Highlights from Working as President Parsons’ Social Media Coordinator 

Dig into lessons learned with TJ McKee as President Parsons' student social media coordinator!

in Inspiration

The following post was written by TJ McKee ’24.  Headshot of TJ McKee. He is wearing a blue button up shirt.

Hello, everyone! My name is TJ McKee, and I am a recent graduate of CSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, concentrating in Marketing. Since January 2024, I have been working in the President’s Office as a social media coordinator for President Amy Parsons. This role has provided me with invaluable experience and has been a significant milestone in my career thus far.

As a social media coordinator, I was able to dive deep into both the front and back ends of social media management. On the front end, I learned how to capture and edit compelling content, craft engaging captions and strategically post on various platforms. This hands-on experience was complemented by my involvement in tracking metrics and analyzing data on the back end, allowing me to understand how to tell a story through numbers and adapt our strategies based on performance insights. 

Accompanying President Parsons to 2-3 events weekly was a highlight of my role. From sporting events to democracy talks and other campus activities, I was always capturing moments and turning them into engaging content for our audience. This aspect of the job not only honed my event coverage skills but also taught me the importance of being adaptable and quick-thinking in dynamic environments.  

Throughout this semester, I have gathered a few key takeaways and lessons that I believe are crucial for anyone aspiring to work in social media management, especially in an executive setting:  

  1. Be Organized: With the numerous events President Parsons attends and the constant flow of content, staying organized is paramount. Taking a few extra minutes at the beginning of each day or week to organize your tasks and materials can save a lot of time and stress in the long run. This organizational discipline ensures that nothing falls through the cracks and that content is always timely and relevant.
  2. Effective Communication: Working in a high-profile office means collaborating with many team members and departments. Keeping an open line of communication with everyone involved is crucial. Ensuring that all team members are on the same page helps maintain a cohesive and effective social media strategy. Learning to thrive in my role while maintaining open communication with colleagues was one of the most important lessons I learned this semester.
  3. Collaboration and Teamwork: Being part of a supportive and collaborative team made a significant difference in my experience. From brainstorming sessions to coordinating event coverage, teamwork was essential. Building strong relationships with colleagues and understanding each team member’s strengths contributed to our overall success. 

Reflecting on my time in this role, there are a few posts that I am particularly proud of and would like to highlight: 

  1. President Parsons Promoting a CSU Women’s Basketball Game: In this video, President Parsons joined the team in the locker room, donning their equipment and showing her support. The video went viral, showcasing what is possible with an outgoing leader and a strong support staff working together. This post demonstrated the power of authenticity and engagement. This was one of the first social media projects I worked on for President Parsons. I gained immensely valuable experience by being present for the filming process. I got to work with the social media team and see the process of bringing a project outline to life, seeing how professional videographers operate and how a cohesive team works together. I also contributed to the video behind the scenes, selecting the trending audio that was used in the final version and assisting in the editing process. Not only did this video perform exceptionally well, but it also provided me with experience contributing to a team project and how to operate efficiently in a professional, fast-paced setting.
  2. Pi Day Video with Senior Vice President Dr. Rick Miranda: This video was a personal favorite because I played a larger role in its creation, handling all the video editing and assisting with filming and outlining. The post performed well, proving that content featuring other executive leaders could also resonate strongly with our audience. The experience I gained from taking the lead on this project provided me with many valuable lessons and knowledge I will continue to apply in my future. 

Looking back on the past five months, my semester as a social media coordinator for President Parsons has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I gained valuable skills, from content creation to data analysis, and developed a deep appreciation for the power of effective communication and organization. I highly recommend this position to anyone who possesses creativity, organizational skills and a passion for digital marketing or a similar field. This role has been the most beneficial experience of my career so far, and I am immensely grateful to President Parsons and the entire President’s Office team for making it so memorable. 

Thank you for reading, and I hope my insights inspire future social media coordinators to embrace this exciting and dynamic role. Go Rams!