Maggie DeGroot

Majors: Communication Arts (Radio-TV-Film) and Journalism (emphasis in Reporting and Strategic Communications)

Certificate: Digital Studies

Graduation Date: May 2013

How did you end up working at SPCSHP?

During undergrad, I thought I was going to go the reporting route — possibly in magazines or newspapers. But all of that changed when I had an internship the summer before my senior year at VH1 in New York City as a Digital Production Intern. I worked closely with the digital team including those who handled social media pages (mainly just Facebook at the time, if you can imagine!) and mobile games. I ended up falling in love not only with New York City, but with this type of work and pursued similar jobs in digital marketing after I graduated.

I got my first job working as a social media coordinator for a small digital marketing agency for films and TV, and I’ve been working in the social media world ever since.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I’m currently an Associate Content Director at SPCSHP (formerly known as Big Spaceship), an independent ad agency located in Brooklyn, NY. I work with a variety of clients so my day-to-day responsibilities are always changing. It’s part of why I love the work that I do and the agency where I’m at.

I’m on the Content & Community team where folks have both a strategic and creative background so I could lean either more into strategy work or creative work depending on the day. Some days I’m working on a social playbook for a client and leaning into that strategy role. On other days I might be working closely with creative on concepting new TikTok video ideas for a client.

It makes every day really exciting — and a challenge! And of course, there’s always the risk that a new platform will drop and we’ll need to figure it out, like what happened with Threads last year.

How has Digital Studies influenced your career path?

Combined with my digital production internship, the Digital Studies courses helped me get the necessary skills and education to go after those digital marketing jobs after I graduated. It provided me with a baseline knowledge of digital media that I’ve relied on from my first job and even in my current job. It really introduced me to a bunch of different career paths within the digital world.

Did you have a favorite Digital Studies class or professor when you were a student?

I loved my Communication Arts 346: Critical Internet Studies class. I truly enjoyed every reading we had for this course and specifically found the early days of the Internet to be so fascinating – it’s wild to see what the Internet has become today. That breadth of knowledge is so important to have when working in the digital space and specifically in the social media world.

Do you have any advice for current students?

My biggest advice is to try ALL the things. I remember going to kick-off meetings alone, which was definitely a bit scary, but well-worth it! You’ll never know unless you try it.

Also, don’t forget that UW has an extensive alumni roster — there are so many Badgers everywhere! At my agency, I work alongside another Badger. And don’t be afraid to reach out to alumni for advice, but make sure you come in with a plan… please avoid the “can I pick your brain?” request and provide some direction or topic focus for what you want to chat about.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career thus far?

I would say it’s those (what may seem like) smaller achievements that happen over and over again that I always feel most proud of — such as getting a client to share a social post that’s a bit out there for them, getting clients out of their comfort zone, or launching on a new social platform. The work is so incredibly rewarding and feels even better when the post is a huge success! It’s truly a collaborative effort and these moments are the ones we all can be proud of.