One thing I've wondered is, what do these people actually DO for a living? What pays their bills? They all seem to spend a decent amount of time online...lol.
I realize that I may have hinted at what I do - from business trips to brands I work on and perhaps mention here and there.
I'm one of what I call the "lucky ones" meaning that I'm in an industry that matches my degree. That's not often the case!
I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. (Is there still time to decide?)
My senior year of college, my dad pushed me to do an internship.
I didn't really want to.
BUT.
I generally listen to my dad.
I had a friend in a marketing class who was doing an internship at an agency downtown.
I went in for an interview.
30 minutes late.
Soaking wet.
I didn't know where I was going so I got lost.
I walked in, sopping wet, handed over my resume which was now stained purple from my folder (which I used to cover my head in the downpour, walking 4 blocks to the building).
I didn't think I'd get the internship.
Because duh.
Well, I walked in, put my hand out to shake hers and said "I'm sorry I'm late, here's my resume, thanks for taking the time to chat".
She pretty much hired me as an intern on the spot. She said I took accountability, apologized and moved on.
That launched my career in marketing.
That supervisor of mine - I'll remember her forever. She was SUCH a great mentor to me and really helped me understand the industry I had just gotten into.
I'm now an Account Supervisor who leads our Account Service Department and have 5 direct reports.
I handle strategy for a number of clients/accounts (Food/Spirits, Higher Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing).
They come to me with a problem to solve, a product to launch, or another marketing need (research, audience segmentation, integrated marketing plans, etc.) and I handle it from an account standpoint. I work with a team of creatives, media, digital, social, PR, etc. to execute against the plan we developed.
It's a pretty dope job, to be honest.
We're not saving lives.
If something gets screwed up, nothing TERRIBLE happens.
I mean. Literally.
Marketing can and should be fun!
I'll be honest and say it's not all big TV shoots and drinking scotch at 2pm. It's a LOT of hard work, dedication, wits, and a thick skin.
A really, really thick skin.
I always say if you've worked in an agency before, you can likely do anything.
Just like servers at restaurants.
People skillz.
When I tell people I'm in marketing, the first thing people usually ask is "like, make TV commercials?"
Yes.
Sort of.
That's the end product that comes to fruition long after the concept has been developed.
My job is to understand the objective at hand, understand the audience who would use this service/product, etc. and be clear on what our message is. Our goal is to get in front of the right audience, at the right time, with the right message.
My schedule is pretty typical for someone who works out of the home 5 days a week. Luckily for me, my company is super flexible and truly believes that "family comes first" and I have to point out - this is for everyone who is employed by my company - there are no secrets and certain people don't get certain privileges.
I work from home maybe 1-3 times per month, depending.
It's fast-paced and casual at the same time.
Our VP (one of them) wears shorts and a hoodie 95% of the time (his pants and shirts are hung behind his office door lol).
Our SVP will walk around in his socks.
Legit. These are just real people who want to do good work.
Like I said before, I'm one of the lucky ones.
I LOVE my job. I cannot stress that enough.
As I'm sitting here writing this blog, I'm getting quite emotional thinking about it.
I know so many people who hate what they do.
I get to do this.
As my career.
I get paid to create marketing and advertising materials for brands that are fun, brands that will change lives, for products that can save lives.
Sometimes I have to sit back and be humbled by the fact that I make a decent living doing something I love.
All while being able to still be a mom and raise my
This career is mine. All mine.
I'm not "just" or "always" MOM.
I'm a professional in an industry that I love.
I'm able to bring in 50% of our household income and provide for my family.
I'm feeling incredibly grateful these days.
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