Hello there:
Welcome to Haas! We are really excited to meet you in just a couple of weeks.
You are receiving this email because, at some point, you indicated that you'd be interested in learning more about careers in marketing. You're probably thinking, "But classes haven’t even started?" or "I still haven't found housing in Berkeley yet?" Some of you may even be reading this as you are furiously trying to wrap up a project for your small-staffed non-profit who would really appreciate if you could continue to work up until the day before you have to board your flight for the Bay Area.
However, the career stuff begins pretty much as soon as you begin Week 0. And for internships with some companies, you need to get started within the first couple weeks of the semester. Haas Marketing Club would love to make that transition easier, especially since about a quarter of your class will end up in marketing careers and wish they had gotten involved in marketing earlier!
Here are a few tips we have for kickstarting your career on Day 1 this fall. #1 pertains specifically to Consumer Packaged Goods, since the timeline is a little earlier, but CPG is a great broader management option so we recommend all of you take a quick peek at what careers mean in that field in case it makes sense for you! So, without further ado...
1. Consider CPG & diversity conferences
If you're interested in working with a consumer packaged goods company (think Procter & Gamble) or a large retailer (think Target), you will be a lot busier in the fall than your classmates pursuing other marketing opportunities. See this short guide to get you up to speed on CPG and career diversity conferences, which includes extra resources in case you want more information!
2. Save your work
Whether you're just trying to come up with details to update your resume or are actually trying to pull together a portfolio, it's quite helpful to have actual examples of work that you've done. For those of you currently in marketing and looking to continue in the field, the benefit is obvious. But even for those of you in other functions looking to transition into marketing, save those PowerPoint decks or data visualizations or tweets: They can still display your ability to communicate. (Note: You definitely should ask your manager before you take those files with you. Your tuition is high enough without adding any pesky lawsuits for NDA violations.)
3. Add onto your resume
Yes, only a couple months ago, you were agonizing over the resume that would accompany your business school application. Hopefully, you've wrapped up a couple more bullet points that could go on your resume. While everything is still fresh, jot down those couple remaining bullet points. No, you don't need to word everything perfectly—you'll have plenty of opportunities with Career Coaches and Peer Advisors for that. But it's certainly easier to record these now than later when your brain is filled with concepts for the next Data & Decisions quiz and dance moves for Haasloween.
4. Think about the future
You've probably already heard that nearly every MBA student changes their career path from what they wrote about in their essays. This fact is certainly true, and your MBA is a wonderful opportunity to explore your career path. On the other hand, your time is limited, and you may find it quite helpful to have at least a couple focus areas. Again, you don't need to have all of the answers—the Haas Marketing Club will even host a summit to help guide you in October—but just take a couple of minutes to think about whether the idea of working in brand management for a consumer packaged goods company or product marketing for a tech company or strategic marketing for a startup fashion retailers interests you.
5. Take a breath
It's ironic that, after word vomiting all these things that you need to do before you start c;asses, we are providing you with this tidbit, but we stand behind it. Your MBA life will require you going 100 mph on a unicycle while juggling a million pieces from Heath Ceramics, and much of your career search will happen in due time. Again, you will have access to many advisors who can help you with the process. So, take a half hour to tackle this list, then prop up your feet and celebrate your funemployment.
We hope that you found this information more helpful than stressful. More than anything, we want to add to your excitement and anticipation for what the next year will bring. We promise you, it'll be great. In the meantime, if you find yourself breathing heavily into a paper bag, please direct your questions or concerns to marketingclub@haas.berkeley.edu.
See you soon,
Haas Marketing Club
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