An eye-opening career change that revealed the world of travel and tourism

Among the torrent of workers leaving the safe harbors of previous careers during the pandemic, Sarah Bellamy found her next great opportunity at Tempest.

After the pandemic forced her previous employer to shift her role and responsibilities, Bellamy decided to pursue a new challenge and refocus on her background and passion in marketing and communications. A longtime subscriber of Technical.ly’s newsletters, she was intrigued by a job post from Center City-based destination solutions provider Tempest — and soon found herself happily surrounded by creative and congenial colleagues in her new position as content specialist.

Tempest helps destination marketing organizations across North America attract visitors with their expert web development, design and marketing services, while their destination management CRM software, iDSS, helps those same destinations manage community partners, sales leads, events, email campaigns and more. The company has used Technical.ly’s Talent Pro platform since 2021 to raise its profile within the Philly tech scene via its Culture Page, content highlighting its team and, of course, job postings. Tempest’s presence on Technical.ly caught Bellamy’s eye, and she joined the team in September 2021.

We recently reached out to Bellamy to learn more about her experience so far and what excites her about Tempest.

What is your current role, and what are your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities like?

I am a content specialist at Tempest. I research and write strategic content for our clients’ websites and email marketing campaigns, while also improving SEO rankings to increase organic traffic and elevate other KPIs.

Basically, I have a dream job where I get to create content for top travel destinations throughout the United States and Canada. One minute I’ll write a blog about fishing in Long Beach, California, then I’ll update the layout of a web page for Gallup, New Mexico; next I’ll work on an email campaign focused on golf getaways in northeast Florida, and finish up the afternoon writing about places to stay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. There’s never a dull moment and I feel fortunate that I get paid to explore so many different places and learn about what makes each of them unique and special on a daily basis. It’s deeply satisfying to know your research and words are helping countless travelers plan vacations and discover these remarkable destinations — sometimes I have to pinch myself.

What was your background before joining Tempest?

Before joining Tempest, I was the communications director for a children’s arts and enrichment center. During the pandemic we were forced to pivot, like many organizations, and we opened a full-time preschool. We had a small team, so I juggled a lot of responsibilities from marketing, web design and managing social media, to leading parent info sessions and teaching in the classroom. It was a wild ride and a great learning experience.

How would you describe the work environment and culture at Tempest?

The work environment at Tempest can really be described as collaborative. Everyone on the team is super knowledgeable. Our roles are very interwoven, so we are all eager to lift each other up in any way we can whether through knowledge sharing, brainstorming or just moral support and high fives. We work together to help destination marketing organizations achieve their goals, which is ultimately bringing awareness to their community and a voice to the people who live and work there.

What are you excited about most in your new role?

This might sound nerdy, but I’m most excited about learning as much as I can about content marketing and development. I’ve recently earned several Google Ads certifications and am interested in learning as much as I can about SEO best practices and how data enforces key messaging decisions. I’m hoping to really enhance my content creation and writing skills as well along the way.

What interests/hobbies/activities do you enjoy outside of work?

When I’m not at work, I love to explore Philadelphia — find new parks to hike, attend festivals, go to Sixers games and visit art galleries and museums. I try to stay involved with my local community and actually manage social media accounts for a local neighborhood association (East Kensington Neighbors Association). I also recently bought a skateboard so I’m trying to improve my skills — and not break a leg — riding one sidewalk at a time.

What part did Technical.ly play in your job search?

I was a part of the “Great Resignation.” While my previous employer pivoted, my role changed significantly as well, so I wanted to get back to my marketing and communication roots. During the pandemic, I would often look at Technical.ly’s newsletter for job listings that might pertain to my skills. I was introduced to Technical.ly during Philly Tech Week in 2014 (I signed up to play Tetris ON the Cira Centre) and joined the Technical.ly newsletter in 2017 when I was in between jobs.

Thank goodness I did. One morning, I was sitting outside drinking coffee and scrolling through my email on my phone. At the very bottom of the Technical.ly newsletter was a job listing for a marketing position at Tempest. Although I had a ton of experience in communications, I had none in the tourism industry. But nonetheless, I applied right away and a few weeks later I was sitting at my desk overlooking City Hall in our downtown office.

Sometimes I think about how opening that email changed my life. I am now in a career that I love. I work with a group of some of the kindest, smartest people I’ve ever met, and I’ve learned so much since becoming part of the team. I’m traveling to Dallas in May for Tourism Academy, Tempest’s annual travel marketing conference, and look forward to visiting other client destinations throughout the year. Without Technical.ly, I may not have ever even known about Tempest or the great work they do for communities across North America.

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