Name: Kristen Byers
Title: New Media Development Specialist
Website/Blog: www.kristenbyers.net
Location: Monterey, CA
Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I graduated from Michigan State University in 2008 with a B.A. in Professional Writing. I worked a variety of jobs while attending MSU, most of them related to web design or online marketing. After graduation, I spent the summer in West Lafayette, Indiana, working as the Online Digital Content Intern for Purdue University.
Tell us about your current job.
I currently work as the New Media Development Specialist for the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a graduate school that offers a handful of internationally focused degrees. Since my position is brand spanking new, I’ve basically been creating my own job description and it’s been both fun and challenging. MIIS actively uses a variety of new media for recruitment and other purposes: the Institute has active presences on Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, and iTunes U, just to name a few. We also make extensive use of blogs, wikis, and Moodle, an open source learning management system.
It’s my job to make sure these web presences accurately reflect the Monterey Institute and its mission.
What does a typical day look like for you?
This really, really varies. Some days are filled with meetings, other days it’s just me sitting in my office bonding with my iMac. Most days I can be found in my office or in the Digital Media Commons. The DMC is a cool technology lab designed to help MIIS faculty, staff, and students learn more about creating and publishing their own digital media.
What kinds of documents do you produce?
I produce many types of documents, all of them digital. So far these include websites, emails, blog entries, podcast descriptions, Facebook announcements, and wiki pages.
What communication skills are needed for your job?
Some of my time is spent helping others with digital media tools. It’s important that I be able to articulate my instructions and recommendations, whether it’s verbally or in writing.
There’s a phone in my office but hardly anyone ever calls ¾ most of my communication is done via email or instant messaging.
How did you prepare for your job?
Internships, definitely. I completed three internships during my time at Michigan State (in addition to the post-graduation internship at Purdue that I already mentioned). These experiences provided me with invaluable experience; I learned a lot about working and communicating as part of a team. I also had the opportunity to contribute to projects that were going to be seen by a large audience.
List three of your favorite professional resources/references/tools and tell us why they’re your favorite.
Yammer: It’s basically the workplace version of Twitter. Yammer helps me keep up to date with the projects and achievements of my colleagues in other departments.
COLOURlovers: I am really inspired by color, and this site is packed with colors, palettes, and patterns. You can create your own or browse the existing ones. The blogs section is also a great resource for color and design inspiration.
WordPress: I use WordPress both personally and professionally. WordPress is a powerful blogging software, and with the variety of plugins available, its functionality is pretty much limitless.
How do you stay up-to-date in your field?
I read a lot of design blogs and follow other designers via Twitter. I also do occasional freelance work, and I always try to use these side projects to improve my current skill set.
How would you define professional writing?
Communicating clearly and effectively to a specific audience through a specific medium. Even if the medium is video, someone wrote the script for that video.
Do you have any tips to share with other professional designers/writers/editors?
We have a rule at MIIS that all employees should spend 10% of their time learning something new. I think this is a great rule and that everyone should apply it, whether it’s in the workplace or at home.
Keep your digital portfolio updated! This is so, so important. You never know who might be checking out your online presence.
Consider working in higher ed. Most people never stop to consider how many people work at a college or university. I think that there are a lot of positions in higher education that would be perfect for professional designers, writers, and editors (and combinations of the three!).
Tags: digital, In the Workplace, new media, social media
Kristen–This sounds like a really cool, interesting job. As a current PW student at MSU, I love reading these posts about what program graduates are doing. Keep up the good work!