DARCI VALENTINE
Director of Communications
ADESA
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Went to high school, the college--like I was supposed to. Graduated and got a job--like I was supposed to.
My first job wasn't what it appeared to me; the company had problems with the FBI and IRS. I had to quit my first job after less than a year and find a new job.
My second job out of college wasn't what I thought it would be. I never, ever considered going to graduate school but the opportunity for an assistantship presented itself, so I went.
Graduate school was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It gave me time to grow up, become a better writer and communicator and learn a little graphic design along the way.
I worked happily writing and editing for magazines, until I left my job without having another job lined up. I worked as a holiday package runner for UPS. I dog sat.
I went to work at a dog daycare. I needed a break from being a writer and an editor and wanted to try something different. It was an amazing experience to be part of opening a small business.
This helped me in my next job, working with small business owners at a hardware store magazine. You can always learn something valuable if you remain open to learning.
I always saw myself writing for a magazine, but decided to try a position at a larger company. I've been here 11 years.
Education
High School
North Side High School
North Side High School
Career
Director of Communications
Direct, execute, evaluate multi-media communications across numerous touch points
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Writing
Entrepreneurship
Communicating / Sharing Stories
Day to Day
- Respond to emails; daily business housekeeping - Draft / review internal employee communications - Provide content for internal intranet - Monitor and share content on company social media channels - Work on content for marketing collateral - Manage staff - Strategy / planning for upcoming month and quarter
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Friends:
"You'll never make any money working in journalism. It's a tough life, being a reporter or a writer, with very little job security. You should consider a minor in business or teaching or something you can fall back on if this falls through."
