ERIC OLSON

 

EXPERIENCE

Senior Digital Content Writer

BestBuy.com     

January 1999-Present (Richfield, MN)

• Currently Senior Digital Content Writer for some of the biggest initiatives in the company, including
  My Best Buy membership, Best Buy Business, Geek Squad Services and internal brands

• Extensive experience writing creative, promotional and in-depth informational copy

• Skilled in taking complex information and making it easy to understand

• Strengths in UX design, creative concepting/wireframing and strategic thinking

• Public recognition for 4K Ultra HD TV work by Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy

• Lead writer for many years in movies and music, at a time when the businesses were booming, and creative presentations were paramount

• Leading member of Renew Blue project that created buying guides/new-style product detail pages

• Main provider of writer training, mentoring and copywriting guidance for a staff of Renew Blue writers

• Leading member of team that pushed for integrating web analytics throughout BestBuy.com. I also provided weekly data and analysis for the music and movies departments.

• Skilled in using content production tools, Figma and editing HTML

 

 

Director of Foreign Staff

Daiei Education System
March 1996 – June 1998 (Fukuoka, Japan)

Hired by the largest provider of professional adult education in Japan. Responsible for all hiring, training, mentoring and managing of teachers, and acted as liaison between Japanese management and the foreign staff (12-14 teachers). I also redesigned the business model for the schools and supervised the initial writing of a new English textbook.
 

Features Writer/Columnist/Copy Editor
Mainichi Daily News/Asahi Evening News/Asahi Shimbun/RADAR Magazine
January 1993 – March 1996 (Fukuoka, Japan)
Took on a wide range of major freelance writing assignments with national newspapers/magazines in Japan, including a yearlong project with the Asahi Shimbun, the second largest newspaper in the world. I also covered the Kobe earthquake for a variety of news outlets, wrote a series of cover stories for RADAR magazine, and wrote a regular music column and dozens of album reviews per month for the Mainichi Daily News. I helped lead a large staff of free-lance writers at RADAR magazine, assigned stories and provided feedback and full editing for their work.

 

Head Teacher/Manager, Instructor
International House
March 1988 – June 1994 (Fukuoka, Japan)
Responsible for all hiring, training, mentoring and managing of teachers at a large English language school in Fukuoka, Japan, and acted as liaison between Japanese management and the foreign staff (7-8 teachers). I also designed complete TOEFL and language skills courses for the school.

 

 

Freelance Editor
Various
1988 – 1998 (Fukuoka, Japan)
Edited numerous English-language articles, documents and research papers for Japanese doctors, lawyers, businesspeople and government workers.

 

 

Music Director/DJ
KSTO-AM Radio
1981 - 1984 (Northfield, MN)
Oversaw all on-air production, including the placement of DJs, advertising and special programming. Shaped a previously floundering format into a progressive and innovative sound.

 

 

EDUCATION
St. Olaf College
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English, Philosophical Theology
1981 – 1985 (Northfield, MN)
 

GRE Scores
Verbal 730 (99th percentile), Analytical 780 (97th percentile) and Quantitative 710 (81st percentile)

 

PSAT Score
National Honor Society Commendation


VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Co-organized three relief trips to earthquake-stricken Kobe just days and weeks after the quake. Our groups cooked hot meals and delivered goods, clothes, medicine and physician care to tent camps within the city.


OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Home music studio, Japanese language study, travel, movies, music, hiking, biking, tennis, basketball

 

 

REVIEWS OF MY MANAGEMENT ABILITIES