Communication Career Day

Each spring the Communication Alumni Council helps the Department sponsor Communication Career Day. On this day, dozens of alumni return to campus to participate in speed advice sessions that help our undergraduates gain insight into the variety of professions and diverse career paths chosen by our Communication alumni. This annual networking event brings 200+ Communication students together with alumni for career workshops, industry connections, and professional socializing. Students meet with alumni and receive one-on-one career guidance, learn from expert speakers, gain experience, and learn about opportunities as interns or employees, from student/alumni networking sessions.

Our alumni represent a wide array of communication careers, including media and entertainment, sales and marketing, advertising, public relations, public affairs management, law, education, training and development, human resource management, accounting and financial management, and social media. They hold positions in a variety of profit and non-profit organizations that include high tech companies, talent agencies, media organizations, public relations firms, governmental organizations, financial companies, pharmaceuticals, health care organizations, and marketing firms. This is also a great opportunity to meet with fellow alumni and give back by sharing your career experiences with the next generation of communication leaders.

We share updates here and on our social networks, so please consider following us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

For questions or information about this event or our alumni programs, please email the Alumni Council at comm-alumnicouncil@ucsb.edu or click here to go to the Comm Alumni Council webpage.

Interested in getting involved and giving back to your Department? Contact Norah Dunbar or click here to go to the Department Give page.

Communication Career Day is an annual professional development event for UCSB Communication students, featuring a career advice panel, alumni-student networking, and a departmental news update. Career Day is a part of UCSB's All Gaucho Reunion weekend.


Save the date! The 18th Annual Communication Career Day 2025 will be held April 25, Corwin Pavillion, 1-3:30 pm

Details to come!


The 17th Annual Communication Career Day 2024 was on Saturday, April 20, Corwin Pavillion, 1-3:30 pm

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comm career day 2024

This year’s theme is Hitting Your Stride

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Comm Career Day 2024

1:00 Welcome and Introductions

  • Department Update from Tamara Afifi, Department Chair
  • Alumni Council Update from David Bellinger, Communication Alumni Council Chairperson

1:10 Alumni Panel - Hitting Your Stride

1:30 Alumni/Student Networking Commences

3:30 Closing Remarks

3:40 Alumni Only Reception with Faculty and Grad Students (Food & Beverages provided)

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Comm Career Day 2024 Comm Alumni Participants

The theme for the 16th Annual Communication Career Day, 2023 is: Think Big, Start Small

Saturday, April 29, Corwin Pavilion, 1-3:30 pm

Please register (for free) here: https://shoreline.ucsb.edu/COMM/rsvp_boot?id=2070127

This event is a way to connect current UCSB undergraduate communication majors with alumni from our program.

There will be both a panel discussing careers for Comm majors and a chance to network with Alumni.

Download the full program here, which also lists all Alumni (with photos and bios) participating in round-table discussions with students.

Agenda:
1:00 Welcome message from UCSB Communication Alumni Council Chairperson

Dr. Eric Zackrison

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Comm Career Day 2023 Audience

 

1:15 Department Update

Dr. Tammy Afifi

 

1:30 Panel Discussion - Think Big, Start Small 

Moderator:

Wendy Garcia

 

Panelists:

Bryana Ryan, COO/Director of Operations at Referral Wave

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Comm Career Day 2023 Audience Screen

 

 

Desiree Flores, Director of Social Impact of the United Talent Agency Foundation

 

 

Nick Duggan, Leadership and Career Coach at Deeper Work

 

2:00 Structured Networking Hour

3:15 Closing Remarks


The Theme for the 15th Annual Communication Career Day, 2022 is: The Power of the Pivot.

