After graduating from Pace with my Master's Degree, I was able to look back and reflect on what I really wanted to do with my career. For the past six years, I had lived away from home, working and living in different cities including Syracuse, NY, Barcelona, Spain, and White Plains/Manhattan, NY. I realized that my father's growing Auto Group was in serious need of a Communications & Marketing Manager. After all, anyone could see that they did not have anybody to help them in that field, and one of their Facebook pages had been inactive since 2010. I realized that my skills could be put to use in a setting where I could not only succeed, but where I could see firsthand the impact of my work.

I used to think that I did not want to work in the family business, but honestly, I wouldn't change a thing. Being able to help my family's business grow is an incredibly rewarding experience. My grandfather started our one Used Car Dealership in 1945, and my father successfully took that over, and grew that one business, which now includes 7 different New Car Dealerships. The fact that I am able to say that I am a part of this successful and growing group is rewarding and gives me an incredible sense of accomplishment. I feel proud and grateful for the opportunity to be able to work with my family, and, most importantly, I am able to put every single skill I learned at Pace University to the test.

I am the head of the Auto Group's Communications, Marketing, and Digital Marketing needs. I am in charge of tracking all internet sales leads to see which source they came from,  and ensuring each store's Internet Sales Manager is keeping up with their close ratios. I design, update and maintain our websites constantly for fresh material, coordinate the monthly commercials, plan all events within the stores including sales and promotions, contests, holiday parties, and sponsorship events. I am also in charge of all Social Media outlets for each brand within the Auto Group, as well as the reputation management that comes with having different Social Media outlets. I survey all customers on delivery and track results to make sure we are getting the most out of our advertising methods to see how they came into the dealership, and produce, edit and upload two videos per brand per month based on customer's interests: service tips, features in new vehicles, finance information, and more! Additionally, I am the point person to attend meetings for all manufacturer's when it comes to advertising and digital communications. There's always something to keep me busy, whether it's a promotion with our local AHL Hockey team, like our Tweet Your Seat contest, designing billboards, or carrying out a social media campaign, I never really have to worry about being bored!

Without the experiences and knowledge that I gained from Pace, I am certain I would still be searching for what I wanted to do when I grow up. Now that I have had so many wonderful opportunities at Pace, along with the fact that I was able to hone in on my skills during my educational experience to see what I truly loved doing, I am more than happy in my position here! The image above is one of the websites I designed for our Auto Group! To see all of our websites, visit our HUB page: www.steetponteautogroup.com and be sure to like us on Facebook!

As a previous volunteer for Arts Westchester in their Special Events Department, the Annual Gala was held at the beautiful 800 Westchester Avenue building. I was in awe of the building and just had to do some research and see what businesses were located in there. Lo and behold, I found MSCO, my wonderful internship. I started reading about the company and CEO/Author Mark Stevens' blog, and realized that I agreed with pretty much everything he was saying about the art of Marketing and PR. I interviewed with the company soon after I filled out an application and quickly became their Social Media intern.

I am so grateful that I had this internship because not only is it a small company, but I learned about the ins and outs of social media when it comes to businesses. Additionally, I was able to learn how to use Sprout Social and Cision. I analyzed content, helped to create the basis for mobile apps, and also assisted the CEO in research and provided writing samples for his book and blog projects. I also learned how to  create effective and engaging content. I loved that the company is small, because it truly felt like a family where everyone cares for one another, and also allowed for even the interns to shine and take the lead on important projects! 

On January 9th, 2012, I signed my offer letter to intern at Revlon, Inc., one of the world's leading makeup companies in Manhattan, and the brand I have been loyal to since I was 15. I interend in the Public Relations Department and helped update media databases, was in contact with some of the most popular (and my favorite!) magazines in the United States, such as Glamour, People, and Allure to put together relevant makeup samples for their featured stories, and last but certainly not least, was able to attend some of the launch parties for the Summer 2012 Collection, and the famous New York Fashion Week.

The experience was like none other, and I couldn't have asked for a better or faster-paced internship. Everywhere you looked, there was something to do, and Fashion Week was like something out of a dream. I firmly believe that I would not have been able to get this internship if I hadn't attended Pace University. The classes I had taken the previous semester and the one I interned for truly helped me and gave me a leg up while I was there. But my favorite part was definitely the free makeup samples!