Alumni Spotlight

UT Tyler Soules College of Business

Alec de Jong

 
Tell us a little about you.

I am a recent graduate from from UT Tyler with a degree in Marketing. I am married to my beautiful wife who is currently a student in the Fast Track BSN program at UT Tyler. I would consider myself as an outdoorsy nerd. Which means I love video games, movies, and comics just as much as I love camping, hiking, sports, and most other things outdoorsy. I really enjoyed my time at UT Tyler.

What did you do right after graduating?

I attended the Category Management Association in Las Vegas and Interviewed with multiple companies.  

Tell us about your current job and what you do.

I am a Marketing Business Analyst at Oracle in their Oracle Data Cloud division. It is a consultant role so I get to do all the fun parts of marketing. I mainly analyze many forms of data and create creative marketing strategies based off of those analytics.

How did your Soules College of Business Degree help you with your current position?

It gave me exposure to category management and data analytics which were some of the reasons I got the job with Oracle. It also provided me with real industry experiences through working with 7-Eleven and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

What was your favorite Soules College of Business class and why?

My favorite class was the Special Topics in Marketing class. We partnered with 7-Eleven and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits to increase wine sales in 7-Eleven stores. This class provided me with very valuable industry experience in data analytics and working with a corporate client. At the end of the course I was one of the people who presented our recommendations to executives form both 7-Eleven and Southern Glazer’s.

Any Soules College of Business/UT Tyler memories you would like to share?

Being able to attend the Category Management Association Conference as a Soules College of Business representative was an amazing experience. I learned so many helpful skills and gained valuable knowledge that will help with my career. Also, I gained some very valuable contacts with some very big companies and organizations that will be beneficial in the future.

Were you involved in any student organizations white a student here?

Soules College of Business Ambassadors

What advice would you give current Soules College of Business students?

Talk to your professors and listen to their advice! A lot of them have over 20 years of industry experience and they know what they are talking about! Don't be afraid to meet with them after class. They love talking to students and that can lead to opportunities you did not know were available.

What insight do you have for Soules College of Business students that are about to graduate on how to land their first job?

Use LinkedIn and be creative with your resume. Recruiters only look at a resume for about 5-10 seconds so if it doesn't stand out your resume will be tossed out. Also, do not be discouraged if it takes a while to hear from a company. Things take a long time to process especially with big companies. Don't be afraid to reach out to someone at the company and get their advice.