2018 Grad Works For Spotify, Reflects on his AU Experience

Jacob Powell BA ’17, is a sales coordinator for Spotify in Chicago, IL. Spotify is a music streaming company. Powell coordinates midwest sales teams for Spotify’s advertising.

“I do a lot of traveling,” Powell said. “My job as a sales coordinator is to essentially help a bunch of sales teams. I consider the people who work at Spotify to be my clients.”

Powell made the move to Chicago and started his job immediately following graduation. He enjoys the “constant activity and inescapable diversity” in Chicago, as well as the food.

“We were ranked the number one city in America for food last year,” Powell said. “I’ve only had one bad meal while I’ve been here. And there’s a lot going on, they’ve opened up their museums and allowed free admission to Illinois residents.”

After working at Spotify for almost a year, Powell has come to value the passion that his co-workers display.

“Everyone here loves what they’re doing, and everyone here is working to do their best, to challenge each other,” Powell said. “There’s a lot of focus on teamwork here. They take this journey together.”

Powell reflected on his time at AU and how it influenced his career path. He places a high value on the connections he made during his time at AU, as well as the small class sizes.

“I got this job because of a strong recommendation from a professor,” Powell said. “I had the accessibility to those individuals. If you’re hungry and want to do things in your career, the faculty can give you that time and attention.”

He mentioned that the community of AU is one of his favorite aspects. Powell noted the differences after graduating last year, saying that “you lose out on a tribe of people who all understand your experience and have lived some of it with you.”

“All your friends are doing the exact same thing as you,” Powell said. “When you graduate you’ll find that your friends are doing different things, they’re not usually free on a random Tuesday night. I think back on the days when it was just you and your crew.”

About the Writer: Faith Middleton is a 2018 graduate from Champaign, IL. Her major was Public Relations and her minor was Entrepreneurship. Middleton was also an associate with Fifth Street Communications ®, writing on behalf of Anderson University Office of Communication and Marketing.

Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.