Erika Christiansen was sold on the corporate culture at Quick Base in Cambridge, a private software company that provides tools for businesses to optimize work productivity by developing their own cloud-based applications. Similar to tech companies in Silicon Valley, QuickBase combines the excitement and fast pace of a startup with an environment that empowers employees and co-op students to make independent decisions and learn valuable skills along the way. Not surprisingly, it’s been ranked as one of the best places to work by Built In Boston and the Boston Business Journal.

Erika’s day-to-day responsibilities with the marketing team involve communicating cross-functionally with sales and product development to ensure that all QuickBase messaging aligns.

“There is never a dull moment… Every day is an exercise in time-management, and I never leave work without being able to pinpoint exactly what my tangible output was that day, which is super satisfying.”

She credits the Communication Department, the co-op program, and her advisor Bill Jackson with helping her fine-tune her career goals.

“The whole point of experiential learning is that there is a synthesis of understanding from the combination of classroom knowledge and field work. I’ve found the Communication Studies Department to be particularly good at making sure those two spheres are intertwined… I wasn’t sure coming in whether I wanted to do public relations, marketing, advertising, or some combination. Now I know the kind of work I want to do, the industry I want to do it in, and the best corporate environment for me.”