The Ultimate Guide to Careers in Marketing
Whether you’re in first year or fourth year, I’m sure you know how difficult career choices are. If you’re reading this, you might have narrowed your search down to marketing, widely considered to be (by us, anyway) the best industry. However, as commerce students, our perception of marketing is often narrow and limited to a handful of companies. So, the QMA is here to give you a breakdown of full-time marketing roles with insight from both QMA and Smith alumni!
For an overview of the 5 main paths in marketing, check out our marketing 101 guide here.
Nina Li - Canadian Tire
Associate Manager, Digital Personalization (Triangle Engagement) at Canadian Tire Corporation
How did you get interested in marketing?
I got interested through QMAC and process of elimination! I was originally thinking of either HR or marketing; I joined QMA in my second year, where I heard about other people’s internships and they all sounded like so much fun. I was probably most heavily influenced by QMA and otherwise my 3rd year internship at Mars (which I loved). From there, the rest is history.
How did you choose which area of marketing to specialize in?
I started in “Brand” at Mars (in 3rd year). When I was in 4th year, I decided to recruit to see what my options really were. I got the opportunity to join Canadian Tire’s Emerging Marketers rotational program, where you do three rotations over the span of two years. I knew I liked “Brand”, but I still didn’t know what else was out there in marketing. At Queen’s you’re conditioned to believe marketing is very CPG orientated; when I joined CT, I realized that there was so much else out there. So I think retail is a really cool opportunity to explore all of the traditional aspects of marketing.
Could you give a high-level overview of your role/responsibilities?
I’m on a pod focused on digital personalization. In a nutshell, we take data that we get from our loyalty program and then we use it to target specific audiences with certain messages. We test different hypotheses based on the data we’re seeing and bring these learnings to other teams as well. My current pod is brand new - but in my role, I manage the strategy, creative design, email team, copywriter, etc. to pull together campaigns.
Experience with the company?
For us in the rotational program, we didn’t get thrown in the deep end at all. That’s why I’m still with CT, because they’ve been very good about making sure you’re happy and that you’re learning/growing. When you’re in school, what matters to you is the company name, but at the end of the day it’s worth digging to see how much a company truly cares about you and your development.
What would you recommend to students who are interested in marketing?
Courses at Queen’s: COMM 339 Channels and Internet Marketing, COMM 431 Advanced Topics in Marketing, COMM 335 marketing communications
The best thing you can do is talk to people; chat with people to get their take on the industries. I feel like a lot of people like the idea of marketing, because we go into it in first year and think it's just creativity. Realistically, that’s more the agency side. Marketing is all about strategy, numbers, and data analysis.
Go-to drink order for work?
Iced chai latte with oat milk and 6 pumps of brown sugar syrup
Julia Sun - P&G
Brand Manager, Bounty
How did you get interested in marketing/your specific area?
Actually what spoke to me about brand management was that it’s not like traditional marketing. I always thought traditional marketing was about communication, ad copy, and social media. With brand management, it’s very focused on strategy, long-term thinking, and cross-functional collaboration; it relates to a strategy/ops role but you also get the benefit of communication. There was always a part of me that liked consumer behaviour and psychology and in marketing, you actually get to explore that and learn a lot about how consumers think.
Could you give a high-level overview of your role/responsibilities?
I’m the only brand manager on Bounty in Canada, so all the day-to-day tasks revolve around being the owner of the brand. That comes with a lot of cross-functional collaboration; for example, making sure we get all the products on shelves. I’m basically a bridge between a lot of key pieces in the puzzle.
What would you recommend to students who are interested in marketing?
Your experiences don’t need to be marketing-specific, you just need to find opportunities where you’re in a leadership role that will give you stories to tell. In applications, P&G wants to see that you were the one that drove results in all of your experiences. It won’t just make you stand out in an interview, but it will also help you become comfortable taking charge. Also, the biggest thing I found out when you start full-time from school is that you can get thrown in the deep-end, so you need to become comfortable with meetings, making decisions, calling the shots etc.
Skills that would be useful to learn: Written & oral communication, data analysis
How to adjust to a full-time role?
Within the first month, reach out to as many people as possible. Also, read a LOT. I would read 1-pagers that people previously wrote or ask people to forward me decks/research on my brand. Other than that, you will become more comfortable as you keep experiencing new situations.
Experience with the company?
It’s been really nice! We’ve been virtual for most of the time I’ve been working there, but we’re back in-person 2 days a week (which is great flexibility). The company is great at making you feel welcomed and included. P&G can sometimes feel like a tech startup not a multinational corporation, because they’re always willing to innovate and hear new ideas.
Go-to drink order for work?
Black coffee: no milk, no sugar
Erin O-Handley - HelloFresh
New Channels Manager
How did you get interested in marketing/your specific area?
Partially it was indecisiveness. I didn't want to streamline myself into finance or accounting etc. In terms of marketing, I liked that there was the opportunity for brand, product, and pricing. Something I always loved in university was storytelling. That was probably the key thing, being able to tell stories and solve problems in a customer-centric way.
