Carrie Johnson '99
In this Section
After graduating from Clarkson, Carrie Johnson '99 went on to receive her Master's in Information Management at Syracuse University and is now a Project Manager and Client Briefing Consultant at IBM.
Q: Describe the key work that you do.
A: My primary role is a combination of project management and sales support that is focused on designing
client briefings. I work with a sales representative to understand the client and the business opportunity
he/she is working to close. Based on specific objectives stated at the start of our planning, I develop the
agenda, secure the right subject matter experts, manage the speaker prep calls, and then facilitate the
briefing itself.
Q: What is the most interesting aspect of your career?
A: Working for a large company offers the opportunity to move through different roles and job functions.
In my current role, I really love having the opportunity to speak with hundreds of clients each year. Our
client briefing objectives range from very high level strategic themes to product-specific technology,
enabling me to understand our division's strategy and breadth of product offerings.
Q: Think back a bit: Why did you choose Clarkson in the first place?
A: I selected Clarkson after receiving some marketing material in the mail. The Technical Communications
program caught my eye because it combined all of the areas I was interested in (communication, art,
engineering). After visiting, I applied early-decision because I liked all aspects of the school – the campus,
the location, the small class sizes, and all of the faculty and staff I met along the way.
Q: How did a Clarkson education help you launch your career?
A: The communication program's breadth of classes prepared me for a variety of different careers, offering
the most flexibility when I began interviewing for my first job. I secured my original job at IBM through a
Clarkson career fair and several Clarkson alums who worked at IBM. The broad foundation I gained at
Clarkson contributed to my success in both graduate school and in my career, enabling my ability to learn
quickly and easily adapt to whatever work I am doing.
Q: Describe the key work that you do.
A: My primary role is a combination of project management and sales support that is focused on designing
client briefings. I work with a sales representative to understand the client and the business opportunity
he/she is working to close. Based on specific objectives stated at the start of our planning, I develop the
agenda, secure the right subject matter experts, manage the speaker prep calls, and then facilitate the
briefing itself.
Q: What is the most interesting aspect of your career?
A: Working for a large company offers the opportunity to move through different roles and job functions.
In my current role, I really love having the opportunity to speak with hundreds of clients each year. Our
client briefing objectives range from very high level strategic themes to product-specific technology,
enabling me to understand our division's strategy and breadth of product offerings.
Q: Think back a bit: Why did you choose Clarkson in the first place?
A: I selected Clarkson after receiving some marketing material in the mail. The Technical Communications
program caught my eye because it combined all of the areas I was interested in (communication, art,
engineering). After visiting, I applied early-decision because I liked all aspects of the school – the campus,
the location, the small class sizes, and all of the faculty and staff I met along the way.
Q: How did a Clarkson education help you launch your career?
A: The communication program's breadth of classes prepared me for a variety of different careers, offering
the most flexibility when I began interviewing for my first job. I secured my original job at IBM through a
Clarkson career fair and several Clarkson alums who worked at IBM. The broad foundation I gained at
Clarkson contributed to my success in both graduate school and in my career, enabling my ability to learn
quickly and easily adapt to whatever work I am doing.
