Hispanic Heritage Month Alumni Spotlight: Cristian Delgado (ABJ ’15)

Hispanic Heritage Month Alumni Spotlight: Cristian Delgado (ABJ ’15)

October 01, 2021

Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of spotlights highlighting the work of some of our alumni in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Please watch for more profiles in the weeks to come.

Cristian Delgado is an account supervisor for Xbox PR at Assembly Media, Edelman. Delgado graduated from Grady College in 2015 with a degree in public relations. On campus, Delgado was president of the International Association of Business Communicators, a Grady Ambassador, a member of the UGA Redcoats band, a PRSSA member and wrote for Ugazine.

What clubs and activities did you participate in at UGA and Grady that were instrumental to your success as a career professional?

The opportunities to lead beyond the classroom undeniably helped me get my start in PR. Listening to alumni speak at PRSSA helped me visualize a career path. Being part of the Bateman competition also pushed me to work as a team player and get a taste of real-world problem solving. I also had the chance to network as president of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) at UGA, where we invited marketers to speak to our growing chapter. And very close to my heart, I’ll always cherish being part of the Redcoat Marching Band. I made lifelong friends there and picked up valuable skills in confidence and coming together as a team.

Looking back, what these experiences had in common was teaching me to be accountable and resourceful. When you start your career, you realize there isn’t always a secret formula to success – we’re all equally capable and have more control over doing great work than we think. We just have to take our shot and put ourselves in the best position possible to succeed.

How does your Hispanic and/or Latin heritage influence your work? 

I grew up in a largely Hispanic community in Gainesville, Georgia, and with each change in my life (e.g. going to college, starting an internship), it was hard not to notice when others around me looked less and less like me. These changes helped me realize just how important it is to bring my unique viewpoint as a Hispanic of Mexican descent to my work and community. 

I always fantasized about working in video games and I know the positive impact gaming had on me and my childhood friends. Gaming brought us together and kept us out of trouble in a neighborhood that wasn’t always the safest. Now that I work in the gaming industry, allowing that kid from Gainesville to be heard is something I carry with me to work every day.

What advice would you give to young students of Hispanic origin who will soon enter the workforce?

Aside from getting as much experience as possible through clubs and internships, my three pieces of advice are to be confident, be pushy and be polished. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say being confident is just a little bit harder as a Hispanic. We’re often first-generation college graduates with no familiarity to office life, which can bring out imposter syndrome big time. The truth is we’re all capable of anything and our unique point of view as Hispanics bring even more value to any team. My advice if you’re starting out is to shake off those insecurities and know you’re going to be great. Your confidence will be obvious in interviews and as you set the tone for who you will be on your team.

Related, being pushy, or perhaps I should say relentless, is key to making your plans a reality. This is especially true as a Hispanic student since building your network might be entirely in your hands. For most of my career, I’ve been fortunate to work in my dream industry of gaming as a PR rep for Xbox. I didn’t accidentally stumble into this job or get approached out of the blue. I had to be very intentional about asking the right strangers for help. I remember being an intern at Edelman in Atlanta and consistently messaging members of the team in Seattle asking to learn more (and no, I did not know any of them). If there’s a passion area that interests you, don’t hesitate to get to know people in that field and ask for informational interviews (and help when you need it). More often than you’d think, people want to be helpful and will go out of their way for you if you’re genuine. 

Once you do land your new internship or first gig, always be polished in your work. Early in your career, your manager or team lead is likely going to review most of your work. Don’t lean on this crutch to skip checking your own work for typos or errors. Any work you submit to your manager should be final to the best of your ability. The more you take a step back to review and understand your own work, the more you’ll be trusted to take on larger projects. 

What classes at Grady College did the most to prepare you for your career?

The classes that stood out to me were News Writing and Reporting, which taught me to work under pressure, and PR Research, which taught me to back my work with real evidence. As a PR person, writing and proper research are fundamentals for every project. PR Campaigns was very helpful since it tied everything you learn at Grady together in a realistic setting. This is also where I learned to be scrappy and resourceful, which is valuable when working at a fast-paced PR agency. I’m thankful that Grady gave me these experiences to help make the transition to full-time work much easier.