Meet Alum Christina Berry ’17

Hometown: Riverside, California

Major:  English Major, Art History Minor, Class of 2017

Current Employment: Professional Services Associate at TrackMaven in Washington, DC 

What role has the English major played in your career path?

I am a firm believer in majoring in what you love, because your passion and skillset will apply to any career you pursue. After graduating from Wake, I worked in brand marketing for Newell Brands on the Mr. Coffee team. When I was interviewing with them, and they asked why an English major wanted to pursue brand marketing, I had a prepared spiel: brand marketing focuses on telling the story of a brand, and I had dedicated my college career to studying stories. As a marketer, I worked on new product development from the idea phase to on-shelf, and along the way I had to create a compelling product story that appealed to the target audience and aligned with the brand. This meant I had to exercise the communication, editing, and critical thinking skills that I mastered while studying English.

Now I work for a marketing insights company in a role I like to describe as a data storyteller. I analyze brands’ social media data and make recommendations to increase their performance and return on investment. The many hours I spent poring over books in ZSR and diligently researching to write essays disciplined me to compile details and connect the dots to reveal the overarching story. The combination of excellent writing skills, attention to detail, and ability to synthesize information into a narrative format has served me very well in my career, and I want to acknowledge the English department at Wake for helping me grow my skillset. Having an English degree is a true asset that applies to any job.