Profiles in Success
Eilee Shahidi | EQUIP Alumna
Eilee Shahidi is a junior-year business/managerial economics major, a marketing intern for UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions and a social media representative for Victoria Secret Pink for the UC Davis campus team. She is a 2021 EQUIP alumnus.
What excites you most about your work
The most exciting part about my job is getting to learn about and help contribute to the behind-the-scenes of undergraduate admissions. There are so many things that go into marketing a university, especially a prestigious school like UC Davis.
One of the most memorable parts of my job was getting to help plan and execute The College Tour Watch Party. UC Davis had an episode on the Amazon Prime TV Show "The College Tour," and since I was working for Strategic Communications at UC Davis, I got to help make edits for the episode and throw a watch party that was streamed by thousands of people.
My favorite part of being a Pink representative is getting to create social media content for Pink and interacting with students who love the brand with the events that we throw. I like how this job allows me to use our social media page to advertise events, host giveaways and market the brand to the UC Davis student community.
Where do you hope to be, professionally, in five years and why?
I hope to be working in social media marketing for a Fortune 500 company. I have always been really intrigued by social media because I believe it is one of the most effective ways to market a brand in this digital world. I love creating content and coming up with innovative ways to market a brand online. I also have a lot of experience creating content on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. I want to work at a Fortune 500 company because I want to gain work experience from a large corporation before I eventually start my own company.
What was the most important thing you learned during EQUIP?
How vital proper networking is when searching for jobs. Before the program, I was not sure how to navigate networking properly, but now I have a much better understanding of how to do it. I learned that people are very willing to help you if you reach out and that LinkedIn is a perfect place to find people who can assist you with your career aspirations.
What is the most unexpected advice you received during the program?
Understanding that rejection is common and not something one should take personally. Landing your dream job is not an easy task, but if you stay motivated and trust your abilities, eventually a company will want you. I also learned about all the nit-picky things you need to pay attention to when making a resume. Wording choices in one's resume can make or break your chances at that specific company.
What is the most valuable insight you discovered about yourself in EQUIP?
That I am capable of finding success wherever I may seek, despite what the world may tell me. I can find that success by trusting myself and my abilities and reaching out to business professionals who also want to see me succeed.
How did the workshops and your internship enrich and expand your professional choices and options?
They taught me how to navigate my goals properly. Each week, we got to hear from people who have experience in different fields, which helped expand my horizons beyond what I am used to. I also made appointments to speak with EQUIP advisors to assist with my internship search, which was extremely helpful for helping me land my job. I had a lot of trouble with my resume at first, but after the workshops, I learned how to cater my resume to each internship I applied to.
Overall, it was a really rewarding experience that I recommend to anyone who needs some help learning how to find jobs and discover their ultimate career aspirations.
