Katie Knipper graduated in May 2020 and currently works as an account executive at Lexington Public Relations.

What was your major and minor in college?

• Communication Studies Major, Journalism Minor

Where did you intern in college?

• I started interning my second year at Belmont, and I worked as an Editorial Intern at StyleBlueprint, Do615, and the Nashville Edit.

What were your co-curricular activities in college?

• While at Belmont I was the Arts and Entertainment Editor at the Belmont Vision and got to join the Belmont in Scandinavia study abroad program in the summer. Between internships, a part-time job, and a course load that allowed me to graduate in three years I didn’t have a ton of time for co-curriculars but connected with my peers by going to shows around town and being intentional about how I spent my free time.

How did you get your current position?

• I actually found it through a Belmont connection! I was feeling pretty unsatisfied in my previous position, so after I gave my notice, I posted to LinkedIn sharing that I was looking for a new opportunity that allowed me to focus more on creativity, project-based work, and utilization of my communication and content creation skills. A former classmate saw my post and mentioned that she was leaving her current position but loved her time there and thought I would be a great fit. Within two weeks I applied, interviewed, and started the onboarding process.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

• I’m lucky enough to work remotely the majority of the time, so on the average day I’m rolling out of bed around 8am to take the dog out and be ready to start my workday a little before 9am. I start by going through my email to get any updates or read through my newsletter subscriptions. Then I’ll usually start creating the agendas for client meetings that day – including all the updates, strategy, and questions we may have for them. On those calls we go through our objectives and activities to make sure we’re all on the same page about new launches, messaging, and written content. I’ll loop our intern in on anything we’re working on and review her work as it comes. Then most of the rest of my day is spent writing, updating media lists, researching award opportunities, pitching, and coming up with content and strategy ideas. We have a really flexible work environment, so if I need to run an errand or take a walk in the afternoon to reset my brain a bit, that’s totally fine – I just log back in later in the day when I’m feeling more productive and focused. As long as I finish my goals and tasks for the day I can be in charge of my own scheduling, then I’m able to turn it off for the evening and not worry about my to-do list until the next morning.

What do you like best about your job?

• I love that my job allows me to explore both my creative and analytical sides. I’ve always loved writing, but the idea of spending an entire workday just writing isn’t realistic for me. I like that I get to flex my creative muscle by writing bylines and blog posts for clients, crafting pitches, and event planning when our clients launch new products. But when I’m burnt out or dealing with writer’s block I can switch gears to creating campaign strategy, updating contact lists, or digging through impact data. Pair that with a roster of fun clients and I really never get bored!

What advice do you have for majors and minors in communications?

• Taking a marketing, public relations, or journalism class while in the Com Studies major is great because it can expose you to the kinds of job titles you’ll be looking for upon graduation and provide a foundational knowledge for those industries. Also take time to create meaningful connections with your classmates and peers because your friend today might be your hiring manager or collaborative partner in the future! Some of my best friends today are people I met while working for the Vision and we’re able to constantly bounce ideas off each other and give advice when needed.

I’d be happy to connect with students on LinkedIn!