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arththy · 4 years

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thanks marketing seminar series

For all intents and purposes, I did not fully enter this program with the idea that going into marketing would be

A) Interesting; or,

B) Fun

I just wanted a job, and I regretted my undergrad since I would have to get a master's to get anywhere in the field.

I never would’ve expected that marketing would be so nuanced. I used to believe it was limited to the scope of advertising but now I know so much more. Learning from industry professionals and gaining their personal insights of the field made me feel reassured that no matter what kind of marketing I end up in, I’ll succeed if I am engaged in my work.

I don’t think I’ll ever be as passionate about mass marketing as Matthew was, but I don’t think that means I’ll be bad at marketing. Maybe I’ll take an approach similar to Cindy and work my way up towards a part of marketing where I will find my place and feel confident. Or like Katherine and take a higher interest in utilizing data to make judgement calls. Even now, I don’t think I’ll be in the realm of research like Paige, but that doesn’t mean it’s crossed off my list of opportunities forever; I’m open to revisiting that field if I feel bored in my career. Then again, marketing isn’t the long term goal, so who’s to say where I’ll end up.

The most important thing I learned is that I need to constantly reflect to grow. I think it’s an important life lesson in general. Every person who came in kept mentioning how in order to be better with a successful campaign or strategy, they had to look back and see what they did right and what missed. I’m pretty anxious so reviewing my work makes me a little uncomfortable. But I need to look at my mistakes so I can do better, even if it is hard. It’s like that quote I see on RedBubble all the time, “grow through what you go through”.

I won’t lie, I truly did not want to build a relationship or network with anyone who came to class. Honestly, it’s partially due to my own gripe with networking, but also because it would be disingenuous to talk to someone for the sake of me adding them to my network. If I felt a real bond/connection/interest with these people, then maybe I would’ve made the effort. But I honestly didn’t. Part of this may stem from the fact that I don’t see myself in marketing forever, so I rather network with people who may lead me to the career I want to have later in life.

Networking Tips!

Start with an icebreaker, a non-sequitur that isn’t directly related to business

Ease into a conversation about connecting with them

Ask a lot of questions and be an engaged listener

Be critical of who you choose to connect with, don’t force it if it doesn’t feel natural

I go to a lot of events in the arts and culture industry or global affairs. My friends are in these circles and I feel more at home in these environments. I still feel a disconnect with myself and marketing. I’m not sure how to bridge the gap yet, but making friends in the field has helped. Marketing feels like a cog in the capitalist machine, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be content playing along in a system that profits over exploiting people, their data and their vulnerabilities.

I don’t think I’ve ever used LinkedIn as much as I did during this entire program. I even kept recommending the platform to my friends who were looking for jobs. A lot of them felt that other job boards posted scams, but I found that LinkedIn was quite credible. The information readily available to me about companies and people was astounding.

The only downfall of LinkedIn that I found is the number of people spending time on the platform to clap for big business and billionaires. Obviously, this site is built to highlight and shine accomplishments and positive qualities. Despite how much I voice my disappointment in my undergrad, I love and appreciate how much I learned and the critical analytical skills I have developed. I can’t just take these companies showing off on face-value; I need to do full in-depth research.

I once attended a job fair event that had an engineering consultancy company, who proceeded to talk at length about their work for charities and helping ‘the poor’. But this company was also accused of harming local villages in their oil drilling in South American countries they were working in, displacing some residents during their construction. It was difficult to listen to them say how wonderful of a company they were and all the people who were adoring this company for their work.

I’m not going to drink some stranger’s Kool-Aid no matter how much they say it’s delicious. I need to know what’s really in there.

What's next for me?

I’ll be doing my co-op with the government over the summer (if it happens). I signed my contract already so hopefully the pandemic doesn’t nullify my position.

I didn’t network to get this position. I think I secured this position from the interview skills I learned during my work prep course and my own intelligence. I answered the questions with honesty and gave a fair description of my work ethic and behaviour. During the test portion of my interview, I tried my best. But I don’t know who the other candidates were, and I don’t know their skill set, so I won’t know with 100% certainty what got me the job.

One thing I am looking forward to is that apparently, every person who has worked this position for their co-op secured a full-time job somewhere else with the help of my future boss. They told me they really pride themselves on helping their co-op students secure a job and want to see them be successful. I’m very grateful and fortunate for being supported by such an environment. I look forward to working with them.

TLDR;

When I started this program, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy marketing and do this long-term. But now, from all that I’ve learned from industry professionals and connecting with certain people during my job hunt, I know now that marketing is only a stepping stone for me and my career.