Choosing the right major is an important step, but it’s not the only part of college that can have a big impact on the future. University of South Carolina alumnus Corey Jones knows that firsthand. His 2014 degree in hospitality management has been a big part of his career, but another interest developed as a Gamecock has brought him nationwide acclaim.
Jones, who now calls Atlanta home, has not one but two thriving careers. He is an early career recruiter for Google and a digital content creator with more than 100,000 subscribers on YouTube and another 30,000 on TikTok.
He creates and shares videos with the goal of inspiring others to live an authentic and genuine lifestyle. His work earned him a place in Emerging 100 Atlanta and recognition as a 2022 YouTube Black Voices Creator, one of only 40 selected from across the U.S. and Canada. He appeared on a billboard in Los Angeles as part of that honor. It all started at USC.
I think a lot of my experiences in college were valuable, from being president of my fraternity to talking to potential students as an HRSM ambassador. Also when it came to hospitality, having to speak in front of people in classes helped make me comfortable in order to excel in my career as a recruiter and even being on camera.
"When I was a student, I used to take pictures and videos for my fraternity. Once I graduated, it kind of started collecting dust and then I was like, I just need to put this to use again. So I got on YouTube and ended up popping the camera up, hitting record and started talking to it. And that was the start of something. It was originally just giving advice to people going to college, doing a fraternity, stuff like that," he explains.
Jones, who grew up in Sumter, South Carolina, made the most of his time at USC. He served as a student ambassador for the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management and worked as a building manager at Russell House.
"I think a lot of my experiences in college were valuable, from being president of my fraternity to talking to potential students as an HRSM ambassador. That's actually what gave me the itch to want to be in admissions, just having those experiences of talking to people. Also when it came to hospitality, having to speak in front of people in classes helped make me comfortable in order to excel in my career as a recruiter and even being on camera," he says.
After USC, Jones worked at Walt Disney World as part of the Disney College Program. He returned to Columbia and worked in hotel management before taking a position as an admissions counselor with the USC Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
“That started my segue into recruiting,” he says of his role with admissions. After his time with USC admissions, he moved to Atlanta and worked for Deloitte Consulting as a recruiting coordinator before joining the Google team. It’s been quite a journey from his small-town beginnings.
“A lot of people I knew growing up are still in Sumter, so it is a big jump to leave to go to a bigger city. At first I was scared, but the opportunities came and I knew it was time for me to take a leap and follow my passion,” Jones says.
Following his passion has paid off for Corey Jones, and his future is bright. He offers advice to current and future Gamecocks who are now or soon will be where he was not so long ago.
"Tap into your interests. I think sometimes when you go to college, you get tunnel vision on your particular major or maybe what people said you would be good at without trying to tap into what you're truly interested in. That's what happened with me. I realized that I was interested in cameras and videography, so I did my own research and ended up being what I am today. Also, don't be afraid to take leaps and different steps to exploring those interests, even if it seems a little scary."