CommonBond Presents: Inside Marketing: Career Panel

On Tuesday, July 14, professionals in NYC gathered for the latest Summer Series event, titled "Inside Look: Marketing Career Panel." Four panelists, as well as our own Director of Campus Relations Nikki Singh—formerly a marketer at American Express and Kraft Foods—discussed the ins and outs of marketing careers for MBA grads.

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Missed the event or just want a recap? Here are some of the highlights from our panelists:

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1. Prepare for your interview with passion (and research). 

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When Jocelyn Kolkin of American Express hires, she looks for passion. "I can teach you how to be a marketer," she shared, "but I can't teach you how to have a real passion and drive to dig in and get your work done." Anisha Raghavan of StriVectin added that candidates can really prove their interest by coming to the interview prepared, with insights on the brand's competitors, marketing positioning, etc. She and the other panelists agree that moat.com is a great tool to accomplish that.

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2. Big companies and smaller companies offer extremely different opportunities. 

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As Soap.com's Carol Kim shared, there are some basic tradeoffs when choosing between a large and small organization. When you're at a big company—a "résumé builder"—people know what kind of training you get and respect that brand. A smaller, more nimble environment offers a greater depth and breadth of experience, but future employers might not immediately be as familiar with the work you've done.

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3. The relationships you build are key. 

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In the words of Colgate-Palmolive Associate Brand Manager Erum Hasnain, "relationship-building is paramount from Day 1." All the panelists shared the importance of actively cultivating relationships and understand team dynamics. Marketing requires working among cross-functional teams is essential, so prioritize peers across the brand in order to succeed.

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To learn about all of the CommonBond Summer Series events, and sign up for the next panel click here.