Shayna Hodkin has made several career moves to get to where she is today. I ran across Shayna online about a year ago, and I have loved following her inspiring career journey. Are you into marketing? Do you want to know what it is like to lead content marketing at a software company? Keep reading to learn more about Shayna with today's Millennial Career Diary.
What is your job title and company?
Head of Content at a design system computer software company.
How did you get your current role?
I got my current role through connections from a former employer after a few months of working with them as a freelancer.
What does a day in your career life look like?
In the morning, I check analytics (email opens, time on page, survey responses, etc.). Then I'll move on to writing and editing emails, blog posts, landing pages, product copy, etc. Finally, I take meetings towards the end of the day because that's when I feel the least creative.
What has been your favorite project to work on in the last 6 months? Why?
I love building out our reports program. Once every 2-3 months, we release a long-form “deep dive” into a design system-related topic that helps us give our readers deeper insight into a nascent field.
What has been the best piece of career advice you ever received?
“Trust the process.” Things that seem annoying or tedious might have the biggest payoff—trust what works!
What advice would you tell other millennials looking to get into your line of work?
I got into content from freelancing, and you can too! Start building a body of work (and happy customers). Once you have momentum and a portfolio, it will be a lot easier to make more money and land a full-time gig (if that's what you want).
What resources have helped you the most when preparing for your role?
- Superpath (Slack group for content people)
- “Made to Stick” (book, Chip and Dan Heath)
- “Ruined by Design” (book, Mike Monteiro)
- Honest conversations with friends and peers
Any other advice, tips, or stories you want to share with readers?
Don't be afraid to reach out to people with more experience! Most people are happy to take on a mentee or at least answer some questions over email—but, please, come prepared with questions/thoughts—don't ask to just “pick our brains!”
Do you want to connect with Shayna? You can reach out to her on LinkedIn. She shares stellar updates on content marketing, accessibility, and DEI.
