May 2023 Alumni Newsletter

Alumni give professional advice at UW Careers in Communication Panel

In March, three Communication alumni reflected on their professional experiences and offered career advice to the nearly 400 students in Introduction to Communication, a course for majors and prospective majors. Kathleen F. Miller, Suna Gurol Jeffreys, and Dan Albaum shared tales from their journeys from being Communication students at UW to the experienced professionals they are today. The panel, “Careers in Communication,” was moderated by student intern Claire Kaufman.

Communication Hall of Fame member Kathleen Miller (’87), now the Director of Marketing and Communications at a non-profit organization, graduated from the UW with a double major in journalism and marketing. Miller emphasized the importance of knowing your audience and honing one’s proofreading skills, lessons she learned as a staff writer at the Daily.

Suna Gurol Jeffreys (‘11) followed a slightly different path than Miller’s. After spearheading the social media department at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Jeffreys graduated from UW’s Communication Leadership Masters program. She is now the Senior Digital Director at WE Communications.

Dan Albaum described his transition from broadcast journalism to founding the marketing consulting firm, Market Impact. Last year, Albaum published the book The Impact Makers, inspired by his conversations with successful leaders for his podcast, “Market Impact Insights.”

All three alumni had one common piece of advice for today’s students—take advantage of opportunities and build good relationships. Miller and Jeffreys touched on the realistic aspects of corporate life such as workplace culture and office politics: “Your boss can make or break you at a job, same with the organization you work for,” Miller said. Jeffreys added that “having a good relationship with your colleagues and boss is key in terms of your success.”

When asked to reflect on mistakes they’ve made in their career, Albaum acknowledged he didn’t always have confidence in his interpersonal relationships outside of work. “Take some time to get to be assertive. You have a right to express yourself,” he said. 

Jeffreys learned early in her career that rushing projects led to unnecessary mistakes. “Read that email a second time,” she said, citing a common example. 

Finally, Miller emphasized the importance of making a good impression, telling students about a time she lost a coveted internship at Alaska Airlines magazine because she failed to dress professionally for the interview. 

When asked what pushed them through a difficult professional time, the common theme was determination. Albaum described a toxic manager who told him that he would never make it in marketing, leaving him with “that crushing feeling of someone who doesn’t believe in you.”  He has since made a promise to himself never to use criticism as a motivational strategy. 

Jeffreys addressed the challenges she faced balancing an unexpected pregnancy, graduate school, and a full-time job. She credits sheer determination to finish what she started as the source of her ultimate success.