Erin, Senior Digital Marketing Analyst: On scrappy magic

My first life goal was to move out West after college. I don’t know who found who first, me or Qualtrics, but I am beyond thankful that I started my career here.

I value the thrill – whether that be making fresh ski turns in the trees of Snowbird, windy Cirque trail races, or prepping the marketing team for our next big physical or digital event, it’s the “shit is hitting the fan” moments that light a fire in my stomach. On top of this, being surrounded by the most down-to-earth, smart, kind coworkers is inspiring, motivating, and downright fun.

Why is it still Qualtrics for you? How has Qualtrics lived up to your expectations?

I’ve been working at Qualtrics for almost 4 years now - working here longer than 80% of the company. It has exceeded my expectations by a long shot and here’s why it’s STILL Qualtrics for me:

• Rapid growth. Working for this young, fast-growing company is energizing. There is so much opportunity in any role, and “a slow day” does not exist on the job. This makes it easy to have ownership early on and run with it. This also has enabled me to develop my career and grow as fast as the company has.
• The people. I’ve been on multiple teams now at Qualtrics, and each team has its own personality, but all share our TACOS values.
• Utah sucks, choose a different office. Kidding but not kidding – I moved to Utah from Pennsylvania with a pair of youth skis and low expectations, and it blew away everything I imagined. 5 national parks, world-class skiing, endless hiking trails, camping, rock climbing and more. I still geek out on the mountain sunrises during my commute to the office or from the Walmart parking lot.

What is your favorite part of your role?

My favorite part of the role is the autonomy and ownership of the marketing program I was handed early on. I had incredible leaders early on in my career who took the time to coach me in kicking off my marketing career and owning the conversion rate optimization program. They praised past failures and challenged me when I thought I reached my potential. This ownership allowed me to excel in my career, figure out where I really wanted to grow, and chase after promotions, all while learning SO MUCH.

What made you want to get into marketing?

I was drawn to marketing early in college when a love of writing and the right side of my brain did really well in a calculus class. I enjoyed the “translation” of technical problems and strategies to real business decisions.

What was the turning point where you knew you 'had to have the job'?

Before joining marketing, I had the opportunity to work on a customer support project for our annual conference, X4. We helped users register, answer logistical questions, etc. I learned about the marketing team and the unique roles that each of the teammates held.

The biggest thing that drew me to the team was how scrappy and hard working the marketing team was. They dropped most of their day jobs to execute this incredible event for our customers and prospects. The head of digital marketing was directing the registration line. The website optimization manager was posting QR codes of feedback surveys around the Salt Palace. They were pulling crazy hours, but fed off the energy of each other and the vision that was developed nearly six years ago. After X4, I was sold on the Qualtrics marketing team and knew I wanted to be a part of that scrappy magic they created.

Can you tell us your story of moving to Utah?

I am originally from Pennsylvania, where I attended Penn State. When I first joined Qualtrics, I started as a product specialist aka, “Quni,” in our Global Operations department in the Provo, Utah office. When I accepted the job, I didn’t know a single person in the state of Utah. It was terrifying and exciting.

That summer answered every anxiety I had about moving - Quni is a unique opportunity where not only is it a talent development program, but I also started with about 60 grads fresh out of college, from all over the country (and the world). We all had no idea what we were doing, or what we wanted to do next, but I found gritty, outdoorsy, smart, and rad friends.

Skiing in the winter, hiking in the summer, somehow hanging out more in the office than we did at our own apartments. I am beyond thankful for the lifelong friends that I found in Quni because it has made my experience what it is at Qualtrics.

Qualtrics is growing, and if you're ready to find your "why" at a place like this, you can explore our open opportunities at any time by visiting our career page or by joining our talent community.

	Erin O'Neill is an alumna of Penn State University and started her career at Qualtrics. She can most likely be found in the mountains somewhere - skiing or trail running.

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