Why Curiosity Is a Career Strategy
In this interview with a Senior Director in Corporate Communications, we talk about career pivots, curiosity, discomfort, and the importance of breaking silos inside organizations. From being a student of the business to building trust across teams, these are the lessons many of us wish we had learned earlier.
By Priscila • November 25, 2025
When I thought about who I wanted to feature for this project, Allison was the very first person who came to mind. Not because of a title or where she works, but because of how she thinks about people, business, and communication. We all navigate uncertainty at some point in our careers, and corporate communications is one of those areas that quietly shapes everything. Culture, trust, internal clarity, and public perception all meet there. I have personally lived through moments where I felt communication could have been handled better, and that is exactly why her perspective felt so important to share.
For privacy reasons, I will not share her employer. What matters most is the journey she has built, the mindset she carries, and the lessons she shared during a group conversation in a university-level communications class.
Allison began her career working in an agency environment, where she was deeply involved with media relations and storytelling. That early phase exposed her to fast-paced work, tight deadlines, and the pressure that comes with shaping external narratives. The turning point came when a lateral opportunity opened within a company. Instead of continuing along the agency path, she made the decision to move into corporate communications and help shape how a business would be seen from the inside out and in the public eye. That leap of faith became one of the most important steps in her career and ultimately led her to earn deep trust and respect across teams.
One of the first things she shared about her work stayed with me immediately.
“When you work with people and reputation, you never really know what’s going to be on your plate.”
That unpredictability, she explained, is exactly what makes communications both challenging and deeply meaningful. It requires staying sharp, emotionally aware, and adaptable at all times.
One of Allison’s strongest messages throughout the conversation was the importance of curiosity. She believes that anyone working in communications, and honestly anyone in any role, should be a true student of the company they work for.
“Go over the annual report. Understand how your business makes money. Learn the strategy. Know the culture. That’s how you become truly valuable.”
She explained that becoming a student of the business is not about impressing leadership. It is about becoming effective, relevant, and credible in the long run. That idea deeply resonated with me because it reframes growth as responsibility rather than performance alone.
Collaboration is one of Allison’s strongest values, and she spoke openly about the damage silos can cause inside organizations. Over time, teams tend to become insular. They focus only on their own goals, their deadlines, and their internal pressures. While that may feel efficient, it often creates disconnection.
“It’s one company, one goal, and one enterprise.”
She strongly encourages people to raise their hand during large cross-functional projects and become the hub. To connect teams. To break silos. To build bridges between departments. Deep trust, she explained, must be built across the entire organization, not just within individual teams.
One of the most inspiring aspects of Allison’s perspective is how intentional she is about relationships. Not only with leadership, but in every direction. She actively builds relationships with peers, stays connected with junior employees, and makes herself available to others.
“You can learn so much from people at every stage. You just have to be open to it.”
She also shared one very practical habit that reflects this mindset. She sets personal reminders to network every six weeks, not in a transactional way, but intentionally, to stay connected and nurture relationships over time. That level of consistency shows that relationships do not just happen. They are built with care.
Allison also spoke openly about discomfort and how much it fuels her growth.
“I love discomfort. It usually means I am growing.”
When it comes to interviews and career moves, her advice is grounded and strategic. She emphasized the importance of researching the company deeply before applying. Understanding how the business works, how decisions are made, how culture shows up, and how value is created is essential. She also encourages people to identify four to five highly transferable skills and focus on shaping perception and providing value rather than trying to be everything at once.
My Reflection
What stayed with me most after this conversation is how grounded her advice is. None of it is flashy. None of it relies on trends. It is built on curiosity, relationships, trust, and responsibility. This made me reflect on how often growth is portrayed as something fast or external, when in reality it is built quietly through consistency and intentionality. I have personally witnessed how silos can slow teams down, create misalignment, and weaken trust. Hearing her articulate the importance of breaking those silos made me reflect on moments where stronger collaboration could have shifted entire outcomes. It also reminded me how often communication is seen as a support function, when in reality it is central to how organizations move, grow, and heal.
While I found myself aligned with much of what Allison shared, what makes her perspective especially powerful is not just the advice itself, but how consistently it centers human behaviour inside organizations. Her emphasis on curiosity challenges the belief that experience alone is enough. Her encouragement to break silos pushes against the comfort of staying within one’s lane. Her focus on relationships across levels reminds us that leadership is not only directional, but relational.
What stood out most to me is that her approach requires emotional intelligence and long-term thinking. Becoming the bridge between teams is not always easy. Staying a student of the business requires humility. Building relationships across levels requires patience and intention. These are not shortcuts to success. They are commitments. This conversation reshaped how I think about impact. Not as loud visibility or control, but as trust that lasts, curiosity that deepens, and communication that connects rather than divides. And in a time where uncertainty is constant, those qualities feel more valuable than ever.
Credentials
Interviewee: Allison F.
