SHANNON N. FANNING Curriculum Vitae Contact: Email: Shannon.n.fanning@gmail.com Phone: 973-632-6777
EDUCATION Certificate (Teaching Writing) Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, May 2012 GPA: 4.0/4 M.A. (English) Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, May 2012 Concentration: Writing Studies GPA: 3.83/4 (overall); 4.0/4 (writing studies) Master’s Thesis: Connections and Disconnections between Academic Writing Theory and Writing in the Business World B.A. (Communication) Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ, May 2006 GPA 3.75/4.0; Magna cum laude Lambda Pi Eta, Communications Honor Society Dean’s List, Academic Excellence, Fall 2002 to Spring 2006
ACADEMIC POSITIONS Hudson County Community College Academic Foundations Department Jersey City, NJ Adjunct Instructor August 2012-Present Courses Taught: Basic Writing I Basic Writing II Basic Reading I Basic Reading II
Ramapo College of New Jersey (Center for Academic Success) Mahwah, NJ Writing Tutor August 2004-May 2006 • Discussed assignment and appropriate reading materials and references
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Worked with students to create a plan for completing each assignment Helped students create outlines and engage in other pre-writing activities Tutored students in critical reading and writing skills Advised students in strengthening thesis statements Assisted students with editing and proofreading Worked with students to create and correct reference pages and citations
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Freelance Copywriter and Copyeditor April 2007 – Present Work with website owners to develop voice attributes consistent with their unique brands and goals Provide content strategy, development, and management services Write product descriptions for a variety of e-commerce websites Quidsi, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com Jersey City, NJ Contract Copywriter June 2011-September 2012 Crafted unique product descriptions Edited product descriptions from outside vendors Wrote need-to-know tips to enhance the user experience
EVO Furniture/Inmod.com Harrington Park, NJ Copywriter/Public Relations Manager September 2008-April 2010 Wrote SEO optimized copy for a diverse range of furniture and home décor products Executed all email marketing campaigns, which consistently enjoyed nearly double the average open rate of B2C marketing emails as well as above average click through rates Ran quality assurance testing on all emails to ensure accuracy; measured results and adjusted list segmentation as needed Managed all public relations initiatives including creation and distribution of all written materials, pitching items/stories to press, building and updating media lists, and handling all incoming requests for images and information (Press coverage included The New York Times, Redbook Magazine, Lucky Magazine, Newsday, MSNBC, and ABC News) Assisted with link building campaigns and other SEO initiatives Created and managed all company promotions, including Facebook, email, and blog campaigns Managed and wrote daily posts for two blogs - one company specific and one that addressed modern furniture and design trends (among the top three ranked sites on Google for this topic)
Sixth Avenue Electronics Springfield, NJ Copywriter June 2006-September 2008 Researched trends in the electronics industry and wrote online features and buying guides to enhance the experience of Sixth Avenue Electronics’ online consumers Wrote product descriptions highlighting product features and benefits Managed and wrote daily posts for the company blog Worked with the art director to conceptualize and implement weekly promotional emails Managed a staff of 3 writers and ensured all of their work met predetermined guidelines and formatting Functioned as product content manager; responsible for tracking progress of new product content creation, accuracy of descriptions, and that all new products were complete and live on the site within 72 hours Conceptualized and produced written promotional materials (press releases, media alerts, etc.) Proofread and edited all work before it was sent to print Wrote copy for advertisements, catalogs, and other print campaigns Assisted with all public relations initiatives, including building media lists, distribution of promotional materials, and press contact (Press coverage included News 12 New Jersey, TWICE Magazine, and Dealerscope Magazine)
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver; Quark X Press Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook) Basic HTML FTP Software Wordpress, Blogger and other blog applications