Since your graduation from MU, what has been your career path?
Two months after graduation, I landed a job as the Corporate Marketing Assistant at Tecta America Corp. located just north of Chicago in Skokie, IL. Tecta America Corp. is the nation's largest commercial roofing contracting company with over 50 locations and 3,500 employees. Three years later, I am still with Tecta America Corp., but have moved into a Marketing Coordinator Role which enables me to make more decisions and take on greater responsibilities.
Describe your typical workday.
I get into work at around 7:30am and go through my long-term project list and then create a list of tasks that I need to do during the day. The marketing department is only comprised of 3 people so we work on many marketing initiatives with an outside agency. I also work collaboratively on projects with our sales department and HR team. I work in our corporate office just about everyday unless there is a meeting offsite. During our fall and spring trade show seasons, I travel to set-up our booth and organize our exhibitors for the show. This year we have attended 5 shows and have 2 more that we will be at this fall.
What is the best or most exciting part of your profession?
Marketing is such a broad field that encompasses many different areas: PR, Direct Marketing, Website Development, Collateral Development, Design, Event Planning. It so interesting to work on projects in all of these areas and then to focus on the areas that you find the most intriguing or fit with your personality and skill-set best.
What advice would you provide for a job seeker in your field?
Network, network, network. Without any career experience, it is so important to get advice from any professional in the field that you wish to pursue a job. Let your friends and family members know that you've graduated and are looking for a job in a particular field. They'll spread the word.
What are essential skills one must possess for success in your field?
In marketing it is essential to be open-minded to new ideas and technology, gain a clear understanding of your target customers, recognize opportunities and threats from the competition in your marketplace, and analyze how your customers perceive your company in the marketplace in order to determine how well your marketing tactics are working and what can be changed in order to obtain new business and engage current customers.
What can a current Marquette student do to effectively prepare for a career in your field?
I would suggest students who only know the basics of Microsoft Office, to take some advanced courses in Microsoft Excel and or Powerpoint. Additionally, being skilled in Adobe Photo Shop and/or Illustrator would make you more valuable to companies looking for a marketing employee.
How does one find a summer job or internship in your field, and are there any other opportunities to gain experience before graduation?
Although I had searched for a marketing internship, I did not obtain one nor did I have any business marketing experience previous to graduation. Many large companies offer summer internships, but it can be quite difficult to find one that is a paid internship. However, I did have experience managing a tennis pro shop for two summers at a country club. Managing the tennis pro shop enabled me to learn about many business functions and how theyare interrelated to ensure that the business strategy is being carried out properly to achieve the goals of the business. Additionally, this job leveraged my customer service skills to a much higher level.
