Lydia Palmer is the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Job Description: Creating and executing communications and strategy for field officers seeking funding from RIT's corporate partners and high value donors. Managing digital marketing team to develop and deploy enhancements to the internal communications portals and implement social media, email, web and content strategies.

Education Level: B.S. in Business Marketing; M.S. in Communication & Media Technologies

Other Requirements: “Experience is pretty important, but mine comes from a variety of fields – sales, sales support, advertising and marketing communications, and direct marketing. In recent years I’ve pursued certifications in email marketing, and it also helps to have a good handle on digital tools like social media and web content management systems.”

Professional Development: “Never stop learning, and don’t forget that you can learn a lot from people who are organizationally below you! I’ve learned more from the people that reported TO me, than from the people I reported TO.  Professional groups like the area Association for Fundraising Professionals regularly offer workshops and webinars, and many of the big marketing companies offer educational opportunities – Hubspot, for example, provides lots of education regarding email marketing. LinkedIn offers a number of courses as well, and I’ve taken many online classes through EdX. Professionally, I’ve also learned a lot by freelancing for small companies in the area, and by volunteering and serving on boards for church and small non-profits. Currently, I’m serving on the board of the Flower City Arts Center.”

Pros/Cons: “I LOVE helping people be successful in sales and fundraising. I have developed very successful partnerships with several fundraisers and business owners who value what I do because they see the results, and know that it’s something they aren’t necessarily good at. The biggest con in communications and marketing is that EVERYONE thinks they’re really good communicators, and they believe that much of what I do is a matter of opinion – and their opinion should matter more than mine. Because everyone sees and hears marketing all day, they judge what’s good by what they like, not by what works. Good clients will tell you that it’s their customer’s opinion that matters, not their own.”

Advice: “Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not. And don’t work for someone who doesn’t respect and support you. You may have to suck up a not-so-great environment for a year or two, but if you don’t feel valued, get out now. The longer you stay, the harder it is to leave, and ultimately staying in that environment will hurt you professionally and personally.”