Editor’s Note: This is an installment in the series called Young Alumni. The series spotlights recently graduated alumni who are starting careers and succeeding in the business world.
Silvia Potempa is the Social Media Coordinator for Firetoss Marketing in Salt Lake City, Utah. Potempa graduated in 2014 with bachelor’s degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
Eccles School: What/Who inspires you?
Potempa: My friends and co-workers – watching those closest to me excel in their careers helps keep me motivated to do the same. Nothing makes me happier than hearing my best friend get a job promotion or being accepted to a graduate school, which then makes me want to work even harder toward my goals.
Eccles School: What has been the best time here at the Eccles School of Business?
Potempa: Definitely my senior year, that was when I was able to take marketing and entrepreneurship classes that practiced freedom and creativity. There were three professors that changed my outlook on the “business industry” – Rob Wuebker, Ralph Little and Tony Passey. I could go on and on about their classes, but instead, you should go sit-in on one and see why for yourself.
Eccles School: Any advice for future students?
Potempa: Get involved! This is the most overused statement for future students, but there’s a good reason. Getting involved led to incredible experiences, the greatest friends, and life-changing opportunities. It may be difficult to put yourself out there, but that’s what college is all about.
Eccles School: What campus organizations were you a part of?
Potempa: The sorority Delta Gamma Fraternity, The Union Programming Council, and Associated Students of the University of Utah.
Eccles School: Where do you work now and what is your title?
Potempa: I work for an incredible digital marketing agency – Firetoss, and I am our Social Media Coordinator. Our CEO, Tony Passey, teaches “Marketing Through Interactive Media” at the Eccles School, and if you have the opportunity to be in his class, TAKE IT!
Eccles School: What are your job responsibilities?
Potempa: I have the job that people either dream of or don’t believe is a job…I Facebook. OK, that’s just the easy way to describe it, but it’s much more than that. I manage more than 20 clients’ social media accounts, ranging from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest. Day-to-day activities include creating and publishing posts, generating Facebook/ Instagram ads, and hanging out in Google Analytics and analyzing / reporting on social posts.
Eccles School: What goals did you set when you were graduating college?
Potempa: Honestly, I just wanted to get a job that I loved with a company I believed in and with an incredible culture. College graduates tend to be money driven and seek a job that pays well, but I just really wanted a job that would make me happy. You’re spending 40+ hours a week at your job, make sure you LOVE it or adjusting to the “real world” is going to be extremely disheartening.