Nicole Saban
Biography
Nicole Sabin, a proud Aggie alum, earned her Bachelor’s in Communication Studies with a minor in math, and later a Master’s in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences. Her involvement on campus via the Series committee, A-team, and as an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow and Teaching Assistant inspired her to pursue a career in higher education.
Nicole began her career journey with USU Advising, helping train peer advisors. She discovered a talent for creating Canvas courses and training modules, and a love for helping students. After earning her undergraduate degree, she became an Academic Advisor for the Huntsman School of Business. However, she quickly realized that the role wasn’t her passion. This led her to pursue a Master’s in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences. She found that her Communication Studies degree had equipped her with strong people skills, while the master’s program provided the technical knowledge necessary for her career. After completing her master’s, Nicole interned as an instructional designer, including roles with Canvas and in K-12 education, before landing a job at Weber State University as an Associate UI/UX Developer for their Student Access & Success Division.
At Weber State, Nicole designs and updates websites, balancing technical skills with her strong interpersonal abilities. Her work often involves simple updates, but can extend to creating brand new websites where she has to understand a client’s needs and then translate them into functional web designs. Nicole is dedicated to making these websites as accessible as possible, constantly learning how to implement best practices in accessibility.
While Nicole’s master’s provided her with technical skills such as HTML/CSS coding and other design tools, her Communication Studies degree gave her invaluable soft skills. She learned how to collaborate effectively and work with people who have different perspectives, which she says is crucial in today’s work environment. Nicole’s ability to navigate high-tension situations with empathy and neutrality, skills she developed during her Communication Studies program, helps her handle sensitive issues at Weber State. She recalls advice she received during her undergrad: “These soft skills are what will help you keep the job,” and she has found that to be true in each of her positions.
Additionally, Nicole uses her Communication Studies background to advocate for herself in the workplace, seeking opportunities to develop new skills even when they extend beyond her job description. She also applies conflict resolution and interpersonal communication strategies, such as leading with understanding and using “I” language, to foster open communication and growth in her role.
During her undergrad, Nicole was particularly impacted by courses like Persuasion and Advanced Persuasion with John Seiter, Mollie Murphy’s Gender Research and Communication Studies class, which taught her more about gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, and Tim Curran’s Health Communication class, which expanded her understanding of health disparities.
ALUMNI ADVICE
“You can’t not use it.”
A big reason I picked Communications Studies is because you can’t not use it. During undergrad, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career, and I was scared that I would be in school forever if I changed my major too many times. I took my first Communication Studies class my second semester at USU and found a passion for it and decided to pursue it for my bachelors degree. I also took math, art, technology, and web design classes as electives because they interested me and I was grateful that my major in Communication Studies allowed me the flexibility to take as many electives as I could fit in my schedule. These electives gave me insight into my interest in design, but I am so grateful for my communications courses that gave me the foundational soft skills that I use everyday in my career.
“Build your network through involvement on campus!”
One of the best things I did to make myself more marketable during my undergrad was being involved on campus. I highly recommend that students get involved on campus through clubs, activities, and part-time jobs, to build a professional network and add to their resume. I was able to build a strong network using the people-skills I learned in my communication classes. I remember going to career fairs and being able to market myself well to various employers when I spoke of my involvement on campus and the real-world skills I was gaining through it.
During my junior and senior years, I spent my time in the classroom, as an orientation leader, and later as a peer advisor coordinator. I found a passion for working in higher education and decided that being an academic advisor was my dream job. Luckily, I was able to land my first job as an academic advisor thanks to my communications background, my involvement on campus, and my strong network on campus. However, I soon learned that while I loved higher education, I didn’t love being in an advising role full time and switched career paths soon after. I now recommend that students job shadow as much as they can to find the career path you do – or even don’t – want to pursue.
Compiled and Written by Cassia Gainer