OC English graduate & Comm minor starts her career with Seattle marketing agency serving Microsoft

Jessica Crespino utilizes skills learned at OC to begin work in a demanding industry.

February 4, 2021

Oklahoma Christian University prides itself in helping students cultivate their talents and create successful careers. 2020 English alumna Jessica Crespino used her education and the skills she learned at OC to accelerate her future. Just after graduation, Crespino found herself working remotely on a 12-week campaign project for Microsoft with a marketing agency in Seattle. Following her outstanding work, she was recognized by the team leader and offered a job with Audienz, a content marketing agency in Seattle.

Crespino credits Associate Professor of Communication Josh Watson and Associate Professor of English Nathan Shank for helping her develop many skills and growing confidence in the domain of writing and communication. 

“[Dr. Watson and Dr. Shank] both had a big impact on helping me develop my skills and confidence during my years at OC, especially in the realm of clear writing and communication,” Crespino said. “I know [landing this job] is due in no small part to what I learned in [their] classes, and the ways [they] encouraged me both in and out of class.”

Watson and Shank were not surprised by Crespino’s news. 

“Jessica was such a hard-working and detail-oriented student,” Watson said. “She never skipped the reading, and her work was thorough and creative. I knew a smart business would hire when they saw her portfolio and work. It’s so happy to see her success, especially in challenging economic times.”

Crespino uses those skills as she now works for Audienz as an associate marketing consultant. Audienz consults for the world’s leading technology companies, partnering with them to create content marketing targeted to other businesses. Due to the quality and speed of the work she had put in during the Microsoft campaign, Audienz asked Crespino to create an instructional document, which is now a part of the company’s process when creating marketing content. 

Following her success on the campaign, her team leader had extended Crespino a full-time offer to join her team, bypassing the interviewing stage, while being able to work from her home in Kansas.

“Audienz is really picky about who they hire because they seek a specific atmosphere that's supportive and enthusiastic, and it pays off,”  Crespino said. “It's the first company I've seen that actually lives out its company values as the first priority.”

Crespino’s success comes from hard work and discipline, which will continue to help her in future.