Background: Originally from Killiney in South Dublin, Keogh is the audience marketing manager for the CLIO Awards, The Hollywood Reporter and Adweek at Prometheus Global Media. She lives in West Harlem.
When and why did you move to the U.S.?
“I moved here a week before Christmas in 2010. My family loves America and we spent nearly every summer growing up traveling around and always ending our trip with a visit to New York.”
What is the most challenging and rewarding thing about your current job?
“My previous position was event marketing for a corporate conference firm, so the transition from finance to media has been challenging. My background in Ireland was in the arts sector and I'm very lucky that I finally found my dream job in America.
“I'm working on the CLIO Awards at the moment, the largest international advertising award ceremony which will be held at the Museum of Natural History this Wednesday. It’s the biggest project that I've ever worked on and so exciting! I find it crazy that agencies that I sent hundreds of resumes to now want to work with me in this position.
“It’s great to work with other creatives in such a buzzing office. Billboard magazine is also situated in the office, so it’s not unusual to see well-known artists playing in the lobby when you are heading to a meeting which is always fun!”
Tell us a little about your Etsy store Handmade by Sile Keogh?
“I started it last winter. I was frustrated with the lack of creativity in my finance job and wanted something to do as a side project. My mother, Sile, is a fantastic knitter and I wanted to showcase her original designs in the U.S. market, so Etsy was the perfect platform to do this.
“I had over 2,000 hits in the first week and since then sales have been steady. Each piece is one-off.”
What is your advice for new arrivals?
“I was quite shy before I moved here, but in New York you have to put yourself out there. I forced myself to start networking nearly every night. I would go through marketing groups on LinkedIn or Meetup.com and look for people who had interesting careers that I wanted to talk too. I would literally find some sort of an Irish connection and email them asking them to meet for coffee so I could learn about their career path.
“It was exhausting but completely worth it. I was very lucky to have a good support network with my boyfriend and my family back home. It can get tough here but when it works out it’s fantastic.
“My advice would be to just put yourself out there, be a chancer, ask for help, reach out to other Irish people in America through groups like IN-NYC. When I first moved here I met my American friend who worked at Billboard magazine. I asked her for about jobs at her company for two years, nothing happened until she called me one day telling me about a marketing position, which is now my job!”
Do you see yourself returning to Ireland?
“I hope so. I love America but I adore home. I'm very active in the Irish community in New York and my brother also lives here which helps with homesickness, but nothing compares to the craic in Dublin!”
Describe your life in New York City in three words.
“Determined, exciting and rewarding.”
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