Allie Moffett is among the millions of students that graduated during a global pandemic.
Originally from Springfield, Illinois, she graduated from Butler University in May 2020 with a degree in strategic communication. During her time in Indy so far, she was able to leave her mark at quite a few local organizations including Downtown Indy Inc., Hamilton County Tourism Inc., and most recently, The Basement, an advertising agency located in the heart of downtown.
According to Pew Research Center, the U.S. unemployment rate increased from 3.8% in February 2020 to 13% in May 2020. Even under the toughest of circumstances, Moffett was fortunate to land a full-time position with The Basement as an account coordinator when she graduated, transitioning from an intern to a full-time employee.
“The companies that I worked for up until this point, the majority of people on the team are women,” Moffett says. “So, it’s been really cool to start my professional career and be surrounded by so many thoughtful, driven, and passionate women throughout my whole experience.”
We spoke with Moffett and learned how she landed a job right out of college during the pandemic, what her ideal Indy staycation would be, and the experience that shaped her most.
Maven superpower: I’d like to think I make those around me comfortable to express how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking, regardless of how well we know one another.
What did you learn from graduating during a global pandemic?
That’s a loaded question. I think the biggest thing was just the connections that you make in college. That was the best example of networking being so valuable. It sounds so cliché, but just trying to be present when you are with the people that you care about. This past year, none of us realized when our last outing would be or when our last concert would be.
What’s one of your favorite parts of Indy?
I am such a dork about Monument Circle, I just absolutely adore it. The fact that we have such a historic center of our city, memorialized as it is, is definitely one of my favorites. But also, just the food and drink scene in Indy. It’s pretty underrated in my opinion.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned one year into the workforce?
I think just communicating and over-communicating is really beneficial. At times I feel like I’m just constantly pestering the people that I work with. But really, you know, the questions that you ping over—you would be able to just ask those at work to where I don’t think it would feel as awkward as it does when you’re sending a physical note.
How did you land a job during a pandemic?
I took a class at Butler with Bob Schultz, who is one of the heads at Downtown Indy Inc., and he would bring in different speakers to kind of give us an idea of the different careers that Indy offers. He brought in someone from The Basement and I really had an interest, so she and I met up for coffee a time or two and just kept in touch. Then when they had an opening for an intern, she was nice enough to mention my name. So, I think just showing interest in things and making those connections when you do feel drawn to something is really important. I feel like as soon as someone shows interest, those who are in that position to help are more than willing to.
You mentioned that you’re really into antiquing. What’s your best find?
So, I went to Carmel Old Town Antique Mall and I saw an old crate that would have been for an Underwood typewriter. It had the old advertisement on the side of it with the typewriter printed on it, too. Then I moved home for two or three months, and my dad is pretty handy, and we made a base for it and put rafters on it and we made it into a coffee table that’s now in my apartment. It reminds me of home and is a really good conversation piece.
You’re a self-professed advertising fan. What’s your favorite advertisement?
I’m biased. I’m going to tell you one that our team did. So, we work with Schlage, which is a lock company. One of our co-workers had actually posted a video of her in her bathroom with a tub of ice cream with the door locked, and you could see her daughter shaking the door handle, and she was hiding and eating the ice cream. Someone on the creative team saw that and thought that it was just so funny and accurate for this past year that they actually took that idea and made a full commercial out of it for Schlage. That was just really cool to see the beginning stages of that and actually turned into a national advertisement.
What’s your go-to coffee place and order?
I’m closest to Bovaconti, and that’s become my go-to. I’d say my go-to order is a lavender latte with oat milk. Provider was always my favorite in college. But they haven’t been open for indoor seating up until recently. So, Bovaconti has been the go-to.
What’s an experience that has shaped you the most?
I was lucky enough to spend a semester abroad. I went to Florence, Italy, and just trying to navigate that and planning trip on my own, traveling solo for the first time, especially to a country where their native language is not English. That was really a challenging time, but so rewarding and I think about it basically every day. I’m itching to travel.
You also mentioned that you’re an Indy tourism enthusiast. What’s your ideal Indy staycation?
Taking a walk on the Monon is always great. It hits so many different areas, both in Indy and it loops all the way to Carmel and Fishers. I think some of my favorite restaurants would be great to hit. Soupremacy is my favorite place. I would get lunch there in the summer, they have the best tomato bisque in town. So, just really tapping into some of the local food scene. And spending a night at The Rathskeller for one of their nights where they have live music and enjoying the view of downtown from their beer garden would be great. Make sure you stop on Monument Circle and get to see whatever light installation is going on. As someone who’s traveled, finding those local treasures and experiencing a local event or restaurant in a unique way is always the most memorable part of my travels.
Samantha Kupiainen is a regular Indy Maven contributor.
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