My first corporate job was on the Air Canada account at JWT (J. Walter Thompson); I had a ton of fun, but being on the agency side made me realize I wanted to go more on the client side. I ended up doing the marketing development program at Telus, so I spent my first 3.5-4 years after graduation with them. Within the program, I got to do three different marketing roles in a two year period, which were really insightful because it led me into product. From there, I loved product but was ready to zoom out again. So now, I’m at Hello Fresh and it was the perfect fit in terms of problem-solving and marketing.
Could you give a high-level overview of your role/responsibilities?
My portfolio is all net new growth for the Canadian marketing team at HelloFresh, so I work on new acquisition strategies and ways to drive customer trials for HelloFresh and Chef’s Plate. I have 3 main buckets of work, but it fluctuates day-by-day. One bucket is ideation and innovation; I try to set aside at least an hour a day to think of new ideas (calling people, research, collaborating etc.). The second and third bucket would be execution and strategy. So the bulk of my day goes into execution and strategic planning for new initiatives (e.g. scaling a couple new programs with potential growth). Now that I have a team as well, at least 10% of my day goes into people management whether that’s coaching or answering questions. We’re kind of like a little island that tests fast and finds ways to push things out into the market; if they work, then we can scale them into a marketing channel/campaign and if it doesn’t, then we know not to do it again.
What would you recommend to students who are interested in marketing?
When I look back, no matter what course you do or community you’re involved in, the baseline is building relationships and learning how to collaborate. Choose the courses and extracurriculars that you’re most interested in, and you will learn how to become a leader as well as how to work with people who think differently than you. So for example, instead of choosing your friend for a project, try pushing yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. When you’re in university, there can be things that feel like the “right” thing to do and we’d be lying to say we don’t feel a degree of pressure. Honestly, you can learn those soft skills from anything you’re involved in.
Skills: Data driven, being a really good storyteller (even for presentations, emails, etc.), open minded, self-awareness
How to adjust to a full-time role?
I always tell my team, but there’s huge power in being new to an organization. You are the objective perspective coming into a business and asking the right questions. Once you’ve been in a company for a few years, you can become a bit jaded, so I appreciate new people coming in and pushing the boundaries. Know that you are bringing a perspective that no one else has, so be confident in that. When you’re coming into a new job, you have the space to ask unlimited questions without judgement. Another piece of advice is that relationships go far in any job or industry. Where you can expedite relationship-building in a natural way, the better (it’s easier to work with someone that you’re friends with).
Go-to drink order for work?
In the morning: it’s coffee with oat milk
In the afternoon: oat milk latte from this new coffee shop called good good market (P.S. it’s dollar coffees!!)
Rachel Kroll
Associate Marketing Manager, Cards at RBC
How did you get interested in marketing/your specific area?
In my first year marketing course, we had to create a marketing campaign from start to finish, which is what initially piqued my interest in marketing. I attended QMAC in second year and joined the Queen’s Marketing Association exec in third year and focused on networking and looking into what a career in marketing would really look like. At the time when I was recruiting, I didn’t know what area of marketing/industry I wanted to join and would coffee chat anyone that would chat with me to tell me about their career in marketing, the industries they have worked in and their day to day role. The summer after third year is when I got a marketing internship at RBC and I returned full-time after graduation. Marketing positions across industries and even within one organization can vary significantly. For example within marketing there are people who work on media plans and mass campaigns, or partnerships or email only campaigns. It has been a continuous journey in my early career of testing, learning and finding out what I like best.
Could you give a high-level overview of your role/responsibilities?
Since working at RBC I have had the great opportunity to work cross functionally across different portfolios to test what may be of most interest to me. In my current role, I am on the credit cards marketing team, specifically focusing on RBC’s Avion and ION credit cards in mass channels (including TV, social, owned digital and paid digital marketing). Within my role I focus on strategic planning and creative implementation for Avion mass campaigns and most recently the launch of RBC ION credit cards. Every day is significantly different. Some days we focus on execution of creative campaigns which involves reviewing creative and other days I am analyzing campaign results, and planning for future campaign strategies.
What would you recommend to students who are interested in marketing?
For students who are interested in a career in marketing, my best advice is to talk to marketers across different industries and try to narrow down what is drawing you to a career in marketing. For example are you interested in the creative development of a TV commercial or are you more interested in strategy or media planning. I think once you start your career, try as many things as you can, every experience is a great learning experience. Additionally attending events such as QMAC is a fantastic way to network with various companies and creative agencies. Another thing I would recommend is never stop learning and looking for ways to stand out while recruiting. You may be in a fantastic marketing program, but can you take a Google ad course or leverage free resources such as CMA NXT to learn specific skillsets. CMA NXT is a free educational resource provided by the Canadian Marketing Association for students and new grads and is a great way to build your resume and skillset.
Courses at Queen’s: COMM 336 Consumer Behaviour, COMM 339 Channels and Internet Marketing
How to adjust to a full-time role?
