Character Reference
Jacklyn Shapiro
Bennet S. LeBow College of Business
In the world of event planning and public relations, it helps to know the right people. Jacklyn Shapiro, a rising junior in Marketing in the LeBow College of Business, clearly has an inborn talent for that.
Jacklyn’s first co-op experience was in her sophomore year at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. There she began working for Lori Hoffman, another LeBow College of Business alumna. The two became fast friends.
“I had a great experience working with Lori,” Jacklyn explains. “She totally understood co-op and gave me a lot of responsibility in handling event planning and customized programs. Lori knew that I was really into entertainment, so I was put in charge of planning, staging and promoting networking events for young professionals. I would organize evening get-togethers at places like the Art Museum for young profes-sionals to come, mingle and network. It was really cool.”
In the course of working together, Lori mentioned to Jacklyn that she was hoping to move out to Hollywood soon. In her own Drexel co-op, Lori had worked for Jim Henson Productions in Los Angeles and she was pursuing a public relations job with the firm in the entertainment capital of the world.
Jacklyn kept in touch with Lori, who indeed landed the prestigious job in Los Angeles. As Jacklyn’s second co-op rolled around, she went on 15 interviews for marketing jobs in Philadelphia but none really excited her. So she called Lori, who had already begun involving Jim Henson Productions with the Drexel Co-op program.
“Lori just said, sure, come on over!” Jacklyn says. “So after 15 interviews, I got my job with a phone call. But Drexel people help other Drexel people and that’s a fact.”
The move to Los Angeles was a thrill for Jacklyn, if somewhat disorienting. Lori helped her settle in then began to give her serious public relations projects.
“Jim Henson Productions is a beloved institution that’s been around for so long, it’s not a new story anymore,” Jacklyn explains. “Everybody knows the Muppets! But the company is also doing a lot of wonderful, innovative things and it’s our job to get the media to realize that. So we try to create newsworthy events, like the Jim Henson Awards that honor achievements in animation and puppetry. Another one of my jobs is to manage and promote improvisational comedy shows around the city that feature puppets. And I do a lot of research for Lori, to help her decide what marketing initiatives she wants to pursue.”
As much as she loves and misses Philadelphia, Jacklyn has found Los Angeles to be an enticing destination.
“I love Philadelphia, but no city comes close to Los Angeles in the business of entertain-ment. I love it here!”
“Six months is the perfect amount of time to figure out if you like what you’re doing and to give you some perspective on a different place. I think I’ll definitely be coming back to do my third co-op in L.A. because I’m not the kind of person to look back. I always want to move for-ward, explore new things and see what’s out there. Co-op gives you an unlimited choice of things to do and places to go. It teaches you to take a chance and go as far as you can!”
SCDC Executive Director Peter Franks couldn’t agree more. “Co-op gives students hands-on skills in job searching, résumé writing, career planning, networking and operating in a professional environment. These things can be intimidating when you’re first starting out and are learned most effectively by doing. But once you’ve been through it and realize you’re capable of making great things happen, your confidence soars.”
If Jacklyn’s co-op experience is any predictor of future success, clear-ly her career will be quickly taking off.
