-: I'm an arts administrator.
I've always been in the art world,
and I always knew I didn't want to be on stage.
I wanted to be behind the scenes.
I like calling the shots, I like hiring people,
and I studied communication when I went to
the University of Toledo.
If you're a student watching this, and you want to know
how to get into arts administration,
or how to get into the creative industries,
or how to make Toledo or anywhere you want to live
a better place, my advice to any student
or any person is volunteer.
That's how I got my job.
If someone sees how hard you work for free,
and how much you care about the mission,
the organization, whatever that is,
find out what your personal mission is,
and then find an organization
that has a similar-aligned mission, and volunteer for them.
It's how you learn how things work.
You learn what you like to do and don't like to do.
So my advice to any student or any person is volunteer.
The top skills needed for my role are,
and I think in any role in any successful life,
is communication.
I took an interpersonal communications class in college,
and I thought every human should take that class.
Obviously, when you're working with other people,
you have to know how to communicate with them.
I'm really thankful that my writing classes here
taught me how to write a business letter,
how to write a cover letter, and how to write a resume.
I would say apply for jobs
you don't think you're qualified for.
Because
you don't know, first of all,
and you might be, and that's how you get qualified for jobs.
So I think if you have that ambition,
people will respect that and maybe offer you an interview,
even if you don't fit the criteria.
If you see on the job listing
that you don't have this degree, or this experience,
I think just putting yourself out there and applying.