
Seth Rongkawit
Seth Rongkawit knows he was fortunate to land a job in his desired career field right after college. Two things that helped him were real-world experiences he received as a student and his involvement in campus activities at Wichita State.
Rongkawit, who graduated from WSU in May 2012 with a business administration degree, majored in entrepreneurship and marketing, with a minor in management.
Upon graduation, he was hired as director of marketing at Specs Eyewear in Wichita, where he is responsible for print advertising, social media, promotional items, brand management, design administration and donations.
“Every day brings something new,” said Rongkawit. “I help make big decisions that can directly affect the company.”
As a WSU student, Rongkawit was a student brand manager for Red Bull North America. In the internship position, he worked with professionals from across the country and built relationships with local companies in Red Bull’s distribution channel.
“My experience working for Red Bull helped give validity to the things I claimed I could bring to the table with the new position at Specs,” he said. “I had a track record of success that led to a vote of confidence with the owners.”
Involvement and experience
Rongkawit said that, because of WSU’s urban setting, students have many opportunities to gain work experience in any career field.
“Being in a bigger city allowed me to work in a market that is larger than other college towns,” he said. “I was able to learn a lot because of this.”
In addition to his internship with Red Bull, Rongkawit also was involved in campus organizations and activities, such as Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Student Government Association, and was a new-student orientation leader.
“Join a student organization or get some like-minded friends together and start your own,” he said. “It’s not hard and will be worth so much once you have that degree in your hands.”
Rongkawit said that in any career employers value people who have experience being part of a team, taking direction from superiors, settings goals and achieving desired outcomes.
“I would stress to any college student, freshman or senior, that being actively involved is just as important for your future as your classes,” he said. “Experience isn’t just in a job or office; it’s gained through professional human interaction.”