Ed McCollum
Senior Media Specialist
Wyoming Department of Education
Cheyenne, WY USA
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
My first job was at an advertising agency. I started as a finish artist, and working lots of overtime and weekends, I would re-do ads that others created to show how I would have handled it.
That work led to an art directorship after less than two years. Then it was time to show my ability to sell a story, not just tell it, by working on copy to make the ads look and sound better.
And then I lost my job. The agency lost its largest client, and out of 73 of us, 23 lost our jobs. I also went gray from worry, wondering how to provide for my family, and finding a new job.
And the next job lasted 14 years. I started the same time the company started, and guided its look and sound from beginning to that point.
And they let me go. They thought I'd done everything for them I could, and being there so long, my salary became a target for cutting costs and budgets. It was almost like it was time to start over.
Which I did with a move to Wyoming. We'd vacationed here often, and decided this should be the place to finish a career, and retire to, all without having to pack up again.
So here I am, helping craft the first "look" for a department that has been around for more than 100 years, and building a brand that will be used long after I retire.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Van-Far High School, Vandalia, MO
Van-Far High School, Vandalia, MO
Career
Senior Media Specialist
All visual and graphic work for the Wyoming Department of Education.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Design
Education
Being Creative
Day to Day
Hearing of projects that people need completed to market their ideas or programs, and then asking the questions, and listening to the answers they give to make sure that the work I do is appropriate for what they expect to be the result of their work. Quite often, people will ask for one thing, while something else will give them the results they want.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Persistence and skill. Have the skills and the product to show that you have those skills and never give up on getting those projects in front of the people who can see talent and provide you with the opportunities and adventures you need to go even further.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"There are too many people in your field. You'll never stand out and if you don't stand out, you'll never make it."
