An academic scholarship led Avery Conran to Davenport University, but it was networking and her campus job that led to a digital marketing position shortly after earning her degree. 

Conran graduated from Davenport in 2023 with a bachelor’s in business administration with a major in marketing and a specialty in digital marketing. She landed a job as a digital marketing specialist a few months after graduation at National Nail, located in Grand Rapids. 

Conran said her Davenport education helped her secure her position at National Nail in several ways. 

First and foremost, Conran credits her decision to specialize in digital marketing and Davenport’s professors for preparing her for her current role as a digital marketer. “My classes and my professors focused on digital marketing, so when I graduated, I felt confident in my abilities,” she said. 

Conran is also extremely thankful for the connections she made at Davenport, one of which led to her job at National Nail. 

D.J. Willard, marketing professor at Davenport, said students often perceive networking as transactional, expecting that a connection will result in an immediate outcome like a job opportunity. “Instead, students who invest their time in building relationships will realize the long-term benefit from things like coaching and mentoring, which then helps them prepare for job opportunities in the future,” he said.

During her capstone class at Davenport, Conran was paired with another marketing student on a project. Rather than simply completing the project requirements and moving on, Conran took the time to get to know the other student personally. She made a connection, and that connection paid off a few months after graduation. That’s when Conran heard from her capstone project partner, who had already secured a job, but when a lead came her way, she thought of Conran. 

“I immediately jumped on the job lead, and after a few rounds of interviews and connecting with leaders of the marketing team at National Nail, I was offered the position,” said Conran.

She said her story is a prime example of how important it is to take the time to make those connections with the people in your classes, people you work with, and anyone you see on a daily basis because it pays to network. 

Conran also had the unique opportunity to serve as a student employee on Davenport’s Marketing Communications team, which proved beneficial in her current role. 

“I worked for the Marketing Communications team my junior and senior year, and it was an opportunity that shaped my marketing journey incredibly,” she said. “I learned how to manage social media accounts, execute email marketing to staff and students and apply digital marketing concepts outside of the classroom. I feel this experience definitely gave me an advantage over other job applicants.” 

Conran is thankful for all she learned at Davenport. “I had some amazing teachers at Davenport, both in my classes and in my work on the Marketing Communications Team. They helped me so much when it came to learning more about what it means to be a marketer, and they truly mentored me and expanded my experience,” she said.  

Conran has been with National Nail for three years and is performing exactly the type of work she had envisioned while she was a student at Davenport. She is charged with social media management and email marketing for two of National Nail’s brands, CAMO and STINGER. She also looks for market trends by analyzing social media, email and website data, writes blogs for the company’s website and has organized branded photoshoots. 

“My favorite part about my job is my team,” said Conran. “They’re so smart, and their backgrounds are quite extensive when it comes to marketing. I really enjoy working alongside them and learning from their vast experience. I also love being able to work on the social media side of marketing because I have the opportunity to connect with our customers online and build deeper relationships with them.” 

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