“I was always the person with the dollar and a dream mentality. I told my dad a week after graduating, ‘Okay, I'm moving to New York next week.’ I didn't even give myself a week to breathe. I just flew out there with my two duffel bags of clothes and made it happen."
ComArtSci and CAL alumna, Jade Wiselogle, chased her dreams of moving to New York City, but even she didn’t imagine that one day she would be helping to represent clients such as Justin Hartley from NBC’s This is Us, Timothy Granaderos from Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and a plethora of other names from shows such as Netflix’s GLOW, Queer Eye, and Hulu’s The Handmaids Tale.
A Change in Career Goals
Jade Wiselogle graduated from Michigan State University in May 2016 with a major in Professional Writing and a double minor in German and Public Relations. When she first began at MSU, Wiselogle was sure she was going to enter a career in the fashion industry. With dreams of working at a fashion publication, Wiselogle stayed active at MSU, spending her time between multiple internships and working for VIM, the MSU biyearly fashion magazine. Each summer, Wiselogle worked internships in New York City for companies such as Seventeen Magazine and Levi Strauss & Co. It wasn’t until halfway through her college career when she took an internship with MTV at Viacom in their PR & Communications department when she decided that she wanted to change career paths and focus on public relations in the entertainment world.
Currently, Jade Wiselogle works for Persona PR in New York City as an Account Coordinator. Her job entails pitching out talent for interviews with hundreds of different press outlets including national magazines, newspapers, broadcast talk shows, radio tours and more.
“It is our job to see the interview or feature through from the initial pitch to final completion or publishing of the feature. I also cover our clients at a lot of red carpets and industry events, photoshoots, and more. I don't have a single day that is the same as the other. Today, I am sitting at my desk answering emails and doing desk work, but tomorrow I will be at a six-hour cover shoot for a magazine with a client. We’re also working on multiple Emmy campaigns for our frontrunner clients who had outstanding performances on their respective shows this past year. There is so much that we do and PR in this industry is so all-encompassing that it’s difficult to give just a one-sentence definition of the position.”
The Presence of PR
Jade Wiselogle frequently recalls the skills and experiences that she gained through her public relations minor. She spoke of the professional skills she acquired while also commenting on specific classes that the college offered her.
“I took one course in Advertising & PR that was a trip to New York where you got to meet with a bunch of people. It was three full days of meeting after meeting and it was such a great networking experience. It was very eye opening to see what certain companies look for in potential candidates.”
Classes like these are made possible through Spartan alumni. ComArtSci currently offers ADV 402, which aims to create connections between current students and alumni. This course has traveled to cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago and provides students with a fast and intense networking opportunity. These classes include meeting with big businesses and executives to learn more about the advertising and PR industry.
Paying Back the Favor
Networking is integral to success in and out of school. Spartan alumni are everywhere and eager to help current Spartan students. Whether you are looking to stay in state or move somewhere big like New York City or Los Angeles, it isn’t hard to find and connect with fellow Spartans. Wiselogle says she owes a large part of her success in New York to her networking opportunities that she had as a student. Wiselogle looks forward to paying back the generosity she received from alumni should any current students wish to connect with her.
By Pierce Wiselogle