Current Role: Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Background: Former agency professional specializing in media relations and storytelling. Transitioned into corporate communications through a lateral move to help shape how a company is seen in the public eye.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonfitton/
Written by Priscila, reflecting on growth through career shifts, community, and lived experience.
Image generated using Canva AI.
By Priscila • November 25, 2025
When I thought about who I wanted to feature for this project, Allison was the very first person who came to mind. Not because of a title or where she works, but because of how she thinks about people, business, and communication. We all navigate uncertainty at some point in our careers, and corporate communications is one of those areas that quietly shapes everything. Culture, trust, internal clarity, and public perception all meet there. I have personally lived through moments where I felt communication could have been handled better, and that is exactly why her perspective felt so important to share.
For privacy reasons, I will not share her employer. What matters most is the journey she has built, the mindset she carries, and the lessons she shared during a group conversation in a university-level communications class.
Allison began her career working in an agency environment, where she was deeply involved with media relations and storytelling. That early phase exposed her to fast-paced work, tight deadlines, and the pressure that comes with shaping external narratives. The turning point came when a lateral opportunity opened within a company. Instead of continuing along the agency path, she made the decision to move into corporate communications and help shape how a business would be seen from the inside out and in the public eye. That leap of faith became one of the most important steps in her career and ultimately led her to earn deep trust and respect across teams.
One of the first things she shared about her work stayed with me immediately.
“When you work with people and reputation, you never really know what’s going to be on your plate.”
That unpredictability, she explained, is exactly what makes communications both challenging and deeply meaningful. It requires staying sharp, emotionally aware, and adaptable at all times.
One of Allison’s strongest messages throughout the conversation was the importance of curiosity. She believes that anyone working in communications, and honestly anyone in any role, should be a true student of the company they work for.
“Go over the annual report. Understand how your business makes money. Learn the strategy. Know the culture. That’s how you become truly valuable.”
She explained that becoming a student of the business is not about impressing leadership. It is about becoming effective, relevant, and credible in the long run. That idea deeply resonated with me because it reframes growth as responsibility rather than performance alone.
Collaboration is one of Allison’s strongest values, and she spoke openly about the damage silos can cause inside organizations. Over time, teams tend to become insular. They focus only on their own goals, their deadlines, and their internal pressures. While that may feel efficient, it often creates disconnection.
“It’s one company, one goal, and one enterprise.”
She strongly encourages people to raise their hand during large cross-functional projects and become the hub. To connect teams. To break silos. To build bridges between departments. Deep trust, she explained, must be built across the entire organization, not just within individual teams.
One of the most inspiring aspects of Allison’s perspective is how intentional she is about relationships. Not only with leadership, but in every direction. She actively builds relationships with peers, stays connected with junior employees, and makes herself available to others.
“You can learn so much from people at every stage. You just have to be open to it.”
She also shared one very practical habit that reflects this mindset. She sets personal reminders to network every six weeks, not in a transactional way, but intentionally, to stay connected and nurture relationships over time. That level of consistency shows that relationships do not just happen. They are built with care.
Allison also spoke openly about discomfort and how much it fuels her growth.
“I love discomfort. It usually means I am growing.”
When it comes to interviews and career moves, her advice is grounded and strategic. She emphasized the importance of researching the company deeply before applying. Understanding how the business works, how decisions are made, how culture shows up, and how value is created is essential. She also encourages people to identify four to five highly transferable skills and focus on shaping perception and providing value rather than trying to be everything at once.
My Reflection
What stayed with me most after this conversation is how grounded her advice is. None of it is flashy. None of it relies on trends. It is built on curiosity, relationships, trust, and responsibility. This made me reflect on how often growth is portrayed as something fast or external, when in reality it is built quietly through consistency and intentionality. I have personally witnessed how silos can slow teams down, create misalignment, and weaken trust. Hearing her articulate the importance of breaking those silos made me reflect on moments where stronger collaboration could have shifted entire outcomes. It also reminded me how often communication is seen as a support function, when in reality it is central to how organizations move, grow, and heal.
While I found myself aligned with much of what Allison shared, what makes her perspective especially powerful is not just the advice itself, but how consistently it centers human behaviour inside organizations. Her emphasis on curiosity challenges the belief that experience alone is enough. Her encouragement to break silos pushes against the comfort of staying within one’s lane. Her focus on relationships across levels reminds us that leadership is not only directional, but relational.
What stood out most to me is that her approach requires emotional intelligence and long-term thinking. Becoming the bridge between teams is not always easy. Staying a student of the business requires humility. Building relationships across levels requires patience and intention. These are not shortcuts to success. They are commitments. This conversation reshaped how I think about impact. Not as loud visibility or control, but as trust that lasts, curiosity that deepens, and communication that connects rather than divides. And in a time where uncertainty is constant, those qualities feel more valuable than ever.
Credentials
Interviewee: Allison F.
Current Role: Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Background: Former agency professional specializing in media relations and storytelling. Transitioned into corporate communications through a lateral move to help shape how a company is seen in the public eye.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonfitton/
Written by Priscila, reflecting on growth through career shifts, community, and lived experience.
