Craig Sirois
Alumni
Craig Sirois understood early on how an internship could lead to a job. He interned at McAfee during two consecutive summers. Now he works in Santa Clara, Ca. in Internal Communications for the company.
“It’s all about networking,” he said. “I think that my two internships allowed me to meet the right people to put me in a position where I could have an opportunity to set myself apart from others who were also looking for a job. Knowing the right people is one of the most important steps in finding any type of job or career.”
Sirois graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 2010, and said the Mayborn program helped refine his writing skills.
“My writing skills have improved dramatically since I started in the journalism program,” he said. “That’s been one of the best things that’s happened because without it, there is no way I’ve been able to build the portfolio I’ve built, and even get into a room with executives and meet with them.”
Sirois changed his major a few times, but decided to focus on public relations. “I like business, but what I didn’t like about it is the accounting and finance side of it,” he said. “I decided on PR because it has a mix of business and journalism with it. I’ve always enjoyed writing so it seemed like a good fit.”
He said Mayborn faculty member Samra Bufkins was supportive of him during his undergraduate career.
“She’s been great,” Sirois said about Bufkins. “She’s always around, somebody you can talk to…She’s always been encouraging of my writing.”
During his last semester, Sirois interned at Moroch Partners, a full-service integrated marketing agency in Dallas, where he did social media work. He said he helped a medical school with their communications strategy on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
He was a member of the UNT Lacrosse Team from 2004 to 2008. He also was a member of the North Texas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Sirois hopes to take on a leadership position in his career.
“I can see myself in a role managing or directing in the PR department for a major corporation,” he said. “Any position where I could see myself leading other people, and doing what I like to do, which is writing and public relations.”
