Age: 25
Major: Business and sports marketing
UO Graduation date: 2003
Job Title: Group events specialist for the Seattle Supersonics and Storm
Every resource a student could possibly need for a successful life after college is right here on campus, University alumna Michelle Flanigan says.
“The University of Oregon offers you everything and more you could ever want. I give the University and specifically the Warsaw program credit for getting me where I am,” she said.
Flanigan is a group events specialist for the Seattle Supersonics and Storm and has organized large events for companies like Starbucks, Nordstrom and Microsoft. Her career began right after her graduation in 2003, after three years with majors in business and sports marketing, with an internship for the Portland Trail Blazers She found the internship through the Warsaw Sports Marketing Program Center at the University but because she was no longer a student she had to pay for a credit at Portland Community College.
“I actually had to pay for my internship,” Flanigan said, because she waited until after graduation. “Be proactive, because if you’re not you end up paying for it.”
The internship led to a position with the Indiana Pacers, after the Blazers laid off 100 people in one day.
“I knew I had to get a job,” she said, and again she turned to the Warsaw program and the University. “The Warsaw program was the best asset I had for learning about career opportunities; the Web site has all the job links and connections you could want.”
In addition to utilizing the resources of the University, Flanigan also advised students to “grab every opportunity,” and be willing to take risks.
“For my first job, I moved across the country not knowing anyone and not knowing anything about the area,” Flanigan said.
She also advised students to start gaining experience with the job search process.
“You can never get too much exposure to the interview process,” Flanigan said, adding that finding the job is only half the work.
“Always arrive before your boss does and never leave before they do,” Flanigan said. “In every position I’ve ever held, that’s helped me get promoted.”
– Linda Gerstenberger