SCAN highlights School of Communications alumni who recently landed jobs in their field. Radhika Rai (BA, Advertising and Marketing Communications, 2005) works as an account executive for Xtential Corp. in New York.



SCAN: How did you land your job?
Radhika Rai: I did an internship the summer before and made great friends. They gave me a good recommendation. And I had substantial work experience on my resume. Internships, lots of them!

SCAN: When did you realize this was the career for you?
RR: I knew in junior year of high school. It was convincing my mother that took a while.

SCAN: Any funny interview stories to share?
RR: Not a job interview, but I had a long distance phone interview for an internship in India. It was for one of the WPP companies and I didn’t know if the person I was exchanging emails with was male or female! It was one of those names. So I just addressed the emails to “Dear Full Name”!

SCAN: Any advice for those looking for a job?
RR: If not an interview, request a meeting to know more about the company.



SCAN: Any classes you wish you would’ve taken at Webster but didn’t?
RR: Macromedia Flash.

SCAN: Best on-the-job experience so far?
RR: Being invited to the American Advertising Federation (AAF) exclusive Hall Of Fame Luncheon. Not only did I get to show off the promotional site we created but also meet the AAF management and the top advertising executives, most of whom were so old that I had my doubts they would make it up the steps.

SCAN: Worst on-the-job experience so far?
RR: Media Planning. I’ll admit it’s not something I enjoy the most. But, I don’t think I’ve had the worst yet. Hope that continues!

SCAN: Company you’d kill to work for?
RR: My own start-up!

SCAN: Person you most admire in your field?
RR: Dana Todd. She’s not really in my field, but is the guru of search engine marketing and has an advertising background. A most enterprising and zealous woman, she stands out of the crowd with the brightest red hair I’ve ever seen!



SCAN: What Web site is your home away from “Home”?
RR: BBC. In Hindi.

SCAN: Best way to fuel creativity?
RR: Cookies and cocktails. Wouldn’t that make a great book title?!

SCAN: What’s on your desk right now?
RR: Lots of media plans that I need to review. Cookies. A large “TO DO” list.

SCAN: How many hours a week do you work?
RR: (Sigh) Lost track.

SCAN: Favorite fringe benefit of your job?
RR: Free stuff. We did a little website work for a company that rents out luxury cars and boats. An evening with the Lamborghinis reminded me why I love my work in New York!

SCAN: Is your current salary more or less than you expected to be making at this point?
RR: Oh, certainly more. If I had started with any of the big ad agencies, they would not be paying me as much.

SCAN: Things you miss most about Webster?
RR: The events. The professors. All my friends. Believe it or not, but I really miss the classes. I started looking for graduate programs in advertising in the NY area and turned most of them down as the curriculum was almost Webster’s undergraduate program. What I do NOT miss is getting back graded papers after class …

Did you just land a job in your field? E-mail scan@webster.edu and tell us about it.

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• Words from the Dean

• Nikki Boyer ’97
  Media Communications

• Roll the Credits: SOC Alumni Permeate
  Crew of “Bill”
• Advertising Students
  Net National Honors

• Joshua Hearst ’06
  Audio Production
• Radhika Rai ’05
  Advertising and
  Marketing
  Communications
• Lindsey Timmerman ’05
  Public Relations

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