Name: Jimmy Daly
Age: 31
College & Majors/Minors: English
Current Location: Vail, CO
Current Form of Employment: Marketing Director at Animalz (a content marketing agency)
Where do you work and what is your current position?
I’m currently the marketing director at a startup agency called Animalz. We specialize in content strategy and creation for software-as-a-service companies. The company is based in New York City, but we have employees all over the world. I’m lucky enough to call Vail, CO home.
My current focus is on launching a company blog. It’s highly strategic—you won’t find information like this on other content marketing blogs.
Tell us about how you found your first job, and how you found your current job (if different).
Every job I’ve had since graduating college 10 years ago has come through a personal connection. I first put my writing skills to use for a family friend. He ran a web design company and needed some to help with email and content marketing. That job led to connections, which led to another opportunity, which led to more connections and more opportunities.
One great thing about working in content marketing is that all of my work is public on the web. My current boss hired me after reading work I’d published for another company.
What was another writing-related job that was important in your career?
Early in my career I worked for an agency that required me to write 2-3 articles every single day. It was a grind, but I learned more about writing in those two years than I have before or since. I learned to be efficient, to quickly identify great ideas, and to create archetypes that I could use over and over again. There’s nothing like shipping new work on a regular basis to hone your skills.
What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?
Honestly, nothing.
I studied English because I liked writing, but I spent a lot of time fretting about what I would do with the degree. What I didn’t realize at the time was that writing is the foundational skill of many jobs in the tech sector. If you can write, you can find a good job.
What is your advice for students and graduates with an English degree?
A lot of people are going to ask you some variation of “So, what are you going to do with that English degree?” Ignore them. Keep an open mind. Your options are nearly limitless.
I never thought I’d spend 10 years working in software and tech, but it’s been a great adventure and I’m really excited at my future prospects.