Coffee chat everyone, make friends, and learn about their unique roles. It will help you do your job better and know who to talk to when you have specific questions. The challenge when joining a large organization is understanding how it functions. There are so many different people and teams that you may have to work with and there is a lot to learn. Continuously ask questions and look for ways to learn.
Go-to drink order for work?
Iced brown sugar shaken espresso with vanilla cream foam (from Starbucks!)
Paige Day
Senior Marketing Analyst - Marriott Portfolio at American Express
How did you get interested in marketing/your specific area?
I liked the hybrid of creativity and data analytics, so I narrowed it down pretty quickly to marketing. At Queen’s there are a ton of cool resources, but there is also that focus on the CPG pathway (which is also great). I would say I didn’t completely know about financial services or retail marketing roles initially. I did an internship at a bank out of first year and really liked it; I also tried other routes but I realized I wanted to do more behind-the-scenes work rather than on the ground. When I was in third year, there was a person from American Express that spoke at QMAC and that was the first time I discovered the marketing opportunities they had. I was selected for an internship for my summer of 3rd year at AMEX and that’s where I stayed!
Could you give a high-level overview of your role/responsibilities?
I’m a senior analyst on the Marriott Bonvoy credit card portfolio. The easiest way to describe it is like a brand manager position for a specific credit card (things like coming out with new offers, incentivizing people to sign up for the card, etc.). A lot of my day-to-day is meetings and figuring out strategies to make people acquire credit cards through specific campaigns. Generally most of the roles at AMEX are more behind-the-scenes (e.g. what are the offers, benefits and tactics to draw people in) and then we work with several agencies to deliver the creative execution.
What would you recommend to students who are interested in marketing?
I would recommend students to learn the basic uses of Excel like pivot tables and VLOOKUPS. I found that we learned that at Queen’s, but sometimes Excel was more tactical (for courses like BDM and stats). In general, it’s really helpful to join clubs and extracurriculars so that you learn how to work with different types of people and how to lead groups. Also when applying to jobs, a great way to stand out is to add unique facts about yourself on your resume (e.g. a food instagram or a side hustle). Those types of info will help the recruitment team distinguish you from the rest.
Skills: project management, data and analytics
Courses at Queen’s: COMM339 Channels and Internet Marketing, COMM 431 Advanced Topics in Marketing
How to adjust to a full-time role?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Especially since you’re new, people will understand that you’re trying to gain clarity. Also take the time to set up coffee chats with people on your team or attend any 101 sessions offered by your company. If you learn more general information about your company, you can perform better in your role.
Go-to drink order for work?
Iced Caramel Macchiato (from Starbucks!)
Kelsey Lee
Manager, New Growth Verticals Marketing
How did you get interested in marketing/your specific area?
I always found that marketing is a really cool cross functional mix between creativity, analytics and problem-solving. That wasn’t something that I found in a lot of other industries. Marketing is a very unique industry where you’re able to work with so many people outside your specific functional area (in my current role, I work with our product team, operations team, digital marketing, etc.). I didn’t originally realize what a wide variety of marketing experiences there were. Throughout my time at Queen’s I had internship roles in different functions and then when I graduated I joined Telus for a rotational program. In the Telus program, one of my roles was very analytical (a lot of number-crunching and presentations) which I liked; another role was category management (B2B marketing). Throughout my career, I’ve been able to take what I’ve needed from the different roles I’ve been in and meander my way into my current position. I’m still not 100% sure what marketing role I want to be in long-term, but I think that’s also the fun in it.
Could you give a high-level overview of your role/responsibilities?
I work on the new growth verticals at Skip the Dishes. So essentially I work on everything that Skip does outside of the core restaurant business (grocery, convenience, alcohol, etc.). The part of the business I work on is similar to a start-up, so there isn’t a playbook from the past. So most of my day is building structure to those verticals and creating a formula for how we want to go about marketing them. A lot of that is working with our operations and product teams to see what’s coming in the pipeline. Then working closely with our insights team to see what is/is not working and then pivoting our strategies from there. Also working with internal digital teams and external marketing agencies to execute campaigns.
What would you recommend to students who are interested in marketing?
Having leadership experiences through QMA or other associations is super important. Until you’re a manager in your full-time job, you won’t have that experience for 4-5 years after you start as a new grad. Having that opportunity in university drove my passion to be a people leader in the future, but also gave me the experience of working with different types of people. Lean into those experiences as much as you can.
More than hard skills, I think the right mindset is important. Especially, in the start-up environment, a lot of it is about tenacity, adaptability, and problem-solving. Being in an early stage part of a company, there’s a lot that can go wrong, so you need to learn how to be the glue that holds everything together.
Courses: COMM 434 Sales Management
How to adjust to a full-time role?
Honestly, the biggest thing is talking to a lot of people in the company. The first thing I do is set up 30 min chats with everyone I will be working with to understand their priorities and general role. Building that bond from the get-go is something I always try to do.
Go-to drink order for work?
Oat milk matcha latte
Article by: Sanjana Sadh