Starting up & Linking in...
For me, The Startup Of You was definitely one of the most influential topics we discussed in BMGT289B. I’ve always been a huge planner and I’ve dreamed of working in the real world since I was 8. My Barbies were CEOs at a business meeting, not poolside with Ken. The Startup of You really made me focus in on the idea of pivoting and being flexible when it comes to the work world. My interests have changed over the course of my life, from popstar to nutritionist to, now, social media content strategist.
“A company hires me over other professionals because…”
My competitive advantage always circles back to the idea that I am currently working in an internship role doing the things I want to be doing for the rest of my life. There is no clerical part of my internship, it is all hands on experience and I am treated as an equal to the rest of the marketing team. I have been a social media digital marketing intern at a DC startup, Cava Grill, for almost a year now where I work directly with the company’s platforms as they expand from DC into NYC, VA, and CA. Additionally, I worked as a social media specialist at a sleepaway camp in Maryland where I created visual and text content for their platforms, including their blog. It’s rare for a underclassman to have professional experience, but I started working in the business world in my senior year of high school, giving me an experience edge. Outside of work, I invent time in social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress, allowing me to explore deeper into them and become more knowledgeable on each. Being young, a company has the opportunity to mold and teach me with internships before I apply for an official title. Lastly, I have been looking forward to the work world for as long as I can remember. I am ambitious and dedicated, willing to invest personal time and give endless effort to complete a task. Working and interning is enjoyable to me, and I am eager for more work. If that all sounds generic then let me add that I work 11 hours a week at my internship without getting paid. Show me another 18 year old who would invest their personal time into something without asking for any compensation. Experience is enough for me, but is it enough for everyone? |
“What are you offering that’s both rare and valuable?”
As I mentioned before, I have 1.5 years of pure, relevant work experience and have been responsible for a variety of different marketing projects. My portfolio contains video creation and posting (both the production and marketing side), photo content (taking and captioning photos), and text content, such as writing for company blogs. As a business professional and also in my personal life, I have a lot of respect for positions of authority and will gladly accept any project, no matter how trivial, because I understand the hierarchy of an office. I offer no disrespect and will bring enthusiasm to every task. Lastly, I am still young and offer teams a look into the teenage perspective. This is valuable in keeping a brand current and widening the audience they could appeal to. |
Assets
----Soft
-Knowledge, info
(Work experience at Cava (social media intern) and Camp Louise (social media specialist) and am a student in the business school.)
-Skills
(Microsoft and Google applications. Social media platforms. Basic understanding of C++. Can shoot and edit photos and film)
-Connections
(Hi Mom and Dad. LinkedIn)
----Hard
-Money saved
-Car
Aspirations
-Work as a marketing director or social media & brand strategist
-Work and live in DC
-Work for a company with a brand message I believe in
-Go to grad school to get an MBA
Market Realities
-Job Outlook- 9%
(Higher than average (7%))
-Need at least a BA
(Want to get an MBA anyway)
-Skills
(Communication skills, analytical skills, creativity, etc.)
-No on-the-job training
(Internships and externships will make me a strong contender because I've had past experience)
----Soft
-Knowledge, info
(Work experience at Cava (social media intern) and Camp Louise (social media specialist) and am a student in the business school.)
-Skills
(Microsoft and Google applications. Social media platforms. Basic understanding of C++. Can shoot and edit photos and film)
-Connections
(Hi Mom and Dad. LinkedIn)
----Hard
-Money saved
-Car
Aspirations
-Work as a marketing director or social media & brand strategist
-Work and live in DC
-Work for a company with a brand message I believe in
-Go to grad school to get an MBA
Market Realities
-Job Outlook- 9%
(Higher than average (7%))
-Need at least a BA
(Want to get an MBA anyway)
-Skills
(Communication skills, analytical skills, creativity, etc.)
