2008 Woodie Awards
HP Senior VP brings her experience to the masses
Allison Johnson shares with Skyline students that work can be playtime rather than a chore
Elizabeth Sinclair-Smith
Date created: 4/5/04 Section: NEWS
"The thing that I look for in my career is controversy," she said. "That's something people don't like to look for, but I like to be in the middle of it. People leave you alone and it's fun, because it gets you to the next place. So far, it's been good-it's not boring."
Being a Senior VP isn't always easy, though. While going through her career trials and tribulations, Johnson has had two children and has been married to the same man the whole time. Work even keeps her awake at night.
"Part of my job is trying to differentiate HP from the rest of the market," she said. "We need to define who we are and why we are more valuable. Wall Street can be very parochial-not very comfortable with thinking outside of the box. I try to communicate our value, and communication is more effective. We like to have confidence in the message we put forth in the marketplace."
Another challenge Johnson has met has been in building relations-something she stresses is the key for doing good business. While results are good, what is most important is the quality of your work.
"I'm one of those rare people who knew what they wanted to do when they left college," she said. "I wanted to run marketing for a company. With a journalism degree, I could compete with business Masters Degree holders. Have I made mistakes? You bet. You wear a great big target on your back when you do this, but I try to set goals for myself."
According to Johnson, for those who are interested, the most important part of getting yourself established in the corporate world comes from networking, and being able to write well.
"People who engage in subject matter and become passionate about it, should get out there and put everything behind it-that's what gets you noticed," she said. "Some marketing people still can't write well. Writing well is a rare skill and we value it a lot."
Being a Senior VP isn't always easy, though. While going through her career trials and tribulations, Johnson has had two children and has been married to the same man the whole time. Work even keeps her awake at night.
"Part of my job is trying to differentiate HP from the rest of the market," she said. "We need to define who we are and why we are more valuable. Wall Street can be very parochial-not very comfortable with thinking outside of the box. I try to communicate our value, and communication is more effective. We like to have confidence in the message we put forth in the marketplace."
Another challenge Johnson has met has been in building relations-something she stresses is the key for doing good business. While results are good, what is most important is the quality of your work.
"I'm one of those rare people who knew what they wanted to do when they left college," she said. "I wanted to run marketing for a company. With a journalism degree, I could compete with business Masters Degree holders. Have I made mistakes? You bet. You wear a great big target on your back when you do this, but I try to set goals for myself."
According to Johnson, for those who are interested, the most important part of getting yourself established in the corporate world comes from networking, and being able to write well.
"People who engage in subject matter and become passionate about it, should get out there and put everything behind it-that's what gets you noticed," she said. "Some marketing people still can't write well. Writing well is a rare skill and we value it a lot."
