Zac Anderson ’25

Marketing Graphic Design Coordinator at Concord Theatricals

New York, NY
WFU Class of 2025
Major: Marketing Communication Major; Theatre & Entrepreneurship minors

Career

Tell us about your journey from graduation to current job:

I graduated with a marketing job offer from a couple of restaurants in Winston-Salem, but it didn’t feel like the right next step for me. I was ready for a different adventure. I turned down that role and returned home to run a theatre summer camp for kids (Curtain Up). Then, Theatre Aspen needed a house manager for the remainder of the summer season, so I went out there and did that! In my free time, I started networking through Wake Alumni and DeacLink. I met Ella Andrew who worked at Concord Theatricals. I chatted with her via Zoom, which led to a conversation about the expansion of the Concord Theatricals marketing team. I applied, went through the interviewing process, and eventually landed the job! On my way back from a vacation in London, I stopped in NYC for the final interview! They offered me the job, I moved to New York, and the rest is history!

How did you find/apply to your current job. Do you have tips for undergrads applying to post grad jobs?

Networking!! 

Networking doesn’t always immediately lead to a job, but it might down the line!!! Also, keep up with your network! You don’t always have to be looking for a job when you’re networking. People want to stay updated on your journey! That is how you establish relationships.

Do cool things in college! I never had an internship during the summer, but I had plenty of cool talking points to bring up in interviews. 

There’s an aspect of luck to the process. My boss trusted me, and I’m very grateful for that.

Be a good person, bring fun energy, and be interesting to talk to. You don’t have to fit the mold. If you’re trying to be someone you aren’t, you’re going to end up in a job you don’t like.

What is your favorite part about where you work?

There is great access to shows, and I am really encouraged to go see shows.

Concord is the largest theatrical licensing company. The catalogue is so vast and there are so many cool people who I work with. I’m the youngest on the team, but I’m treated as a valuable member. Concord Theatricals is the perfect balance between big corporate company, but it feels small. 

There is so much room for me to grow within this position, and I feel encouraged to grow and try new things. 

What and where is next for you?

I’m trying to not think about that right now, because I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I am very happy at Concord right now. I’m not sure where I’ll go next. Outside of Concord, I would love to work on more creative side projects. My dream is to be a late night talk show host or a red carpet interviewer. I also would love to get more into event marketing and marketing through experience. I know I’m going to stay in the creative world.

Home 

What is your favorite part of living and working in NYC? What is the most interesting thing going on in the art scene there at the moment, in your opinion?

The access to theatre is amazing!!! I go to so many shows each week. Concord is marketing shows, so it’s so important that I’m going to the shows. That’s what I do with my free time. There is always something cool happening.

There are so many cool people here. Networking is now grabbing coffee than hopping on a zoom. It’s such a different experience – you really get to know who they are as a person.

I’ve learned how to be more independent. I am an extrovert and don’t like being alone, but postgrad has made me more intentional in my relationships and has made me prioritize having fun and exploring by myself.

Wake/Advice

How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?

100%. It’s less about what you’re studying and more about Wake preparing students to collaborate in the real world. My experience working on Studio Series in the Theatre Department really taught me to collaborate and how to be someone who is fun to work with. 

Wake Forest gives you so many opportunities to do real world things. What you’re learning outside of the classroom is just as important as what you learn inside the classroom.  

Additionally, Wake Forest changed the way I view theatre. I was a very narrow-minded theatre person when I entered college. I still have my creative interests, but they have evolved and I appreciate theatre more. The pivotal moment of this for me was Brook Davis’ American Drama class. She made me think deeper about the shows I read and see. I also now feel like I can appreciate art that I don’t love. 

What advice would you give to a student reading your profile?

Everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Trust the process.

If all you like is big flashy musicals, you’re missing out. That doesn’t mean that it can’t still be your favorite thing; just don’t limit yourself. 

You don’t necessarily realize what Wake taught you until after you leave Wake.