I applied for the Wotc strategic communications response position and this was my cover letter
As you probably know, Wizards has been in hot water more than a couple times in the past 3 years. They recently put out a call for a specialist, so they’ll be ready the next time the flumph hits the fan, and I applied. I thought I’d share my cover letter. Hi, I’m Parrish. I first played Magic in 1994, and then started playing D&D a year later with the same group of friends, so it’s always felt natural to me that the two brands ended up together at Wizards. I’ve been a Dungeon Master for decades now, and I would love the opportunity to use my storytelling skills to engage the community as the Director of Strategic Response Communications. For the past four years, I’ve been working in communications and public relations for my local county government, and it’s been eye-opening to be outside the gaming industry for a change. I’ve built partnerships across other departments, coordinated with contracts and legal to ensure policy compliance, led rapid strategic response to crisis situations, and advised on press releases, while keeping external communications politically neutral. I’ve also been an active member of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and a champion of that work. Prior to that, I was representing Nintendo as an agency consultant. I started with them in a Product Specialist role in 2011, but was promoted to a management position within a year, where I trained staff working for Nintendo in public-facing roles to ensure consistent on-brand communications. Nintendo’s client base is very similar to Wizards, and not just demographically; like Nintendo, Magic and D&D fans are loyal to their core. They want to see their favorite brand succeed, but they also take it very hard when it lets them down. My degree in economics and training in data analytics allows me to leverage data-driven insights: tracking fan feedback, updating my team, and adjusting communication strategies to make sure fans know we’re listening. When the big N jumped agencies three and a half years later, they were obviously happy with my work, because they invited me to join them in the transition. I continued representing Nintendo in corporate communications, marketing, and public relations roles at that new agency through 2019. I should probably mention that I’m a game designer. I’ve worked on a number of card games, including Ascension, and I published my own lightweight RPG three years ago. As a publisher, I worked with a small marketing team to coordinate communications across social media platforms and established relationships with a broad range of media partners. I have appeared on podcasts to promote my game, and I’m a regular on a stream for game designers and other professionals. I’ve also worked on a few unrelated teams that produced 5e content and crowdfunded successfully. I am a master of cross-functionality, and would be eager to work with your creative and design teams, collaborate with the folks on product and brand management, advise on marketing, and stay connected to investor relations. I know it has been a rollercoaster these past few years, for both Mtg and D&D, but I’m here for the ride! In the past, I've managed customer expectations and avoided unforced errors through forecasting, so my teams have been ready for what's coming next. Strategic communications response is a bit like a game of Magic. I don’t want to be waiting to top deck an answer to a threat after it hits the board. When an opponent casts their bomb, the best practice is to already have two islands open. When I’m part of your team, I’ll be there to say, “Wait, I have a response.”
