Alumna Bissy Sancimino Crosses the Globe

Bissy Sancimino

Immediately after graduation, Bissy Sancimino (Communication Studies, ’13) took a position working for Oracle America as an account manager alongside about 25 other Cal Poly graduates. While grateful to have a career, Sancimino also knew that she eventually wanted to travel to different places in the world. She worked towards understanding how she might get abroad, whether with Oracle or on her own. About a year and a half later, Sancimino quit her job, packed her bags, bought a one-way ticket and a working visa, and was on her way. In January of 2015, Sancimino arrived in Sydney, Australia, checked into a hostel and wondered what lay ahead.

Upon arrival, Sancimino connected with another former Oracle employee living in Sydney who ended up introducing her to a roommate. Her new roommate, Jane Watson, was Head of Sales Operations for a startup company, Expert360, an online platform that connects businesses with a global network of top independent consultants for project-based work. Watson was looking for someone with account management experience and by February of 2015, Sancimino joined the startup as their 13th team member. Today, Expert360 has grown to nearly 20 full-time employees and has plans to expand into the U.S. Sancimino uses her communication skills daily through project scoping, listening, clarifying, prioritizing and negotiating. Her job requires time management and interpersonal skills for communicating effectively with clients and her internal team.

The best part of life after graduation? “Traveling the world. Meeting different people, and getting to know myself through different experiences. Realizing how small the world is and how we’re all connected. It’s also empowering to earn an income to invest back into your dreams,” she said. “As long as I believe in the vision of who I’m working for and believe it’s for the greater good of people, I’ll be happy.”

She concludes, “There are endless possibilities of what you can do after graduation, particularly with a COMS degree, which is applicable in many facets of life. Living abroad has instilled in me that there are a million different definitions of success – from different cultures and communities down to individuals. It’s important to get to know yourself and have confidence in taking calculated risks that stem from within you … Stay true to yourself, embrace failure, and chase your dreams, however scary they may seem.”
 

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