Saturday, April 30th from 1 pm to 3:30 pm, In Person and via Zoom

Program:

1:00 Welcome message from UCSB Communication Alumni Council Chairperson

Dr. Eric Zackrison

 

1:15 Departmental Update

Tammy AfifiDr. Tammy Affifi

 

 

1:30 Panel Discussion - The Power of the Pivot

Moderator: Wendy Garcia
 

Panelists:
Cody CoronaCody Corona, Directorr of Product, Electronic Arts https://www.linkedin.com/in/codycorona/

 

Kimia Kalbasi, Senior Social Media Manager, AdRoll https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimiakalbasi/

 

Nikita Packard, Director of Business Development, Impact.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikita-packard/

 

2:15 Networking Hour - Structured networking allowing students and alumni to interact

3:15 Closing Remarks

Click here to register (Free)


The 14th annual Communication Career Day, 2021—virtual for the first time—was held during the All Gaucho Reunion weekend on April 24 from 1:00-3:30pm.

Learn about careers in Communication and interact with successful Communication alumni!

This year's theme: Transitions.

Register for this year’s virtual event via Shoreline at: http://cglink.me/2dD/r921009 You will receive the Zoom link.

1:00-1:30: Welcome and Introductions

Departmental Update – Norah Dunbar

Alumni Council Update – Alexandra Platt

1:30-2:00: Career Panel – Moderated by Eric Zackrison

Jamie Morgan – Head of Technical Recruiting at Cruise

Takako Suzuki – Statistician/Data Scientist at Neustar

Diana Nguyen – Learning and Development Program Specialist at Apeel Sciences

2:00-3:15: Alumni/Student Networking

3:15 Closing Remarks

Communication Majors and Pre-Majors!

Following the keynote panel, dozens of Communication alumni will interact with participants in small groups to offer individualized career advice to Communication students. Freshmen and sophomores gain insight into the variety of professions and diverse career paths chosen by our Communication alumni. Juniors and seniors learn tips about entering the workforce.

Communication AlumniWe need you!

What career advice would you give to today’s Communication students? UCSB Communication alumni are invited to discuss their careers and career paths in small group breakout discussions with majors and pre-majors. After the event with the students, alumni are invited to participate in an online networking event. Join your friends and other alumni who will join us from all over the world for a chance to reconnect.

Here are some sites and tips for a major transition: Entering or transitioning in the workforce during COVID-19, provided by Jamie Morgan, a Comm Alumni Council member:


Because the 2020 All Gaucho Reunion was cancelled due to the coronavirus, the 2020 Communication Career Day event was not held.

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cd 2019

 

The 11th Annual Communication Career Day was held April 27, 2019. To download the full program, click here.

The 2019 Communication Career Day was a huge success!  Here are video testimonials of attending students who share their experience and key takeaways.

Miya - Watch on YouTube

Riddhi - Watch on YouTube

Vivian- Watch on YouTube

Immediately following the event, we hosted a reception for alumni from 4:00 - 5:00 pm at the Corwin Pavilion. We invited our Alumni to join us for this afternoon event and stay to reconnect with other alumni and faculty.


For programs, lists of participants, and news articles of past Communication Career Day events, click on the following links.

2018 - 10th Annual Career Day

Click here for a Facebook photo album of the 2018 event.

Here's a 3-minute interview of Audra with Alumni Council member Justine Miller:

Here is Audra Lowe's Keynote Address on Career Planning for UC Santa Barbara Department of Communication Career Day 2018 (20 min).

Here is Maureen Carrig’s Presentation on Salary Negotiations for UC Santa Barbara Department of Communication Career Day 2018 (14 min).

Here is Jody Miller’s Presentation on Choosing Happiness as Part of Career Planning for UC Santa Barbara Department of Communication Career Day 2018 (14 min).

2017 - 9th Annual Career Day

2016 - 8th Annual Career Day

2015 - 7th Annual Career Day

2014 - 6th Annual Career Day (part of 30th Anniversary)

2013 - 5th Annual Career Day

2012 - 4th Annual Career Day

2011 - 3rd Annual Career Day

2010 - 2nd Annual Career Day

2009 - 1st Annual Career Day (part of 25th Anniversary)  Watch the 25th Anniversary slideshow created for our inaugural Communication Career Day.