Mercedes Murray
Outside-The-Box Creativity Rules
Name: Mercedes Murray
College: Champlain College
Major/Degree: B.S. in Public Relations
Hometown: Bay Village, Ohio
Contact Info:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mercedessays
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mercedesmurray
Email: Gmail
The Brief:
Sometimes, we can’t find the right words or are at a loss for words altogether. So, why not hire someone who always does? With her strong, versatile writing skills, Mercedes Murray will fill that verbiage void and help your organization put its best communications foot forward.
Add Mercedes Murray to your organization and she’ll quickly prove her communication and writing skills invaluable, whether it be through writing technical documentation or a light hearted, fun blog post. Mercedes has experience in technical writing, business writing, creative writing and press releases; she’s also versatile in the work place, ready and willing to take on tasks that might be outside of her job description. Need an extra hand setting up a display? Mercedes will quickly volunteer. In a pinch and need someone to train a new group of employees on the company software? She can help!
Mercedes demonstrates her wide range of abilities in her current organization by volunteering her design skills. With no graphic designer on staff, co-workers turn to Mercedes when promotional flyers or internal newsletters are needed. Additionally, Mercedes started and maintained a wellness initiative for over a year, leading a large group of employees in a biweekly stretching session.
After working with technical documentation, Mercedes pitched the idea of video integration to her company, citing that some of the more complex processes the company documented might be more easily understood through a video example. Based on her suggestion, her organization purchased a screen capturing software called Camtasia and since then Mercedes has been creating narrated videos of many software enhancements. These videos are currently available to end users on the company’s documentation website.
Mercedes has also put her skills to use with other businesses she’s worked with, including:
Quadax Incorporated (Middleburg Heights, Ohio)
The Pet Fairy (Cambridge, VT)
Von Bargen’s Jewelry (Burlington, VT)
State of Mind Music Magazine (Burlington, VT)
Chittenden County Humane Society (Burlington, VT)
American Eagle Outfitters (Burlington, VT)
Her biggest success, however, is not through the work she has done; instead, Mercedes cites her biggest success as being the first college graduate in her family. And, she considers it a success to find a job as a writer in Cleveland, Ohio during the country’s current economic state. When she’s not writing, Mercedes enjoys reading the writing of others. She’s currently re-reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle.
If you’re looking for a talented employee with a range of skills who can help grow your organization both on and off paper, then Mercedes Murray is the “write” person for you….so hire this grad!
The Interview:
Sum yourself up in 140 characters or less:
Creative, versatile writer who enjoys public speaking and PR looking for a job where creativity is encouraged.
Why did you choose your major? What captured you?
I chose public relations because I was and am fascinated by the relationship between brands and their consumers, and the way social media enhances communication between those two parties. I also love the way Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising intersect with each other.
What does success mean to you?
Waking up excited everyday to go to work at a job I love and am passionate about.
Describe your ideal working environment:
An area where creativity is encouraged and celebrated and cubicles are rare. A place where being stationary, seated behind a computer for 8 hours straight is not the norm.
What is something you’ve learned from your mistakes?
It really is true: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
You have a million dollars. What do you do with it?
Pay off student loans! Put some aside for my parents retirement, and my own. Set aside money for my brother to further his education without incurring debt.
How do they get the cream filling inside a Twinkie?
A giant hypodermic needle.
If a newspaper wrote an article about your leadership style, what would the headline be?
Outside the box Creativity rules.
References
Mercedes Murray is a delightful, innovative and brilliant student with a fresh look on the world who will add greatly to any company with whom she chooses to cavort…Mercedes is, in short and without hesitation, a fun, smart, depth-full and delightful individual who adds great merit to any group she joins. I have enjoyed her presence in several classes in college settings. As an instructor of many years experience, I feel entirely comfortable saying that Mercedes is a gift to any organization or group or business, as she joins joyfully into the process with originality, creativity, and the light of a loving heart.
Genevieve Jacobs, Professor, Champlain College
Mercedes Murray is a writer for a third party medical billing software company. Mercedes primary responsibility is to provide documentation on the software our company and clients use on a daily basis. Mercedes had no prior experience in medical billing prior to this role and provides a fresh new perspective that allows her to work with a more open mind and in a more detailed manner than her predecessors.
In just a brief time, Mercedes managed to serve as a leader in her department and has trained several new hires. Other departments often approach Mercedes as their lead contact due to her knowledge and pro-active willingness to help them find the information they need. Mercedes approaches tasks with such high energy enthusiasm which leaves her colleagues without doubt that she will help them find the information they are seeking.
Mercedes excels at knowledge sharing and she truly seeks to provide the correct information to the correct individuals at the correct time they seek it. Mercedes is very knowledgeable of different media outlets to display such content, and has experience with databases, web pages and many social media outlets. She is always aware of the latest and greatest content management trends, and often makes recommendations to her leaders on the best approach that information should be distributed.
Mercedes’ natural ability to ask questions and disseminate information is a transferable skill to other industries as she advances her career.
Emily Halderman, Quadax Incorporated