My first job after college was at a D.C.-based think tank called the Center for American Progress. I worked for the college outreach arm, Campus Progress, organizing campaigns around the war in Iraq and college affordability, as well as shepherding a lot of our social media and communications work. One of my primary projects was a video campaign that asked young people to talk about the issues that were driving them to the polls in that year’s presidential election. At that time, YouTube was still relatively new and I think getting hands-on experience with the platform from the nonprofit vantage point helped me get to the next step in my career—working at YouTube. 

I’ve always been interested in politics, ever since I ran for class rep in third grade. When I got to the University of Michigan, I traded school politics for national politics and spent my weekends canvassing door-to-door and phone banking for different candidates. The University was actually in the national spotlight during my first year there as it was the defendant in a landmark affirmative action case. I remember riding on a bus overnight with hundreds of other students to make our voices heard on the steps of the Supreme Court. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.

A lot of people are jaded with politics (the partisan back and forth does get old sometimes) but I feel really inspired by the idea that you can see an issue that is affecting a lot of people and then have a real stake in creating the solution.

I remember freaking out right before college graduation because I lived in a house full of nurses and business majors who had already secured jobs, and I was the only one without one. I made a list of every place that I wanted to work and combed their websites to find Michigan alums. This was before the days of LinkedIn, so then I Googled different permutations of email addresses until I found the correct ones. I emailed each person saying I was a fellow Wolverine who was graduating and asked if they had time to chat. Looking back, it was kind of stalker-ish, but it led to three different interviews. Never underestimate the power of a little research and a common connection! 

I started at YouTube when it was still a pretty young company and had only recently been acquired by Google. It was a very exciting time when there was a lot of freedom to just make things happen. For example, I remember working with a product manager to build new donation functionality for nonprofit organizations, not because it was on a major roadmap but because we were really passionate about helping causes fundraise. At Google+, it has been fascinating to see how a social network is born and to help shape its trajectory. Google’s a slightly bigger place than it used to be, but I feel like I still get to invent the future every day and focus on the things that I love—politics and causes. 

There are two primary components to every major Hangout event—programming and production. On the programming side, we work with our partners to develop the most watch-worthy content we possibly can. Participant selection, the editorial flow and relevancy are all factors that help shape how a Hangout ultimately turns out. Secondly, we are in constant communication with folks on the product and production side to make sure that the Hangout looks and functions in the right manner. In a lot of ways, it’s like producing a television broadcast but with more interactivity than ever before. We’re always trying to push the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of audience participation and involvement.

Google+ is a platform and we have media and political partners of all stripes that use it to broadcast their message to the world. At the end of the day, we want our users to decide what information is most useful to them and interact with these outlets in an open and honest way if they do have questions.

I love the fact that I work for a company that allows anyone to have a voice, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that sometimes people don’t say the nicest things when hiding behind their online curtain (my mom is still working on her level of acceptance of mean YouTube commenters). Mark Horvath, who creates incredible YouTube videos that showcase homeless people across the country, once told me something about comments that I think is really interesting. He said, “I leave up every comment, even if it’s hateful or ignorant, because it starts a dialogue. We can’t create change until we can have an honest conversation.” 

I think the most challenging part of my job is that it closely mirrors the news cycle, so I’m often running at a frenetic pace, staying on top of what’s happening. For example, around the State of the Union, I’ll work weekends and late nights to make sure everything gets done. But I’ve learned that it’s okay to shut my laptop early on days when it’s slow—and not feel guilty about that. To preach the gospel of Parks and Recreation, it’s okay to have a “treat yo self” kind of day once in awhile. 

The first piece of advice I have is to roll up your sleeves and pitch in without being asked. Google has a really flat organizational structure and a good idea can come from anywhere. It’s far more interesting when someone comes to you with an idea or a solution than when they wait for you to hand them an assignment. The second thing I would think about is the people around you and the impression you make as a teammate. Humility, dedication and humor can go a long way, particularly when you’re working long hours in the trenches with someone on a project. 

Part of what I love about this field is that things are constantly changing and I need to keep learning new skills, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how politics and technology evolve in the future. The job I have now definitely didn’t exist ten, or even five years ago, so I probably can’t tell you exactly what’s next for my career. I only hope that it allows me to keep imagining and innovating.