Lauren Devitt
Communications - Community Affairs
Capital One
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
Worked odd jobs in middle / high school - learned discipline, customer service, hard work.
Went to college, studied English (fascinating but useless) tried not to think about the real world.
Graduated in the Great Recession, wasn't sure what kind of job I wanted, applied to grad school.
Got a fellowship to an English PhD program at Rutgers. (Getting paid to read Shakespeare - genius!)
5 yrs + lots of self-discovery in grad school (public speaking, independence, confidence, hard work).
Quit during my dissertation bc what I loved about school wasn't going to translate into the job.
Education
High School
Council Rock High School (North)
Council Rock High School (North)
Career
Communications - Community Affairs
I tell stories and create experiences that help people make an impact in the community.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Non-Profit Organizations
Learning / Being Challenged
Day to Day
A little bit of everything! A lot of it looks like standard "desk job" stuff (email, phone calls, spreadsheets, meetingsmeetingsmeetings), but here's what's really happening: connecting with community partners, troubleshooting challenges with my team, planning events, breaking down some data, etc. I will also find quiet time to get creative, focused work done: writing copy, designing graphics, or gathering content for communications.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Learn about all sides of the work - how business works, how nonprofits work, how social causes you care about work. Be abstract AND practical (read a lot, and then try to get real world experience by interning, volunteering, or setting up meetings / interviews with folks who work in the field).
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Bachelor