-No on-the-job training
(Internships and externships will make me a strong contender because I've had past experience)
A Plan- My current A plan is to graduate Maryland with a BA in marketing and management and an average GPA of 4.0. To achieve this I will prioritize schoolwork and actively chase my goal by investing as much time as necessary into it. I also plan to stay interning at Cava Grill for the next four years as I continue through college. After graduating, I want to move to the DC area and get an apartment with roommates, preferably close to Georgetown because I want to go to Georgetown for grad school and complete my MBA. While I’m in school I don’t want to work full time, but perhaps I will continue to intern at Cava and maintain that relationship. I want to work in social media or digital marketing. I want to explore the DC food and music scene and establish a professional and personal life in the city. After grad school I want to find a job in a city, either DC or NYC, in social media or digital marketing, maybe at Cava. I want to prioritize learning, so I will attend conferences to learn more about my field and make me more valuable to my team. Eventually I want to end up living in the suburbs of DC with a family but continue working at a company in marketing until I retire.
|
B Plan- My B plan is similar to my A Plan. I will attend graduate school at University of Maryland at the Smith School and live off campus near the metro so I can commute to DC. I will continue to work part time or have an internship in social media or marketing in the city, perhaps at Cava. If not at Cava, then I would look for other opportunities at businesses in the city, such as JRINK (DC Juice Bar HQed in DC) or Buredo (sushi burrito restaurant HQed in DC). After grad school I will move into the city and look for/work in a full time social media or digital marketing job. The rest follows as Plan A.
Z Plan- My Z plan is moving back in with my parents and learning about stock investing from my dad. It seems like an extremely stressful profession, but in the worst case scenario it would provide me with a business path that can be profitable if I’m smart about my investments. Additionally, I can network through my mom at Marriott International to try and get a marketing internship or clerical job, such as a administrative assistant. I could also coach my high school’s dance team for extra income. |
Improving my network...
Let me just say, I am a huge LinkedIn lover. It's one of my favorite sites to use because it makes me feel like the entire business world is at my fingertips, and in actuality, it kind of is. To improve my network I've really focused on connecting with people on LinkedIn. I'm targeting old teachers, friends' parents, parents' friends, guest speakers, and peers. I keep my profile updated and am starting to write articles for my profile, though they are still in the works. I hope to publish my first one about how personal social media is the best way to learn marketing (from a beginner) after I finish my PCR and have some free time on my hands. I love reading articles on LinkedIn, especially ones about other people's social media experiences. I've joined numerous groups, including the American Marketing Association and some social media ones.
IRL (in real life) I've been meeting a lot of Maryland Alumni though my parents. My Dad's tailgates are festering with business contacts; from Lisa Hunt, the Executive Vice President, International & Special Business Development for Charles Schwab & board of executives member for Smith, to college friends who are starting their own businesses in the resale industry, I've got all their numbers in the palm of my hand (well in my iPhone) & had the positive introduction needed to establish that connection. Through my Mom I am going to be shadowing a social media digital marketing manager at Marriott HQ over winter break and hopefully interning at Marriott during some point in my college career.
As a student I have been joining clubs, such as Spoon UMD, and I hope to rush in the spring. I want to also join a business fraternity and hopefully some SUSA clubs in the future. I make an effort to meet new people and build relationships with people in BSE and out.
The world is basically Charlotte's Web and I'm just a little spider.
IRL (in real life) I've been meeting a lot of Maryland Alumni though my parents. My Dad's tailgates are festering with business contacts; from Lisa Hunt, the Executive Vice President, International & Special Business Development for Charles Schwab & board of executives member for Smith, to college friends who are starting their own businesses in the resale industry, I've got all their numbers in the palm of my hand (well in my iPhone) & had the positive introduction needed to establish that connection. Through my Mom I am going to be shadowing a social media digital marketing manager at Marriott HQ over winter break and hopefully interning at Marriott during some point in my college career.
As a student I have been joining clubs, such as Spoon UMD, and I hope to rush in the spring. I want to also join a business fraternity and hopefully some SUSA clubs in the future. I make an effort to meet new people and build relationships with people in BSE and out.
The world is basically Charlotte's Web and I'm just a little spider.