By Hannah Will
URI’s Harrington School teaches its students to think and dream big. Alexandria Haughey, a 2013 graduate of the Harrington School with a B.A. in Public Relations, did just that. Haughey joined Condé Nast in October of 2013 a short while after graduation. After completing internships for Alice + Olivia, Duffy & Shanley, and StyleWeek, she started off at Condé Nast as an Advertising Assistant and worked her way up to her current position, Account Executive.
Haughey emphasizes that making connections and gaining valuable experience through internships during her time at URI was instrumental in her journey towards Condé Nast, a company that she has been interested in for a long time.
At Condé Nast, every day brings something new for Haughey. As Account Executive, she handles advertising and sales for a number of popular magazines including Glamour, Allure, Brides, Teen Vogue, and SELF. She sells food and beverage advertisements across print, digital, and social media. She often spends time outside of the office meeting with clients and working to create distinct partnerships.
Haughey’s favorite part of her job is working with clients. She enjoys brainstorming to determine creative ways they can work together. Her goal is to make brands stand out by leveraging the talents of Condé Nast and the advertiser.
As a graduate of URI, Haughey recognizes the important role the Harrington School has had on her success. She describes the Harrington School as extremely “unique,” because the programs offered provide students with such a well-rounded background in communication and media. From journalism to business courses, Haughey felt prepared to take on her role at Condé Nast. As she moved into the working world, she noticed that the Harrington School gave her a great mix of the skills that she needed to succeed at Condé Nast.
Haughey offers a number of tips for Harrington students. She notes that Condé Nast looks for employees that are ready and willing to learn, have great organizational skills, and have the ability to efficiently multitask. According to Haughey, Students need to acquire and refine these skills during their time at URI. She also encourages students to not be afraid to speak out and ask questions whenever they can. Haughey adds students should “talk to everyone they can,” because networking is key to finding and securing that dream job.
The job search can be overwhelming for many students. Haughey suggests students go in with an open mind and prepare by doing as many internships as possible to show companies that they will make a great addition to their team. She says new graduates will not know everything about the industry they are about to enter, and that is okay. If students are willing to learn, companies will recognize and appreciate that.
Most importantly, Haughey notes that “hard work does not go unnoticed.” Haughey herself is an example of someone who set herself apart from the crowd and worked hard in a competitive industry to get to where she is today. Not only will hard work allow Harrington students to pursue endless opportunities, but, like Haughey, it just may land students their dream job.