By Chloe Meyere, Duck Career Network communications associate and UO student

Chris Schroeder '07
Senior Account Executive, Bader Rutter & Associates

Chris Schroeder ’07, UOAA Chicago chapter president and long-time Duck fan, chose the University of Oregon because of its excellent School of Journalism. 

After deciding to major in journalism and communications early in his freshman year, in order pursue a career in public relations, Schroeder wholeheartedly applied his dedication to his school work. As senior year approached, he knew his focus would have to shift towards actively seeking internships that would provide him with the invaluable skills and experience needed to open the doors into this very competitive industry.

“The closer I got to graduation,” Schroeder recounts, “the more I began to realize how incredibly important is was to find internships, especially in PR.”

 

Learning the “ins and outs” of agency life and PR work

 
Schroeder landed his first internship with the Eugene Chargers basketball team toward the end of his senior year. Then, in June 2007, Schroeder earned the opportunity to join the UO Portland Experience PR program, allowing him to take his final two courses at the downtown Portland campus while interning for a public relations firm. Ant Hill Marketing, the company to which he was assigned, taught Schroeder the “ins and outs” of agency life and about PR work in the real world. The program also introduced participants to different PR agencies and industry leaders throughout Portland during seminars and meetings. 

 

A network at work

 
Towards the end of his time in the program, Schroeder knew he wanted to move somewhere new after graduation. At a seminar hosted by Edelman, he approached the company’s Portland office manager, an Oregon J-school grad herself, to ask for advice, and she was happy to help. The alumna connected Schroeder with Edelman’s Chicago office. After having his resume reviewed, and two phone interviews later, Edelman offered him an internship, and in January 2008 Schroeder packed his belongings and moved to Chicago.

“It was an exciting time, but it was also nerve-wracking,” Schroeder recalls of the experience. “I had never met the people I was going to be working for, but I went into it with an open mind. Having just graduated from college and moving halfway across the country, getting to work for one of the biggest PR agencies in the country was such an empowering experience. It felt like I was really taking my career into my own hands.”

 

Turning personal insight into advice

 
Due to the economic crisis in 2008, the firm could not immediately offer Schroeder a full-time position. They did, however, extend his internship as they recognized his dedication and hard work. After six months of interning, the agency’s budget expanded, and Schroeder was immediately hired. Although he was officially hired in June 2008, he was repeatedly promoted during his tenure with the company, eventually to account executive. He recognizes, however, the uncertainty and stress associated with his experience, but advises people to take the same risks he did. 

“Go for it! If you have the flexibility to pick up and move, I would strongly encourage it. You really get the opportunity to find out who you are once you are truly out on your own.” 

 

Broadening his experience

Although he enjoyed getting to handle accounts for bigger companies such as Blackberry, Motorola, and Autodesk, Schroeder was driven to take on new challenges in the field. In 2011, he decided he wanted to try working for a smaller firm, in order to experience a different side of PR. 

In May 2011, Schroeder began at Bader Rutter & Associates as an account executive. Again, he was quickly promoted, this time to senior account executive, the position he holds today. The company is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with about 250 employees. However, Schroeder’s team in the Chicago office consists of 10 people. The smaller office allows him to work on a wider range of tasks and expands his knowledge of the industry. 

 

At the heart of it: hard work

 
Having climbed the ladder so quickly, he explains the importance of hard work: without it, one cannot hope to progress in PR. 

“PR agency life is very high stress and hectic. They get you in and work you long hours. But, you have to pay your dues in order to advance in your career. At the end of the day, you’re rewarded proportionately to the amount of effort you put in.”