Jake Spurlock

What is your personal and professional background?

I’ve spent most of my life in Utah, growing up in Salt Lake City and graduating from Utah Valley University with a degree in digital media. I’ve worked in digital publishing since graduating — first with a startup in the social media industry and then with two large publishers in the Bay Area. My strengths lie in application programming interface (API) development, security and platform agnostic publishing tools.

Why did you choose USC’s Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology?

I wanted to further my education but not be pigeonholed to a certain environment, as with a traditional MBA. I wanted to work on my cross-disciplinary skills and was looking for a program that would attract people of many different backgrounds.

What are your career goals?

I’d like to stay working in the publishing industry or work in the tech space around digital publishing. There are many companies that see themselves as tech companies yet have huge platforms with unique risks and rewards.

In what way(s) do you believe this program will help you to achieve your career goals?

I look forward to the relationships that I am building with both students and faculty at the school, in addition to the vast network of USC alumni. The integrated program is built around problem-solving and product management — and it really is a fantastic way for people to get ahead in the multidisciplinary jobs of the future.

What is your favorite aspect of the program so far?

I really enjoy the time that we spend in the online classes doing group critiques of each other’s work. When working on the weekly assignments, there is extra pressure to spend time generating quality work, knowing that you will need to present that content to your peers. 

Did the Residential factor into your decision to attend this program?

The Residential was a large factor in joining the program. Knowing that there was an in-person aspect in addition to the online program let me know that there was an opportunity to gain insight from the professors and advisers of the program. It was there that we could really see the manifestation of the program at work. 

What is one thing you did not know before coming to this Residential? How will it help you in your coursework going forward?

One of the strongest things about the residential program was getting to know on a much deeper level the other students and faculty of the program. There are students from the other classes that I hadn’t met prior, and it was fantastic to get to know them on a much better level.