Mitchell Grad Takes a Strategic Start to His Career
Posted on July 14, 2026
#MyFirstJob is a series focused on recent graduates of the University of South Alabama.
When Logan Murphy graduated from the University of South Alabama this spring with a degree in business and a concentration in sales, he already knew his employer, and they already knew his value.
The Mitchell College of Business grad had spent the spring semester interning at WALA FOX10, where he intentionally set out to become “indispensable” before graduating. Just five days after Commencement, the company hired him full time as a digital strategist account coordinator, a new position he helped shape to give him a deeper understanding of the business before moving fully into sales.
“I wanted to learn how the sausage gets made before I started selling it,” Murphy said.
Instead of jumping immediately into client-facing sales, Murphy is learning the production and strategy behind advertising campaigns, from creating commercial storyboards and coordinating production to prospecting new clients and participating in sales calls. The role prepares him to manage his own book of business when he transitions to commission-based sales.
The job also reflects how advertising has evolved beyond traditional television commercials. Murphy works with campaigns that can include streaming television, digital audio, search engine marketing and email campaigns.
“It’s changed so much,” he said. “If it’s a form of advertising, we can make it happen.”
His education at South helped prepare him for that fast-changing environment. Professional sales courses exposed him to real-world selling scenarios and brought industry recruiters into the classroom. One of those recruiters introduced Murphy to Gray Media, the parent company of FOX10’s station group, leading directly to his internship.
Murphy said the role appealed to him because it combines relationship-building with helping local businesses grow in the region where he’s spent his entire life.
“You have people who took out a loan against their name to do something they love,” he said of working with local, often family-owned businesses. “You get to help market that. If you do well enough, you’re helping them build something that can become generational wealth.”
His path to the job also drew on experiences outside the classroom.
Murphy recently completed six years in the Alabama Army National Guard, where he earned the rank of sergeant. He credits the military with teaching him to stay focused under changing circumstances and tight deadlines, skills that translate directly to managing advertising campaigns.
He also bartended throughout college, an experience he says sharpened his ability to read people and build relationships.
“My favorite part wasn’t making the drinks,” he said. “It was talking to people.”
Those conversations taught him when to simply provide a service and when to build a lasting relationship. That’s an instinct he now uses when meeting prospective clients.
Leadership opportunities at South also played a pivotal role. As president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and vice president of marketing for Jaguar Productions, Murphy developed leadership experience while building a network that ultimately opened the door to his internship.
“Taking that leap of faith is huge,” he said. “You never know what decision you make today is going to affect you five years down the road.”
