Laura Rodger

*update*: Laura Rodger is currently an MA Candidate.

Laura Rodger works as a Product Communications Specialist in the marketing department at Siemens Enterprise Communications, a provider of enterprise communication solutions.

“As a Communications Specialist some of my responsibilities include producing and editing technical and promotional materials, managing the production and publishing of marketing collateral, and administering product launches and public relations campaigns,” says Laura.

She adds that her job requires the ability to ask the right questions in order to generate particular information.

“You need to have refined social skills as well as the ability to write, edit and manage your own time and other people. The most important personal characteristics of someone in this position are persistence, curiosity and organization,” says Laura, who took two CCIT internship credits while a student at UTM, one at CanWest and the other at UTM’s Office of Advancement.

Laura was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Oracle, a quarterly publication for CCIT students, by CCIT students.

“All of these experiences during university strengthened my desire to become a communications professional. Through my internships I was given a window into the working world. I also had an alumni mentor who gave me the extra confidence and assurance that many graduates need before entering the workforce,” she says.

“Before and after graduation, I used resources at the UTM Career Centre. One that I found to be particularly helpful was the Job Coach who offered mock interviews. After a mock interview that did not go very well, I was given a key piece of interview advice: use the STAR approach when answering interview questions.”

The STAR approach involves describing a situation or task to be accomplished, followed by the action you took and finally the result achieved.

“Using the services of the Career Centre throughout university is equally as important as using them after graduating. Using particular Career Centre services like the resume critique service during university prepared me ahead of time for the job crunch after university. That said, be prepared to experience rejection, dejection and all of the challenges that stem from trying to find your first professional position,” she says.

“As a CCIT or PWC grad I believe one of the keys to getting hired is how you present at the interview. This includes how you articulate and present a portfolio. To be a communications professional you have to prove first and foremost that you can communicate effectively in any situation.” Laura says the key to success is taking advantage of any resource offered by the university.

“View every opportunity as a potential job opportunity. Remember it is only candidates with the best resumes who get interviews, so constantly think about how you can build your resume through volunteer work, internships, or extracurricular activates at the university."