My journey into the world of marketing began during my undergraduate years. I was eager to gain practical experience and explore the different facets of this exciting field. I decided to pursue internships, which were invaluable learning opportunities.

During my internships, I wore many hats – content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, paid digital marketing, and more. It was a fantastic way to get my feet wet and understand the various tactics and strategies used in marketing.

One of the key lessons I learned early on was the importance of a hands-on approach and a willingness to learn through trial and error. I picked up new skills along the way, but the foundation was my strong writing and communication abilities and an insatiable desire to grow.

Internship Experiences

Digital Marketing Intern at a Start-up

My first internship was at a crowdfunding start-up, where I was part of the company's initial dedicated marketing efforts. I contributed to paid digital campaigns, email marketing, and organic social media campaigns. This experience taught me how to navigate tools like Facebook Ads Manager, Mailchimp, and copywriting.

Digital Marketing Intern at an Engineering Institute

Next, I interned for almost three years at an engineering institute associated with my university. This internship allowed me to delve deeper into social media management, email workflows and campaigns using HubSpot and Mailchimp, and paid marketing strategies with Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager. I also had the opportunity to design creative campaigns using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

During this internship, I witnessed firsthand how my efforts contributed to the growth of the organization's blog traffic, social media followings, and customer conversions.

Breaking into the Professional World

Social Media Marketing Associate at Coursera

After completing my bachelor's degree, I landed my first full-time Social Media Marketing Associate position at Coursera. This role allowed me to leverage the skills acquired during my internships and guide brand marketing strategies.

My primary focus was managing Coursera's social media campaigns from ideation to post-mortem analysis. Additionally, I gained experience in product marketing through market research, competitor analysis, stakeholder buy-in, tech and product integration, and go-to-market strategy development.

Brand Marketing Manager at Coursera

My hard work and dedication paid off when I was promoted to the role of Brand Marketing Manager at Coursera. In this position, I continued overseeing the brand's social media strategy and leading marketing campaigns.

I worked cross-functionally on national and global campaigns, ensuring message alignment across various channels like email, affiliate marketing, and paid ads. I also had the opportunity to contribute to the launch of several national TV commercial spots and run affinity month campaigns, such as Women's History Month and Pride.

Consumer Brand Marketing Manager at Coursera

In March 2022, I received another promotion, becoming the Consumer Brand Marketing Manager at Coursera. This role allows me to continue leveraging social media and brand campaigns to promote the company's mission and the power of transformative learning.

Conclusion

Looking back on my journey, a combination of hands-on experience, a willingness to learn, and strong communication skills were instrumental in my success. If you're interested in pursuing a career in marketing, especially in the realm of social media marketing, consider exploring educational opportunities like the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate. This can provide a solid foundation and prepare you for entry-level roles in this exciting field.

FAQs

What skills were most important for getting started in marketing?

Strong writing and communication skills and a willingness to learn through hands-on experience and trial and error were key foundational skills.

How beneficial were internships in preparing for a marketing career?

Internships played a crucial role by allowing the individual to explore different areas of marketing like content, email, social media, paid digital, and more. The internships provided practical experience and helped develop relevant skills.

What kind of career advancement opportunities were available at Coursera?

At Coursera, the individual progressed from a Social Media Marketing Associate role to a Brand Marketing Manager and Consumer Brand Marketing Manager. This showcases potential growth and promotion opportunities within the company.

What were some of the key responsibilities in the Brand Marketing Manager role?

As a Brand Marketing Manager, responsibilities included overseeing social media strategy, leading marketing campaigns, working cross-functionally on national/global campaigns, aligning messaging across channels, launching TV commercials, and running affinity month campaigns.

What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in marketing?

We are exploring educational opportunities like the Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate to build a solid foundation and prepare for entry-level marketing roles, especially in social media marketing.