Christine Peeler
Principal Associate, Community Affairs
Capital One
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Majored in psychology, as I was really interested in how people's life circumstances affect them.
Was interested in pursuring a nonprofit job, but was worried about limited resources to do work.
Learned that corporations have philanthropy departments that focus on doing good work in communities.
Got a job at a PR firm that told stories about corporate philanthropy.
Spent a lot of time researching companies and networking.
Pursued a job at Capital One for a number of months and was eventually hired!
Education
Career
Principal Associate, Community Affairs
I form partnerships between my company (a bank) and nonprofits and schools, supporting them with volunteers and dollars so that they can support the community.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Day to Day
I wake up early and am at my computer by 8 am so I can answer emails and get some work done. I'm usually in phone meetings from 9-5, pretty straight through. I talk to a lot of people throughout my company about the different programs we run in communities, and I talk to a lot of different outside community partners, the schools and the nonprofits, about how we can better support them. A lot of my work is having good relationships with people both in my company and the community.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Start taking classes in college around business and in social issues that you are passionate about. Think about how you can help solve issues in your community from a business perspective. Volunteer at nonprofit organizations and try to be a leader in your community. Also, definitely work on your written and verbal communication skills.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Parents:
""You should go into a safe, easy job as soon as you get the offer.""
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
