Catching Up With Jennifer Dubin, Class of 2010
Jennifer Dubin graduated from Florida Tech in 2010 with her Bachelor’s degree in Communication. After working for a year at Inside Cheerleading Magazine and Inside Gymnastics Magazine, she returned to Florida Tech in Fall of 2011 to pursue an MBA. Today we’re catching up with Jen to see what a degree in Communication can help you achieve, and how Florida Tech is your path to the future.
What was your favorite part about Florida Tech?
I really enjoyed the higher-level classes; there are fewer students in each class, so you really get to know the instructors and are able to get more specific with the course topics. My personal favorite was an Entertainment & Sports Marketing class that I took my senior year. It was not required for my major or minors, but it definitely piqued my interests and came in handy at my current job.
What clubs/organizations were you involved in?
I was involved with Florida Tech cheerleading for my entire undergrad career, and was also involved with the Florida Public Relations Association for a few semesters. Outside of school, I became involved in the community by coaching several youth cheerleading teams and joining a local competitive cheer team as well.
You started working immediately after graduation. What was the application process like?
As a lifelong cheerleader, I had grown up reading cheerleading magazines and of course ended up following most of them on Facebook. Shortly after graduation, I saw that Inside Publications was looking for an intern to work on their cheerleading and gymnastics magazines (Inside Cheerleading Magazine and Inside Gymnastics Magazine). Having majored in Communication, and having been a cheerleader and gymnast for my entire life, it seemed like a perfect fit! I submitted my resume, and included my cheer experience in my cover page. A couple weeks later I received an email asking for a writing sample, and shortly thereafter I was offered the internship. After about 3 months of working for the company, two of Inside Cheerleading’s senior staffers left their jobs, and I was offered a full-time staff position.
How has a degree in Communication helped you achieve your career goals?
As Lead Correspondent for Inside Cheerleading Magazine, one of my main responsibilities is writing and preparing all of the editorial content for our magazine and website. The journalism and writing classes that were required as part of my Communication degree have proved to be invaluable, as I find myself writing press releases and cheerleading articles almost every day. I also took an editing class that really ended up helping me in my current job. Overall, the core courses that are required for Florida Tech’s Communication degree ended up helping me develop skills that I could apply in practically any field of media.
Is it difficult to transition to a MBA program from a Communication background?
As an undergraduate, I double minored in Management and Business Administration, so the transition was pretty natural for me. I’ve found that my Communication skills have really helped me in my MBA business classes.
Do you have any advice for current students?
My advice to undergraduates is to take as many electives as you can in the fields that interest you. The more diverse your courses are, the more skills you will have when you graduate. Also, be sure to keep your notes from your classes, even after you graduate! You would not believe how many times I’ve referenced my old class notes since graduating!
Where to from here?
After I graduate with my Masters degree, I hope to start my own music promotions website and possibly a music magazine. I love working in the media, and my Communication degree has allowed me to pursue my passion as a career.
