Ginger tyra, director of marketing and public relations piedmont cartersville

Job Interview Response Questions Ginger Tyra,

Director of Marketing and Public Relations Piedmont Cartersville

For me, I think it is the perfect job. I say this because I enjoy the field of Communications and interacting with other people. I also really enjoy multitasking and staying busy, which is necessary in this job. Overall, being Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Piedmont Cartersville is the perfect job for me.

I think on any given day, in any job, we can all feel underrated. In my particular position, I juggle a lot of balls in the air at one time given that I am a one-person department. There are people out there who don’t understand exactly everything I do that may call my job overrated, but I don’t necessarily agree with that. However, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it is underrated either. I would just say that there is not a clear understanding of how much is involved in being a Director of Marketing and PR for a medical center.

To start off, no two days are the same in my job. I not only have the marketing, planning, and communications part of the job, but I also have the public relations part of the job, too. What I mean by this is I could be working on a research plan regarding a new MRI system at our hospital and then a media representative could call me and ask for a newspaper blurb, completely changing my plans for that day. To think that I have a schedule or a plan for the day would be very disappointing if I tried to rely on it.

The number one skill necessary for this job is multi-tasking. In this job, you can’t be one of those people who say that they are going to sit down and not work on anything else until you get one project done. Being able to stop one project to then work on a different, more abrupt project is crucial in this career. Another skill that is necessary in this job is being able to communicate clearly and effectively. Being able to confidently speak to different audiences about many different subjects, especially healthcare, is very important. Some other skills that are necessary in this career are being able to write fluently and being able to learn new technologies.

In the marketing realm of my job, technology has dramatically changed the way I do certain things. For example, we used to rely on traditional media for our media plans and advertising like newspapers, radio, television, and outdoor advertising whereas now it is all focused on social media. I highly recommend getting comfortable with digital media like Canva and Adobe Illustrator so that you are able to create marketing plans for the public eye. I also recommend taking digital media classes or graphic design classes to better understand how to work the new technology required in this field.

How much of your day is spent behind a desk? Out in the field? How does it affect your personal life?

I usually start my days in the office, which is not in the actual hospital, but it is on the hospital campus. I may also work in the hospital itself for research purposes. For example, I have watched surgeries, cardiac catheterizations, and I have even watched a person go through their journey of cancer. This job also involves going to a lot of community education events, like a Health Fair, to educate people on a specific topic, like the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke and how to prevent them. Being able to work in many different places inside and outside of the office also gives me the flexibility to work around my personal life.

What type of education and training prepared you for this career field? What type of education and training would you recommend for someone just starting out in this career?

I went to the University of Alabama and graduated from the school of Communications with a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and a minor in Marketing. It is not what I originally started out in because I was listening to other’s advice. I originally started in Business with a major in Marketing because people around me told me that is where more jobs and more money will be. My advice to you would be to follow your heart and do what you have a passion for because it is what you’re going to do for the rest of your life. I took a lot of journalism classes, PR classes, and media planning classes, which I highly recommend you take as well. I also recommend you apply for internships in PR positions and marketing firms in your junior and senior year of college to open your eyes even more to this career field.

What other careers or industries could you work in with your education and experience?

I could do anything from either side since I have education and experience in both marketing and PR. I could go to any business or industry and do marketing, planning, and strategy for them, or I could go to any business or industry to deal with public relations and communications. This could be within a school system, manufacturing, or even banking. It’s just a matter of learning about that industry and doing the required on-the-job training for it.

I have been in healthcare marketing for over 25 years, but I actually started out in a sales job in outdoor advertising. In this career, many of my clients were in healthcare which made me realize that I wanted to flip to the other side and be in healthcare marketing. From here on, I found a job opening at a hospital in North Alabama which then led me to a hospital in Augusta, Georgia. This hospital was involved with the HCA, the Healthcare Corporation, which is a hospital networking company to help people find job openings and promotions. The HCA then helped me get promoted to a job in South Carolina, which then led me to Cartersville Medical Center. I highly recommend that once you are out of college, you should start out with the HCA to find a job.

What’s the most important advice you have for someone just starting out in this career?

After you have gotten out of school and are going to job interviews, I know this is corny, but I think that the sincerity of a handwritten note will truly set you apart from others applying for the same position. This career is extremely competitive, given that it is a director position and a one-man show, so make sure to get your interviewer's contact information and an address to send them a heartfelt thank you card. Also, be sure to make friends with an executive assistant who reports to the head of the company because they will help put in a good word for you. This is also simple but take notes when you are one on one with someone or in an interview with someone to show them that you are engaged in what they’re saying. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the next steps in the job or how to excel in the specific position you’re applying for.