Patrick Vitalone took his MA in history and transitioned into a job in sales and marketing at a technology startup company. Here’s how he got his first job after earning his degree:
Aside from bartending at upscale establishments, which I had been doing off and on for five years prior, my first research job was for the BBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” I was living in Salem, Massachusetts, and a fellow grad from York had moved to London to work in television. One of the show’s guests had an ancestor with alleged ties to the Salem witch trials, so it just made sense to recruit me. I had the archival research skills, and was living on location. I used that to my advantage when negotiating pay. It was a lot of fun. I travelled not only to the archives, but also historic sights around Essex County, Massachusetts. It really gave me a new appreciation for the area where I grew up.
Neat! Read the rest of Patrick’s Q & A, complete with insights about how his interests in history and nationalism nicely align with his new career in international technology sales. Thanks, Patrick!
Comments
2 responses to “Transition Q & A: Patrick Vitalone”
This was a great interview! I love the transition story that Patrick made. Who knew that History MA could lead to an opportunity in the television industry.
It’s so refreshing to hear about somebody with a history/arts background making it in the start-up world (which is heavily dominated with engineers).
Yay! Us humanities folk are so needed!