Image generated using Canva AI.
By Priscila • November 25, 2025
When I thought about who I wanted to feature for this project, Allison was the very first person who came to mind. Not because of a title or where she works, but because of how she thinks about people, business, and communication. We all navigate uncertainty at some point in our careers, and corporate communications is one of those areas that quietly shapes everything. Culture, trust, internal clarity, and public perception all meet there. I have personally lived through moments where I felt communication could have been handled better, and that is exactly why her perspective felt so important to share.
For privacy reasons, I will not share her employer. What matters most is the journey she has built, the mindset she carries, and the lessons she shared during a group conversation in a university-level communications class.
Allison began her career working in an agency environment, where she was deeply involved with media relations and storytelling. That early phase exposed her to fast-paced work, tight deadlines, and the pressure that comes with shaping external narratives. The turning point came when a lateral opportunity opened within a company. Instead of continuing along the agency path, she made the decision to move into corporate communications and help shape how a business would be seen from the inside out and in the public eye. That leap of faith became one of the most important steps in her career and ultimately led her to earn deep trust and respect across teams.
One of the first things she shared about her work stayed with me immediately.
“When you work with people and reputation, you never really know what’s going to be on your plate.”
That unpredictability, she explained, is exactly what makes communications both challenging and deeply meaningful. It requires staying sharp, emotionally aware, and adaptable at all times.
One of Allison’s strongest messages throughout the conversation was the importance of curiosity. She believes that anyone working in communications, and honestly anyone in any role, should be a true student of the company they work for.
“Go over the annual report. Understand how your business makes money. Learn the strategy. Know the culture. That’s how you become truly valuable.”
She explained that becoming a student of the business is not about impressing leadership. It is about becoming effective, relevant, and credible in the long run. That idea deeply resonated with me because it reframes growth as responsibility rather than performance alone.
Collaboration is one of Allison’s strongest values, and she spoke openly about the damage silos can cause inside organizations. Over time, teams tend to become insular. They focus only on their own goals, their deadlines, and their internal pressures. While that may feel efficient, it often creates disconnection.
“It’s one company, one goal, and one enterprise.”
She strongly encourages people to raise their hand during large cross-functional projects and become the hub. To connect teams. To break silos. To build bridges between departments. Deep trust, she explained, must be built across the entire organization, not just within individual teams.
One of the most inspiring aspects of Allison’s perspective is how intentional she is about relationships. Not only with leadership, but in every direction. She actively builds relationships with peers, stays connected with junior employees, and makes herself available to others.
“You can learn so much from people at every stage. You just have to be open to it.”
She also shared one very practical habit that reflects this mindset. She sets personal reminders to network every six weeks, not in a transactional way, but intentionally, to stay connected and nurture relationships over time. That level of consistency shows that relationships do not just happen. They are built with care.
Allison also spoke openly about discomfort and how much it fuels her growth.
“I love discomfort. It usually means I am growing.”
When it comes to interviews and career moves, her advice is grounded and strategic. She emphasized the importance of researching the company deeply before applying. Understanding how the business works, how decisions are made, how culture shows up, and how value is created is essential. She also encourages people to identify four to five highly transferable skills and focus on shaping perception and providing value rather than trying to be everything at once.
My Reflection
What stayed with me most after this conversation is how grounded her advice is. None of it is flashy. None of it relies on trends. It is built on curiosity, relationships, trust, and responsibility. This made me reflect on how often growth is portrayed as something fast or external, when in reality it is built quietly through consistency and intentionality. I have personally witnessed how silos can slow teams down, create misalignment, and weaken trust. Hearing her articulate the importance of breaking those silos made me reflect on moments where stronger collaboration could have shifted entire outcomes. It also reminded me how often communication is seen as a support function, when in reality it is central to how organizations move, grow, and heal.
While I found myself aligned with much of what Allison shared, what makes her perspective especially powerful is not just the advice itself, but how consistently it centers human behaviour inside organizations. Her emphasis on curiosity challenges the belief that experience alone is enough. Her encouragement to break silos pushes against the comfort of staying within one’s lane. Her focus on relationships across levels reminds us that leadership is not only directional, but relational.
What stood out most to me is that her approach requires emotional intelligence and long-term thinking. Becoming the bridge between teams is not always easy. Staying a student of the business requires humility. Building relationships across levels requires patience and intention. These are not shortcuts to success. They are commitments. This conversation reshaped how I think about impact. Not as loud visibility or control, but as trust that lasts, curiosity that deepens, and communication that connects rather than divides. And in a time where uncertainty is constant, those qualities feel more valuable than ever.
Credentials
Interviewee: Allison F.
Current Role: Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Background: Former agency professional specializing in media relations and storytelling. Transitioned into corporate communications through a lateral move to help shape how a company is seen in the public eye.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonfitton/
Written by Priscila, reflecting on growth through career shifts, community, and lived experience.
Image generated using Canva AI.
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