“ Work is work, but it can be fun too and I really believe it should be something you can be passionate about in some way or another! So, don’t settle, and be determined you’ll get where you want to go. If you do that, I guarantee you’ll end up happy,”
Thus advises Katie Cressman, a Ursinus alumnus who graduated in 2023. Cressman was a double major in English and Media and Communication Studies and now works two jobs. She works remotely, which allows her to hold the positions simultaneously.
Her first position is as a digital marketing associate for Creative Health Care Management, in relation to her Media and Communication Studies (MCS) Major. Her second position is working as an Assistant Publisher for Sunbury Press Inc. According to Cressman, “Life is definitely busy between the two, but I couldn’t be happier where I have ended up career-wise since graduating from Ursinus!”
Cressman knew that a big career goal of hers was to enter the field of publishing, but she was always advised that it was a difficult field to get into. She discovered that this was definitely true and that getting into the field “took patience.” Cressman says, “I spent a lot of time only focusing on really large or super well-known publishers like Penguin Random House or MacMillan, before realizing other smaller, and more local, companies needed help, too!” A close family friend of hers was working on publishing a children’s book with Sunbury Press, and Cressman asked to be introduced to the publisher. Her initial outreach was not solely for a job opportunity but also in hopes of receiving advice about how to break into the tough industry of publishing.
The CEO/Publisher at Sunbury took the time to speak with Cressman and introduce her to the industry and “long story short, it was through networking, some determination, and finding somebody who was willing to take a chance on me,” says Cressman.
“The common theme for me absolutely was networking. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone starting their internship or job search!” Her marketing position was also discovered through networking. Cressman’s connection knew that in her previous position, Cressman was not working where her “passion and goals were.” So, the connection reached out to Cressman, asking her if she was interested in interviewing for a role that had become available in their company. This role was as an entry digital marketing and events coordinator, which, Cressman says, “was directly translatable to the internships I did while at Ursinus, so I was really excited for the opportunity!”
Going from a well-qualified candidate to a full-time employee passionate about her work positions, Cressman details her typical days along with the exciting projects she is working on. As the Assistant Publisher at Sunbury Press, Cressman works closely with the CEO/Founder and helps manage each publishing process from start to finish, with her day-to-day workload involving “handling specific projects, editing, communicating with authors, and handling some marketing tasks like the company’s blog or some social media accounts.”
She recently interviewed and onboarded six interns and gets to oversee various projects for them. In terms of editorial work, Cressman has edited six children’s books… “so far – hopefully more to come!” she says. Cressman finds that the most amazing thing about her job is that she gets to do “a bit of everything” and that she has “learned SO much – it really is the benefits of working in a smaller company. You can wear a lot of hats.”
As the Event and Digital Marketing Coordinator for Creative Health Care Management, Cressman juggles a lot of tasks. She details: “I help plan and coordinate in-person events, set up and host webinars, and manage all our social media accounts. I pitch in with creating and editing our newsletters and get involved in various digital marketing efforts.” Cressman also works on projects that tie in her editorial skills from her position at Sunbury. Creative Health Care Management writes and publishes healthcare educational books and is looking to release a new one in 2025. Cressman spends some of her day editing these books, working to prepare them for publication. While Cressman holds two different positions, there are significant overlaps that allow her to transfer her skills from one position to the other.
“Ursinus ABSOLUTELY prepared me for both of my positions,” says Cressman. She advises students to network and to use the resources at Ursinus, asserting that the networking events, career fairs, and the professional development office are “beyond valuable.”
Cressman says, “Nothing can ever truly prepare you 1000% for ‘adult life.’ But the resources that Ursinus offers get you as close as you can get!”Adding to Ursinus’ impact on Cressman, she explains that both of her professional roles are representative of her college studies, with English and MCS having “ended up being the perfect blend for what I do now.”
Cressman asserts that time management is such an underrated skill that is learned in college. During her time at Ursinus, Cressman was extremely involved in a wide variety of activities.
She played Volleyball all four years, was an RA during her senior year, worked as a tour guide, helped with Intramural sports, and wrote for The Grizzly for a few semesters as well.
Cressman says, “I loved every opportunity Ursinus gave me and don’t know if I realized in the moment how juggling everything we do as college students would really prepare me for what was to come.”
She gives a special shout-out to Ursinus Volleyball for teaching her things that she will forever be grateful for. Yes, she says that UCVB taught her time management, but it also “taught the importance of community, relationships, connections, good leadership, and one of the most important for going into ‘adult life’ I think confidence.”
“For advice, I am going to stick with the word I mentioned above- CONFIDENCE. Carry yourself with confidence always (including in interviews) and believe in yourself that you can get where you want to be,” Cressman says. Based on her own experiences, through hardships and successes, Cressman advises graduating students to be confident and not give up.
She says, “Know that there may be times when an interview doesn’t go the way you wanted, or you accidentally attached the wrong cover letter to a job application. It happens, and it will be fine, I promise. With your job choices? I really think it is important to not settle. You may not end up in your very first job for the rest of your life, and any experience is good experience, but it is still important that you enjoy what you do.”