Last Tuesday, the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin hosted Made for Marketing, a networking event to connect students, professors, and industry professionals with the bonus of free Chik-fil-A being provided.
More than 200 students came in attendance, prompting the joke that perhaps the on-campus and social media advertising generated such a large turnout that the demand for food was greater than the supply.
The event was to encourage everyone to be more practical about and more involved in their potential careers in marketing. It provided the opportunity to connect with younger alumni and professors in order to understand different aspects of marketing and what courses to take during college to pursue the right track for those specific areas of marketing. Course packets with required and elective marketing courses were given to all attendees. Attendees were also given the following handout:
Jobs in Marketing
- Project Manager / Campaign Manager
Project managers oversee project management both internally and externally. They supervise the people assigned to the marketing campaign.
- Consumer Insight Analyst
Neither modelers, staticians, or data analysts, consumer insight analysts work in a more abstract and qualitative aspect, providing recommendations and suggestions to help the company retain and gain customers.
- Digital Marketer
Digital marketers work in a wide array of fields in that they have to understand how to use many digital tools to reach customers, gain brand recognition, and advertise the company’s product or service. The types of marketing can include social media marketing, email marketing, pay-per-click ads, and analytics among many facets of the digital marketing world.
- Sales and Business Development Manager
Sales and business development managers are the “cornerstone” of any company, because they analyze markets and partners to generate leads and reach new customers. The sales role requires you to meet with clients to negotiate while keeping KPI targets in mind.
- Product Marketer and Manager
Product marketers identify the positioning of their company’s product or service within the market, concoct a launch strategy and a long-term performance plan, and coordinate marketing execution across teams.
- Consultant
Strategy consultants evaluate the state of the company and provide high-level advice customized for the client. These consultants work with other business, providing their services through B2B channels (generally email).
- Marketing Specialist
Marketing specialists work across all industries to communicate and advertise a company’s product or service. Many of these specialists work in teams to prepare marketing campaigns to increase sales. Over time, their job has traveled into the digital marketing spectrum and now sometimes involves broader responsiblities that include market ressearch and analytics.
Company Connections
Many companies graciously provided there time and knowledge and were able to provide the students in attendance with information that they can follow up on. These companies include:
UT Austin Students
While much of the information presented can generally be applied to any students interested in marketing, there was also some insight provided specifically for UT marketing students in regard in professors and courses.
- Professor Alex Gabbi – lectures about small businesses and entrepreneurship, involved in non-profits and start-ups, works with Wonders and Worries (You can learn more insightful and touching information on Professor Gabbi’s own personal website: http://www.alexgabbi.com/public/.
- Professor Robert Peterson – market consulting
Recruiting Through LinkedIn
While networking can be daunting, the presenters at Made in Marketing provided some very wise and useful information to guide students while they are beginning or going through the recruiting process.
Do not be afraid to reach out and connect to individuals on LinkedIn who work for companies that you are interested in or careers you are interested in. You can politely to ask for an informational interview to be scheduled over Zoom or just a casual chat to glean knowledge from their career experiences. These industry experts were in your positions at some point, so they understand what you are going through and are often very willing to help.
Additionally, many times, you can get recruited directly from LinkedIn. (Check your messages!) This happens when you add specific keywords to your Linkedin that target recruiters or connections specific to your interested industry or career. Remember to specify and elaborate on your roles and experiences to increase your chances of being recruited. Also include a detailed bio that goes in depth about yourself and your passions and skills. This should be the response to a “tell me about yourself” interview question.
TEXAS AMERICAN MARKETING ASSOCIATION 