9/29 Weekly Update #4: Four the Win

Dear reader,

(After reading marketing guru Seth Godin's ebook on blogs (highly recommended, find it here), I am going to be more concise in my posts. That is all.)

ISM has become so much more real this past week. This has been the first time where I have independently began to make headway into the marketing field. How? In order to facilitate my research, I began contacting professionals for research interviews, in order to get a real-life glimpse of how marketing works. It's actually a lot easier than it seems. Although cold-calling professionals out of the blue may seem daunting, in reality most people are pretty friendly and are willing to help out.

I won't get into specifics yet, but I also went on my first research visit this week. It was the first time in which I have actually gotten somewhere of my own accord. By that, I mean that this is the first time in which neither my teachers, parents, or friends have lent a helping hand in achieving a goal outside of school. I will never forget that feeling of accomplishment after I hung up the phone from confirming the research interview. The world holds so much, and it is up to you to take it.

All of a sudden, opportunities are opening themselves up, and all I've done is sent a couple emails and made some phone calls. It is astonishing how much power I hold, and how much I have the potential to become. And so begins a new chapter of hope, of inspiration, and of ambition. I am determined to see just how far I can push myself.

Until next time,
Eileen Bau

9/22 Weekly Update #3: Triumvirate

Three is the magic number. I don't actually know why, but my 3rd week in ISM has been pretty magical, so I'm inclined to continue believing this urban theory. We are still preparing for Business Symposium (a meeting of professionals and students in which mock interviews and hand-shaking will ensue), and we are also gearing up for research interviews.

Here are three things I've learned this week:
1) Phone calls may be the most awkward thing ever invented. Throw in professional phone calls, and you have a potential recipe for disaster. However, it is possible to circumnavigate this awkwardness by practicing and keeping your cool. Practice until you are accustomed to the disembodied sound of your own voice, practice until you can hold a fluid and witty conversation, practice until you feel confident.

2) I can make my own golden ticket. In other words, writing a great resume is the key to impressing my audience. As a Marketing/Advertising student, I like to treat my resumes as small marketing campaigns. Determine the target audience, exploit their desires/fears, and then create it with strategy and style.

3) Marketing is a Nebula. This is not a new idea (as evidenced by the title of this blog). From nebulae come stars. Marketing has that same potential, to create a star out of a product. However, nebulae are also very foggy and undefined. As I've been researching Marketing strategies this past week, I've come to truly appreciate how open-ended and undefined this field is. There are no definite answers. To some, that may be frustrating, but to me, it is an opportunity to create something original. It is a little vexing to not find straight answers, but thankfully I have found that most Marketing strategies have the same basic premises, but different methods of achieving the ultimate goal of reaching the target market.

In ancient Chinese scripture, the three treasures of the universe are the sky, the earth, and man. In my ISM journey, I aim to move both earth and sky to achieve the ultimate marketing endgame: moving man.

Until next time,
Eileen Bau

9/15 Weekly Update #2: Second Breakfast

In the Lord of the Rings world, Hobbits do a thing called second breakfast, which is exactly what it sounds like: they eat another breakfast, a couple hours after the first one. This week in ISM has been my second breakfast.

Rather than consume biscuits or sip tea, I've been digesting my second course of information. Last week's information was all about image professionalism (the post is here); this week's is intellectual professionalism.

I already have some background experience with marketing. I've been an active member of DECA for the past two years. DECA is a marketing/business club for students. I've won international competition one year and been an international finalist the other (More on that here). I have a working knowledge of the basics, but I have not yet truly had a chance to apply my knowledge in real life.

I know that in order to succeed in the real world, I'm going to have to know more than a list of vocabulary terms and techniques. This week, I have completed my first Research Assessment (will link it here when posted). Basically, I find an authentic resource that contains information about Marketing which I haven't learned before, then write a short summary and analysis of what knowledge I've gained from my research.
It sounds simple, but it is invaluable. By the end of the year, I will have compiled a vast amount of knowledge. Piece by piece, I will build myself a kingdom.

Other research I have been doing includes compiling a contact list. This contact list consists of professionals whom I have taken an interest in, and that I wish to conduct informational interviews with. Doing this has actually aided me in gaining a clearer view of exactly what sort of position withing the Marketing/Advertising field I aspire to attain. I have found out that the following list appeals to me (not listed in any order of preference):
-Brand Strategist
-Marketing Director (eventually)
-Creative Strategist
-PR specialist
This list will likely grow as I further my studies.

