Freelance Experience and Internships Lead to Full-Time Job for Dan Callahan ’14

 

Just one week after graduation, digital communications major Dan Callahan ’14 started his career with Keystone Industries. Two years later, he is working with the same company where it all began, but now in a new role with more responsibility.

As the digital marketing manager for Keystone, which is based in Gibblestown, N.J., Callahan wears many hats and spends days working on tasks that include advertising, social media, and website content. His job evolved from his original position as a copywriter/social media manager.

“My favorite part is being able to multitask,” said Callahan. “I’m not in a position where I come to a boring job and stare at the same Excel spreadsheets all day. I can be shooting and editing video for our website, creating a PowerPoint for a sales meeting, or coming up with catchy taglines for an advertising campaign. The ever-changing environment keeps my wheel turning and I love it.”

Callahan credits his hard work and dedication for finding the right job after graduation. Throughout his college years, he worked part-time jobs and unpaid internships to balance the cost of college while also getting experience he needed for his career. He interned with the Camden Riversharks baseball team and worked as a string reporter for the Lebanon Daily News.

“Those two internships led me into freelance work, which gave me relevant experience to get a job right out of college,” said Callahan.

The hard work continues today as Callahan is pursuing a digital media and marketing professional certificate with Duke University, which he will complete in September 2017.  

Callahan is thankful that LVC’s digiCOM program exposed him to many aspects of the field.

“My biggest piece of advice for DCOM students: diversify yourselves,” said Callahan. “Don’t put one hundred percent of your effort into just one very specific field. Expand your horizons and take in as much knowledge as you can, because working in this field rarely has you working in just one specific thing. You’ll have to cross over into many different areas, and showing you have that knowledge and experience will make you that much more valuable to an employer or potential employer.”