Ryan Smartt
Senior Communications Manager
Capital One
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I chose to move from Kansas to New York City.
I worked for several communications-related agencies (Branding, PR).
I moved to Richmond, VA and worked for a nonprofit (YMCA) in their marketing / communications dept.
I switched gears and worked in the internal communications department for a corporate org (Genworth).
I joined the marketing committee - and eventually board of directors - for a local nonprofit org.
I combined all of my experience when I changed jobs to lead comms for Capital One Community Affairs.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Wichita East
Wichita East
Career
Senior Communications Manager
I lead communications for our Community Affairs efforts.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Writing
Non-Profit Organizations
Communicating / Sharing Stories
Day to Day
I tell stories and share info about Capital One's Community Affairs efforts. This includes engaging our associates in how they can learn, celebrate and get involved in the work we do to improve the communities where we live and work. I write articles, gather photos and other info to share internally to our employees or externally on our websites and social media platforms. Every day, I strategize write, edit, gather info, and come up with ideas that showcase how Capital One makes a difference.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Focus on writing and editing. Write for fun, write with a purpose. Get a basic understanding and then mastery of basic grammar and spelling. And then practice, practice, practice. Write a blog, write a newsletter for school or other organizations. The key is to fine tune your writing and editing skills because it's something you will use every single day.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Parents:
"You should study accounting. It's the language of business."
