Iona College grad betters her career in Mass Communications

By Christina Dempsey

Andrea Rodgers, a graduate student of IONA College, is currently working towards her MA in Public Relations as well as holding a position at Bloomberg LP. Rodgers hopes to expand within Bloomberg LP by working towards a job in internal and corporate communications.

Rodgers is a Global Customer Support Representative for Bloomberg LP, a company which delivers financial data and news through a wide variety of products and services. Rodgers goes above and beyond to ensure quality customer service with each incoming call.

Andrea Rodgers interned at Hot 97

“As the first point of contact for Bloomberg LP,” said Rodgers “it’s important that my calls are of quality and that the client is satisfied by the end of the call.”

Rodgers is currently enrolled in IONA College’s Graduate program. With a masters degree in public relations, Rodgers hopes to remain at Bloomberg LP by achieving a position within the news or media department. Rodgers is constantly furthering her knowledge in the realm of communications.

“That’s why I’m going to grad school,” said Rodgers “to hopefully learn something new and see what else within the PR field I enjoy.”

Rodgers has been working towards her goals since she was an ungraduated student at IONA College studying Journalism. Rodgers was most fond of the broadcasting classes she took because they allowed her to develop her oral communication skills. This new found skill and her natural ability to write presented opportunities within the IONA College community.

Some of Rodgers’ most precious memories are thanks to a weekly WICR radio show she held. Rodgers was also a Feature & Lifestyle staff writer for the Ionian.

Rodgers’ involvement at IONA College lead her to “Women in the Media”, an event sponsored by the business school which allowed her to network with a woman from Bloomberg Radio. This connection resulted in Rodgers’ position as a customer service representative at Bloomberg LP.

The collective skills landing Rodgers’ the job are attributed to her persistence, organization, and hard work. After an interview, Rodgers’ finds it beneficial to send a follow up email with the correct person to ensure the company is aware of her interest in the position.

Rodgers shows an interest in the field of communications and supports her experience with her internships at a healthcare company as well as Hot 97. Here, Rodgers’ learned how to multitask.

“I was in a constant fast-paced environment and learned to work on my toes,” said Rodgers.

Rodgers’ biggest piece of advice when preparing for an interview is to be yourself.

“I was always nervous and tried to be super professional, but that doesn’t always work,” said Rodgers “Employers want to see your personality.”

With a positive attitude and opportunities that helped her achieve the appropriate skills, Rodgers finds herself prepared in her attempts to expand her career at Bloomberg LP.