Catherine Michaelsen

1. What are some past jobs/positions you have held?

Prior to joining iCIMS, I held multiple positions at Macmillan Education, where I was a Workshop Coordinator, Editorial Assistant, then Assistant Editor. While at TCNJ, I also had three internships in editorial, communications, and marketing.

2. Were there any particular TCNJ courses/internships that helped jump-start your career?   

I absolutely have TCNJ to thank for jump starting my career. I was able to gain all three of my internships because of TCNJ professors. I came across my first internship after my Professional Writing professor had our class create LinkedIn profiles. My second internship was at an adjunct professor’s company. Lastly, thanks again to my Professional Writing professor, I was put in touch with a fellow TCNJ student who was interning at Macmillan. This networking opportunity allowed me to obtain my third internship and eventually a full-time position at Macmillan shortly after graduation.

3. What are your favorite memories of your time at TCNJ? 

My favorite memory at TCNJ was going to the English Honor Society (Sigma Tau Delta) conference in New Orleans, where I was given the opportunity to present a paper I had written on Jane Eyre. This experience helped with my public speaking skills and boosted my confidence in my writing.

4. What are the most important skills you learned that you use today in your career?   

While at TCNJ, I learned how to enhance my writing and communication skills, which have been essential throughout my career. My literature and writing classes also helped me improve my critical thinking and problem solving skills, which are necessary in any position.

5. Do you have any advice for current TCNJ students trying to break into the business?

The best advice I can give to students is to network. As I can say from experience, networking is the most effective way to obtain internships, and internship experience is extremely important when it comes to standing out among other job applicants.