Deacon Spotlight: Maggie Sandy

Maggie Sandy (2016 BA in Communications)

Digital Marketing Manager at Gryphon House Books in Winston Salem, NC

Tell us about your current job role/employer and what you’re currently working on.

I manage and develop online strategy for Gryphon House through social media, website operations, email cadence, and more. Currently I am boosting e-commerce sales through the implementation of successful Facebook ads and email promotions. Facebook ads reaching over 200,000 people and sending out over 60,000 emails a week.

What personal and/or career experiences did you have prior to landing your current job and leading to where you are now?

Working with various on-campus groups to create, manage, and leverage social media accounts really helped me understand and learn about the power of social media in today’s business world.

What was the most challenging aspect of your first “real world job” and what did you learn from it?

Understanding what a work/life balance is and how important it can be for my success professionally.

What advice would you give to new Wake Forest graduates about developing their personal life habits after college?

Be picky about the job you want. Don’t let yourself accept a job just to have one. Take on a job that can get you out of bed everyday and doesn’t keep you up at night.

How have you made personal and professional relationships in your city, company, or community?

By creating connections and exploring new experiences. I have made friendships from just liking a netflix show to meeting people in a bikram yoga class!

Have you been mentored by anyone at Wake Forest or in your professional life? If so, what impact has that relationship had on you?

My supervisor has really put me in a position that I can thrive and learn everyday. She has given me confidence to take on new projects and to have the security to learn even more.

What advice would you give to current Wake Forest students and/or young alumni who are about to start their first professional job?

Don’t doubt yourself just because you are the newest face in the office. Go into your first day with confidence, you were hired for a reason.

What are your future career goals or plans? How are you being intentional about working towards them?

I would love to run my own marketing and communications firm someday. I am wanting to work within companies as an in-house marketing professional across many different industries. This will help me learn and develop marketing strategies that can be used across a number of different industries and companies.

Story published in June 2018. For current updates about Maggie, visit her LinkedIn page.