One year ago, I made the transition from intern to Account Coordinator at MurphyEpson. I walked in with a marketing degree from Wittenberg University and some familiarity with the work from my time as an intern. While having that foundation helped, full-time looked different than I expected.
In June 2026, I was promoted to Deputy Project Manager. Looking back at the year between those two titles, I can see how much ground I covered and how much of it I did not anticipate when I started. Saying yes, trying and failing was where I learned the most.
Here is what that year actually taught me.
Say Yes First, Figure It Out Second
Some of the best things I learned this year came from raising my hand for things I did not fully understand yet.
There is a temptation early in your career to wait until you feel ready. I have found the opposite approach works better: say yes, stay curious and trust that the learning will follow. MurphyEpson has incredible leaders who create space for that kind of growth. Being surrounded by people who are genuinely good at what they do and willing to bring you along is something I do not take for granted. I have tried to be a sponge. Absorb everything. Ask questions. Pay attention to how the people around you think, communicate and solve problems.
The next generation of engagement professionals is being shaped right now, and I want to be part of building what that looks like at MurphyEpson.
Attitude Is Everything
Early in your career, you may not have the most experience in the room. What you do have control over is how you show up.
A positive attitude goes further than you might expect. It opens doors, builds relationships and makes people want to work with you. Hard work does the rest!
This is also the time to say yes to every opportunity to get involved. Go to the event, introduce yourself, sit in on the meeting and meet everyone you can. The connections you make early in your career matter more than you realize in the moment, and the difference you can make, even as a newer member of a team, is real. Don’t underestimate yourself!
Things Will Not Go As Planned
I spent the first few months trying to anticipate everything. I have since made peace with the fact that something will always come up. A meeting changes at the last minute. A deadline moves. A community member asks a question no one is prepared for.
The skill is not eliminating uncertainty. It is learning how to respond to it calmly, adapt quickly and communicate clearly so the people around you do not feel the disruption as much as you do.
Technical Work Has to Translate
One of the biggest shifts in how I think about writing has been learning to bridge the gap between technical work and the people it affects.
At MurphyEpson, we work alongside engineers, planners and project teams who live inside the details of complex infrastructure projects every day. Our job is to take what they know and make it understandable. Not to water it down, but to meet people where they are. A resident standing in their backyard asking why construction equipment will be there for months deserves a clear, honest answer. A neighbor wondering what a transmission main means for their property should not have to dig through an engineering report to find out.
Writing for the public has pushed me to ask better questions, listen more carefully and think hard about what people actually need to know, not just what is technically accurate. That is a skill I will keep sharpening.
One Year Is Both a Long Time and No Time at All
I know more than I did a year ago. I am faster, more confident and more comfortable navigating complicated situations. I also have a much clearer sense of how much there is still to learn.
The work we do, helping communities understand big complex projects that directly affect their lives, is meaningful and I do not take that lightly. Whether it is supporting public meetings for the Home Road Water Plant, coordinating communications around the Short Range Transit Plan or helping bring the Beta District Conference to life, the goal is the same: clear communication makes hard things more manageable for everyone involved.
Here’s to many more years at ME!
