An Interview with Leah Arruda
Degree in English, 1994
Graduate degree in Communication Studies, 1998

1. Please describe your job at Sun Life and your major duties.

"At Sun Life of Canada, I am a Senior Communications Consultant in the Public Relations and Communications department for the U.S. headquarters office in Wellesley Hills, MA. The department primarily serves as the in-house communications agency for the company, and I specifically service two divisions within the company: human resources and group insurance.

"My responsibilities are wide-ranging. I mainly serve as the project manager for the communication initiatives for these two divisions. This may range from working on press releases, managing internal communication strategies, publishing brochures, working on information for the company intranet site, organizing and managing communications for large conferences, etc. My job involves a lot of writing and project management skills, but it also varies, which is something I really love. On a daily basis, I could be working on any number of projects. It is a challenging yet rewarding position."

2. You began your career in the public affairs office at BSC and left to go to Roger Williams University. What was your job there and when did you leave?

"I began my professional career after I graduated with my undergraduate degree in English/Writing in 1994 and was hired that summer by the Public Affairs department at BSC as a Publications Assistant. I worked at BSC until the summer of 1996 when I accepted a job in the Publications and Public Relations department at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. At Roger Williams I was hired as the Marketing Communications Coordinator and was later promoted to Director of Marketing Communications.

"There I was responsible for all of the marketing communications initiatives and worked very closely with the admissions department to market the university. I planned strategic marketing initiatives and managed international and national advertising campaigns as well as served as project manager for all recruitment and marketing publications. I left Roger Williams University in May of 1999 for my current position at Sun Life."

3. Moving from higher education into the business world is quite a transition. In terms of the work environment, how would you describe the difference? Did you have much anxiety about making the choice to leave higher education?

"It was a positive transition, and one I had been wanting to make for a while. I found immediately that the environment in the business world is much more faster paced. Also, at my company, I sense a lot of respect for communication professionals because of the awareness that we are key players in communicating the company's image to the public.

"In higher education, and especially in my marketing position at RWU, there was often resistance to many of the marketing communication strategies that were common in the business world. Higher education administrators often did not see the importance of integrated communication strategies and there was often resistance to change and better utilization of technology because 'things were always done this way' in the past. In the business world, adaptation and embracing change are the cornerstones of success, and at Sun Life especially, our values specifically reference 'welcoming and adapting to change.'

"For a company with a 128 year history, adapting to change has been important and will continue to be, especially as we move forward to becoming a public company in the spring of 2000.

"I really didn't have much anxiety about leaving the higher education setting, because as I mentioned, it was something that I wanted to do when I left BSC. The opportunity at Roger Williams surfaced for me, so I took it at the time, but I had been wanting to venture into the business setting for quite some time. My anxiety was also lessened because of the fact that my managers at Sun Life themselves felt confident in my communication skills, despite the fact that I did not have specific industry or business experience.

"This was something that was stressed to me early on and something that definitely raised my comfort level in the transition period. What's more, I became part of a great team of professionals and felt comfortable from day one. There is an industry learning-curve, but then again, we are constanly learning new things. I really didn't find the transition to be all that difficult."

4. In the business sector, are the pressures/expectations much greater?

"I wouldn't say that the pressures are greater. We may work at a faster pace because of the nature of being in business, but I believe that many pressures/expectations faced by communication professionals are the same no matter what sector we are in.

"We are required to deliver communication excellence and we all face the same deadline pressures, budget constraints, busy schedules and the balancing of multiple projects. I face many of the same pressures and expectations at Sun Life as I did at my previous employers. It is the nature of our field and I believe a lot of these pressures are universal for all communication professionals, no matter what industry or sector they service."

5. Which of your professional skills do you consider most valuable to you in your present position?

"I would have to say that my writing and organizational skills are the most valuable. On any given day I am frequently writing, and not having to struggle with the writing process is very important. Whether I am drafting a press release, an article for an newsletter, text for a brochure, or an internal memorandum, strong writing skills are key.

"Because I have multiple ongoing projects, organizational skills are just as valuable. Also, as any communications professional will agree, having the personal ability to stay calm and not take things to heart is especially helpful in this field!"

6. Knowing what you know now, would you have done anything different either as an undergraduate or graduate student to prepare yourself for your present position?

"I don't think I would have done anything differently as a graduate student, because my master's degree in Communications Studies was completely career-driven.

"However, as an undergraduate student, I concentrated specifically on the liberal arts and foreign languages, and although my classes really developed my writing skills, I often think it would have been beneficial for me to take some business courses and perhaps minor in business management. Since I intend on staying in the business sector for the time being, and possibly go into business for myself someday, I'm considering going back to school for an M.B.A., and a formal foundation in basic business would have been helpful for that endeavor."

7. How is technology -- and specifically the Internet -- impacting your current job?

"Technology is playing a major role in my current job, and actually, for everyone in the company. We have moved to communicating with our employees almost entirely through online methods. We rely heavily on email announcements since we have more than 1,500 employees at our U.S. headquarters and many more employees in the field across the country.

"Eliminating paper waste is an important concern, but also electronic communication is more cost effective, timely and efficient. We launched in the fall of 1999 our intranet site, which serves as a comprehensive source of information for all employees.

"We direct employees to new information on the site through daily email announcements. Since we have field representatives across the country, electronic communication is very important. Also, as we witness the burgeoning popularity of e-commerce and widespread use of the Internet, we are working toward offering our products online."

8. If you were to talk with a group of current BSC undergraduate students interested in p.r. careers -- as you actually did recently -- what advice would you offer if you were asked: "I want to work in the public relations field -- what skills should I have? What's the best place to begin looking for a job?"

"I definitely think writing skills are extremely important. Any opportunity that a student has to write outside of class, whether it's for the student or local weekly newspaper, should be taken. "Writing plays such an important role in the public relations field and the ability to communicate successfully with the written word is a sought-after skill. Practice writing. Get published. Save samples. Build a portfolio. Employers are looking for those students who can prove that they have some definitive communication abilities. A portfolio and strong letters of recommendation can be especially helpful. "I would also suggest becoming as proficient as possible with online technologies and standard business software (such as Microsoft Office and PowerPoint and even some desktop publishing software).

"It also can't hurt to know some basic HTML and web technology. Ask questions. Talk to professionals in the field. Read industry publications like PR Week, Advertising Age, AdWeek and Marketing News. Join the student chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Become as informed as possible about the developments in the field. Work hard!

"For an entry-level job, internships are often extremely helpful. I'd urge students, if they haven't done so already, to obtain an internship. No matter how busy their schedules are, if they can intern or even volunteer in their chosen field, they will increase their chances of getting the job they seek after graduation. Without my internship experience, I doubt I would have had the opportunities presented to me as I had immediately after graduation.

"For those students who are ready to enter the job market, I would definitely look at getting involved in agency work. In the Boston area, there are numerous advertising agencies and public relations firms that are often hiring for entry-level positions.

"TThese positions allow the new employee to learn and grow, partner with a team of senior employees and obtain a wide variety of experience working on different accounts. Also, students certainly shouldn't narrow their job search based on one type of industry. As I have found out, communication skills are portable and can be applied to many different industries. Someone may think that working in a small high-tech start-up would be enjoyable, but may find that doing the same communications work for a nonprofit organization may be equally as satisfying. Definitely don't shut out any opportunities."

Leah Arruda, '94 / '98

Megan Blake '98 & Larry Marchese '93

Lori Botelho, '98

Jane Bulman, '93

Ed Donahue, '85