Alumni Spotlight: Jochebed Fekadu
Alumni, Jochebed Fekadu, graduated from The University of Austin at Texas in 2019. During her time at the university, she studied Public Relations at the Moody College of Communication. In my interview with her, she reflects on how her time at UT helped prepare her for her current career as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Omnicom Precision Marketing Group.
Fekadu said, “My time at UT Austin instilled the work ethic and skills necessary for my career and accomplishments, 100%.” She noted some of her outstanding Moody professors: Dr. Kahlor; Dr. Junker; Professor Heymeyer; Professor Bell; Dr. Cherwitz; Professor Dobias; and Dr. Wilcox. When asked what was so special about these professors Fekadu stated that, “Beyond just being a student, I was able to forge 1:1 relationships with these professors that directly impacted my ability to understand what was possible, and the steps needed to get there.”
Some of the key experiences Moody bestowed upon her was gaining a true global perspective, having exposure to real client situations and ideating on solutions, creating actual work to be published on the Moody site, being challenged, and called to dig deeper in cold-call discussions during lecture. “I truly felt like I had a seat at the table and that my voice mattered, which are all aspects of my UT Austin experience that I continue to pull with me beyond graduation and into my career,” Fekadu told me.
She attributes her success to the power of pause, being open minded, trusting her voice, active listening, being action oriented, and doing research to remain up to date with a current, global perspective that is relevant and impactful once brought to the table. She also places emphasis on realizing one’s voice is just as important as those in the C-suite.
“I like to say my secret power is connecting the dots. By bringing people, ideas, and equality together, I’ve been able to create lasting impact along the way.”
— Jochebed Fekadu
When asked if she knew what kind of job she wanted immediately following graduation and if she found it right away, Fekadu quickly expressed “No and no!” She was generally interested in agency roles, but did not exactly know what this entailed until she actually took on her role. I also asked her biggest piece of advice for those job hunting and Fekadu said “I would not use not knowing exactly what you want to do as a crutch to avoid making a decision, because this will probably be a continued journey throughout your career.” She continued to explain that wants and needs change over time and if you step into a role because it aligns with your interests, it is still a good way to grow and develop, so that you can leave being even more capable!
