John Thomas Comes to Town

Sydney Hembree


Oxford, Miss. - John Thomas, a graduate of the Meek School of Journalism, advised journalism students Thursday on the road to a successful career.

Thomas, vice president for investor relations and public affairs at the healthcare company, Abbott, began his career co-founding and producing a newspaper, The Oxford Times.

"My partner and I thought we were ready to take on the world at that time," he said.

He and his friend tried to take on The Oxford Eagle, only to discover they could not compete with the amount of funds, sales and advertisements the Eagle had.

"I view my time with The Oxford Times as a learning experience," he said. "We became the editors, publishers, and salesmen for the newspaper."

Eventually, Thomas sold his half of the company to his partner and moved to New York to become the editorial assistant at the Metropolitan Home Magazine, then on to Iowa to work as the Health and Education Manager for Better Homes and Gardens.

"My boss used to say that readers want our greatest hits," he said. "They come for your editorial strategy."

By working for Better Homes and Gardens, Thomas became interested in healthcare, which led him to work at Abbott. Although he lacked the education to be a financial analyst, he tried it anyway; his attempt earned him the opportunity to be a vice president.

"You have to have an open mind and try new career options as they become available," he said.

Thomas went on to mention that, in today's world, social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are trusted by 75 percent of people.

"Older employees, however, usually have a hard time adjusting to the newest technology," he said. "It took a lot of convincing to get the company to get into social media."

When asked about what journalism students should do to prepare for careers, Thomas noted that one should always be a reporter and ask a lot of questions.

"As a manager, I always have to think about the data I get and where the information came from," he said.

Thomas also stressed the importance of remembering the inverted pyramid.

"It is one of the basic elements that you learn in journalism, but it is crucial in the workforce," he said. "You've got to get your message across immediately and make it concise."

Finally, Thomas emphasized that, in order to be a good employee and rise up in the ranks, students muust show they are persistent, responsive and, above all, that they care.