Q&A with Cody Sinks, SBS Alumnus, Staff Member, and Veteran

Cody Sinks earned a bachelor's degree in political science and Russian, and a master's degree in marketing from the University of Arizona. Cody was also an infantry team leader in the U.S. Army and worked in academic advising roles on campus with the Eller College of Management and CATS.

Cody joined the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences this year as the web content coordinator with the marketing, communications, and engagement team. Cody’s primary role is to provide an optimal website user experience by aligning content with the college's mission and target audiences using website analytics and target market research.

Q. You were in the U.S. Army for three years. How did that experience intersect with your education and career goals?

My military experience prepared me for my education and career goals even before I knew what I wanted to study or work on. The communication, leadership, and resiliency skills that I learned in the U.S. Army translated directly to the tasks that I completed during my studies and now as a full-time website content coordinator for the College of SBS.

From researching international politics in my undergrad studies to working on projects with diverse stakeholders in marketing roles, I feel that my military experience continues to make it possible for me to approach new situations without stressing over the unknown factors.

Q. What are ways your political science major helped prepare you for your career and your life?

The College of SBS’s political science undergrad program [housed in the School of Government and Public Policy] allowed me to apply the communication and leadership skills that I learned during my military service, which was important to me at the time of transitioning back into civilian life. Beyond skills like academic research, writing, and presenting, the program also taught me how policy, history, and culture influence society.

The academic and interpersonal skills that I learned while studying with the College of SBS made it possible for me to thrive in my graduate studies and various roles at the University of Arizona. Outside the workplace, I also appreciate understanding the political and social contexts that surround global events and the places that I travel to around the world. 

Q. Can you describe what you do during a typical day at your job?

As a website content coordinator for the College of SBS, a typical day starts with responding to new website content requests and enjoying a cup of coffee. For the rest of the morning, I’ll work on fulfilling existing content requests and completing website redesign tasks for the various departments under the College of SBS. In the afternoon, I may meet with my marketing colleagues to ensure branding consistency between our projects or join a colleague in training a new website editor. I also have plenty of opportunities to join in various social events related to the college.

I’m positive that my time in the military and studies with the College of SBS gave me many of the foundational skills I needed to thrive in this role.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in your field?

If you are interested in pursuing a marketing career, my advice would be to supplement your academic studies with self-made learning opportunities. Studying how society, culture, and politics influence one another helped me understand how higher-level marketing strategies work but knowing how to apply those strategies required hands-on experience. My advice to anyone interested in a marketing career is to start your own website, social media project, or other low-risk opportunity where you can learn from mistakes and try new ideas.