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Joy Wendelken ’02

Joy Wendelken ’02

Joy Wendelken ‘02 graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in marketing and a minor in communications, with the interest in going into working with a marketing firm. However, her recent graduation and age made employers interested in her ability to work and develop web design. Now, as Senior Manager Omnichannel Operations at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Joy especially appreciates developing this early software and marketing strategies. She has been at Johnson & Johnson for 6.5 years and started her current position two months ago.

“My job didn’t exist in 2002,” said Joy. “Everything is so new, you get to test it and you get to fail. And a lot of people support that process because the more you fail, the more you learn, and you can bring that experience to the table as you’re looking at new roles and positions that you can create for yourself.”

As a TCNJ student, Joy was involved in intramural volleyball, enjoyed running the Metzger Drive loop around the College, and also served as a member of the Asian Student Association. “I didn’t think there would be clubs like that,” coming from a majority caucasion high school. She especially appreciates the approachability and small size of TCNJ.

Joy was concerned about getting a job, like most college students, especially considering she had no family background in marketing. However, through her classes and mentors, such as Professor McCarty, she developed a strong interest in market research. “I still think about those classes,” said Joy. She particularly enjoyed her statistics course, because it wasn’t just math, it was an untraditional way to apply data.

She still connects this mindset to her current work in visual analytics and managing day-to-day tasks. Some of her daily tasks include “trying to govern and standardize how we look at marketing from an operations perspective,” Joy said. “We have a lot of brands within Janssen and a lot of different products. We’re looking at how we market them, based on project management and how to run proper campaigns.”

Advice to students: “Explore chances. Take classes you’re curious about, because majors aren’t always set in stone and it doesn’t matter later in your career.” Also, Joy discussed how when it comes to interviewing, you become smarter and insightful about seeing the signs. You are more selective and grow confident about interviewing the company itself.

Interests/Fun facts: Based in Hillsborough, NJ, Joy is married with three children, ages 10, 8, and 3. “Being a working mom is hard! You rely on every resource, but it is still rewarding.” She is working remotely now, but Johnson & Johnson has every intention of returning to the offices. She is also helping her children with remote work. Joy enjoys running and movies. “I am a cinephile. I consider past movies like childhood memories.”

Contact

School of Business

Business Building, Room 114
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628

609.771.3064
business@tcnj.edu