SCAN highlights School of Communications alumni who recently landed jobs in their field. Eric Tatham (BA, Advertising and Marketing Communications, 2006) works as an Art Director for rodgers/townsend in St. Louis.



SCAN: How did you land your job?
Eric Tatham: Working hard on my portfolio, networking, saying the right things to the right people, and not being discouraged by a few people not liking my work.

SCAN: When do you realize this was the career for you?
ET: I took a Mass Communication class at SEMO the same semester I left school for a 3-year break. The course covered advertising for a few classes and it just clicked. I never questioned what I wanted to do after that. I guess I’m pretty lucky to have had it so concrete for me. The hard part was not being in school for three years but knowing the whole time what I was supposed to do with my life.

SCAN: What’s the best way to prepare for an interview?
ET: Find out everything you can about the company you are about to apply to. Do a practice interview before hand — and look the part (that doesn’t always mean a suit).

SCAN: What classes taught you the most about your chosen industry?
ET: Writing for Advertising — Creative Strategies — Visual Communication — advertising annuals (not a class but a great education)

SCAN: Best on-the-job experience so far?
ET: My year-end review with my executive creative director. I realized that your supervisors really notice the things you do. Hard work and the right attitude pays off.



SCAN: Company you’d love to work for?
ET: The company Roberto Salas (BA, Advertising and Marketing Communications, 2006), Paul Anderson (BA, Advertising and Marketing Communications, 2006) and I own someday.

SCAN: Person you most admire in your field?
ET: The person I admire the most is an ex-creative director of mine, Luke Partridge. He was insanely good at his job and mainly because of his work ethic. He would stay focused and fixated on his monitor until got it right. He just recently left to take a job in Chicago as the head art director for the Porsche account.

SCAN: What Web site do you visit just to kill time?
ET: ads of the world — notcot.org — YouTube

SCAN: Best way to fuel creativity?
ET: Expose yourself to as many things as you can. Listen to talk radio, watch unvisited TV channels, don’t be a pop culture sheep. Seek out those who do it better than you, it’s very humbling but inspiring at the same time. It helps expand your thinking quite a bit.

SCAN: What’s on your desk right now?
ET: A big sexy Apple monitor, Wacom pen tablet for designing, some deign and advertising annuals full of people who do it better than I do, a pencil holder stuffed to the max with very sharp Black Warrior pencils, and some juggling balls.

SCAN: Favorite fringe benefit of your job?
ET: The games they have for us to relax and recharge. And the freedom they give us here.

SCAN: What’s on your iPod?
ET: Jurassic Five — Gorillaz — OutKast — African Rhythms — Fila Brazillia — Lisa Shaw — Matisyahu — Mos Def — Beck and hundreds of others. Like I said, expose yourself.

SCAN: Things you miss most about Webster?
ET: The staff, the students and the library.

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

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• Mandy Ellis ’07
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• Eric Tatham ’06
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