September Alumni Career Profile

Name:   John (Sean) Ryan 

Class Year:  1991

Major: Communications

Current Employer:  Sky Publishing Corporation

Describe your career path since graduation.

During my junior year at BSC, I was chosen from over 300 applicants for one of four paid circulation intern positions at the Boston Globe. After graduation in 1991 I landed a job as a Circulation Assistant at the Boston Business Journal. After four months on the job I was promoted to Circulation Director. I spent six years at the Boston Business Journal increasing the paid circulation by more than 50% and almost doubling revenue. My next position was with a magazine fulfillment computer company where I was the Client Services Manager for two years handling fulfillment for over sixty magazines.

 

What is your current position and how long have you been with your employer? 

For the past six years I have worked for Sky Publishing as the Circulation Manager, the Circulation and Marketing Manager, and currently as the Marketing Director.

 

Describe the main responsibilities of your position. 

I am responsible for the marketing activities for four magazines, over 400 books and products, two Web sites, and events. I also oversee the creation, mailing, and analysis of two catalogs along with the maintenance of our e-commerce operation. Our marketing efforts include direct mail, banner ads, promotional email, print advertising, radio advertising, PR efforts, point of purchase displays, wholesale promotions, newsstand promotions, and more.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

The creative aspect of assembling a campaign, its message, and seeing revenue generated based on the marketing messages created.

 

What do you find most challenging about your job? 

Tracking and maintaining all projects can be extremely challenging especially when you have limited resources.

 

Describe your typical work week.  (How many hours you work, your work environment, etc.) 

I usually work about 40-50 hours a week in the office and an additional 5-10 hours from home. The only time this schedule changes is during the Spring and Summer when we travel to remote locations to attend "star parties" and fly the company flag. During these times we typically work about 12-15 hours a day.

 

What job search methods did you use to obtain your current position?  

I saw a classified ad in a trade publication.

 

What advice could you give to students interested in your field? 

The publishing field is a great training ground for anyone interested in marketing because of the many channels you can work on. Direct mail, the Internet, and print ads allow you to obtain valuable experience---experience employers look for. Also, the field of circulation marketing is in high demand. There is a limited pool of job applicants with this experience so your skills become sought after by publishing companies.

Last Modified: September 8, 2005