Cathy Ngo ’11: Designing Success in Social Media

Cathy Ngo ’11 exemplifies someone who has been able to build a successful career that not only supports her but also aligns with what she loves.

When beginning at Montclair, Ngo knew she wanted to do something that allowed her creativity to shine. “At first, I was a film major and then switched over to graphic design. I took some graphic design classes in high school and always had it in the back of my mind.”

While she was in Montclair’s graphic design program, she was required to complete one internship before she could graduate. The internship she was able to land was at Marvel. “My favorite part about working there was being exposed to their marketing philosophy and how that applied to their characters. This was super early on in the Marvel cinematic universe… so it was exciting to experience the early stages of that,” Ngo says. Aside from her involvement in Montclair’s graphic design program, she was also involved on campus. She was a member of Unified Asian American Student Organization.

After leaving Montclair, Ngo was able to make a name for herself. She is currently working as the deputy director of social media at Buzzfeed. Ngo is enthusiastic about her position and continues to do great things. Her favorite thing is being able to work somewhere that she is able to feel comfortable. “I’m grateful that I’m in a position to establish a healthy work environment and ensure that younger professionals on my team maintain that work-life balance. As a former workaholic, it took me a long time to achieve that balance, so I want to make sure others figure it out faster than I did! I also get paid to make memes for a living, so that’s pretty great too.” As she has now spent nearly a decade working at Buzzfeed, Ngo has established new goals for herself. She is excited to see what the future holds. “I’m always searching for new projects and luckily social media is ever changing, so even at my level, I’m always learning something. Working in social media is like working on a puzzle that never ends. It’s been a tumultuous time with the shift to AI and potential TikTok ban; I’m both excited and scared about the future. My goal for the time being is to continue having fun and learn new things.”

As a hiring manager and someone who established onboarding processes, Ngo understands the credentials of what makes a candidate a good fit. When looking to hire someone, there are things that make some stand out from others. “Someone who’s truly passionate will always stand out. When I ask a question and their eyes light up in anticipation to answer; it’s hard to fake that. I also value a straightforward resume and ability to follow detailed instructions.” She is very passionate about the importance of a portfolio in the graphic design industry. “It’s one of the first ways you can leave a strong impression on someone. A portfolio can tell me a lot about a person; everything from their interests to how they organize information. Thankfully we live in an age where physical portfolios aren’t the norm anymore. This means you can keep your portfolio updated consistently or swap things out if they’re not relevant anymore.”

Ngo has had a great career so far. One of her most proud accomplishments goes back to 2018 when she single handedly launched BuzzFeed’s Asian American identity brand, A*Pop. Ngo continues to learn and grow while working somewhere she loves and doing what she loves. Ngo’s advice to current students is, “Tough job markets can make you feel like you’re not worthy. Don’t take it too personally. If you’re not getting responses, reformat your resume or update your portfolio. Even if you don’t get a callback after an interview, consider it practice and keep going.”

Written by Jayla Trice

Originally posted in College of the Arts