connection to the arts. I was also transferring from community college and wanted to choose a program that would accept the majority of my credits.
After talking with a former ballet teacher who had been an instructor in the Conservatory of Performing Arts, I became very interested in the SAEM program. As a dancer, I had always heard great things about Point Park and was excited to learn about the other programs the school had to offer. Overall, Point Park had everything I was looking for so it was the perfect fit for me.
List internship and career-related experiences you had during your time at Point Park.
- Account service intern, New Perspective Communications
- Development intern, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
- Job shadow, Drusky Entertainment
- Office assistant, Point Park University School of Business
- Public relations intern, Markowitz Communications
What's your favorite Point Park memory?
I don't think I could pick one memory in particular since I have a lot of favorite memories from Point Park. However, what made my experience so positive was a combination of having great faculty as well as the urban location of the school. Having small classes with professors who I could establish a working relationship with was really helpful in getting the most out of my education. Whenever I needed advice or a recommendation, someone was always there to meet with me. Also, I was surrounded by so many opportunities outside of class, which was really great. Being able to walk outside and go to a museum or a concert or take the bus to an internship was awesome.
What advice do you have for our students?
My advice for current students would be to take advantage of the networking opportunities the city has to offer. During my last semester, I identified companies I wanted to potentially work for and set up informal meetings with key people who were doing the types of jobs I wanted. I would bring a copy of my resume and ask these individuals for advice about breaking into their respective fields. Everyone was more than willing to meet with me and usually recommended several other people for me to contact. Pittsburgh has a tremendous amount of opportunities available if you are willing to put in the work.