I'm also still preparing myself for interviews. Although I have previously been trained, I can always improve.

One does not simply walk into an interview.

Until next time,
Eileen Bau

Career & Industry Forecast: Marketing/Advertising

1.      Different Job Titles:

a.       Marketing Manager: $119,480

b.      Advertising Manager: Bachelor's Degree and 2 years field experience, Avg. $: $71,892

c.       Advertising Sales Director: Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years field experience, Avg. $: $113,434

d.      Brand Manager: Bachelor’s Degree and 4 years field exp., Avg $: 93,532

e.       Marketing Consultant: Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree, Avg $: $92,100

f.       Branding Consultant: Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, $ Range: $32,301 to $74,128

g.      Public Relations Manager: $95,450

h.      Promotions Manager

2.      Education/Training Required: Bachelor’s Degree, MBA (adds ~$2,000-$7,000) or Master’s Degree, the higher degree an individual has, the more likely a higher salary

a.       http://marketing.about.com/od/exploremarketingcareers/p/advmanager.htm

b.      Optional: Certification from The Public Relations Society of America

c.       The Professional Researcher Certification (PRC) from The Marketing Research Association

d.      The Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) credential from the American Marketing Association (AMA)

3.      Professional Organizations

a.       American Marketing Association (https://www.ama.org/Pages/default.aspx)

b.      Business Marketing Association (http://www.marketing.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1#.U_4xA8W-2So)

c.       Mobile Marketing Association (http://www.mmaglobal.com/)

d.      Word of Mouth Marketing Association (http://www.womma.org/)

4.      Expected Salary: (http://marketingsalaries.com/)

5.      Terminology: here

6.      Job Market conditions: According the BLS, the demand for marketing jobs grows at roughly the same rate as other occupations, but it varies depending on the type of specialized marketing. More relevant marketing sectors, such as social media promotion, have seen considerable growth in recent years.

Job Outlook Comparison Through 2022

●     Sales Management—8 percent, as fast as average

●     Public Relations Management—13 percent, as fast as average

●     Advertising Management—12 percent, fast as average

●     Market Research Analyst – 32 percent, much faster than average

●     Marketing Management—13 percent, as fast as average

_{Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2014-15 Occupational Outlook Handbook}

Source: http://www.allbusinessschools.com/business-careers/marketing/salary

7.      Related Areas: Copywriting, Creative writing, Economics, Political science, Psychology, Mass communication, Public Relations
Additional Questions:

8. The difference in Corporate vs. Small Business Marketing?

9. What sort of refined marketing skill set that I want to have?

10. Best Colleges to graduate from with alumni in Marketing?

11.  The balance of Marketing Science vs. Creative Marketing I would like to have in my career?

9/8 Weekly Update #1 : In the Beginning

Marketing: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of Eileen Bau. Her one-year mission: to explore the realistic world, to seek out new information and new opportunities, and to boldly go where no student has gone before.

Dear reader,

This is the first of a series of blog posts detailing my ISM journey. I will update weekly at the very least, and I hope that you will take the time out of your day to share with me the experiences I undergo.

My first two weeks in the Independent Study Mentorship (ISM) Program have been a curious initiation. We are currently in the process of preparing for Business Symposium, an incredibly important event in which I will suit up, head out, socialize and interview with professionals from a plethora of different fields. My chosen field is Marketing/Advertising. However, before I immerse myself in the Marketing field, I am currently learning how to market myself. I may not be a product or a service, but in reality, I look just like everybody else, and so I am going to have to make myself stand out. I'm excited for the challenge. I imagine that this is what a novice superhero feels like. Except instead of looking at spandex designs, I've started forging my identity through choosing my defining personal quote and mission statement. I don't need a Batmobile, I've got a dynamite resumé that will take me places.  Rather than standing on top of a skyscraper, and looking out into the grid of the city for crime, I'm in the classroom relentlessly researching for information on my topic. 

So what have I learned so far?

I've learned, amongst other things, that the sky isn't the limit, that two pumps is enough for a handshake, and that Dillard's will sit you down for free and tell you what kind of makeup matches your skin tone.

I've learned that the people involved in ISM are incredible individuals.

But most importantly, I learned that I don't need a key to the city, because I am my own key to the universe.

See you next time,
Eileen Bau

P.S. Feel free to share this blog! It will help me greatly, and I cannot tell you how much I would appreciate it.