Marketing Student Looking for Wake/Ski Industry Occupation

I posted this over in the Supra forum but I thought I would post it over here on the other half of the SC family.

So I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post about this on here or not so just take it off if I'm not! : ) The basic subject of this post is to pitch myself. I'm currently a senior at the University of Missouri studying Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing. I will be graduating in May and I'm starting to become fairly nervous about my job search and the market for fresh graduates today.

I just thought I'd throw this out there and ask if there is anyone on here who may know of a connection into the marketing field or know of a job opening somewhere? I'd obviously love to turn my passion into an occupation and work in the marine industry but I understand it's not exactly the time to be picky; so, I'm honestly up for anything. I know it's a long shot but I don't really have anything to lose.

Aside from that, anyone have advice for a soon-to-be-graduate on the job hunt? Thanks in advance!

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Originally Posted by ChrisK

Aside from that, anyone have advice for a soon-to-be-graduate on the job hunt?

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Start early, but it looks like you are doing that. Not sure how your school works, but our career conferences were where a lot of recent grads got jobs. Even if there are only 1 or 2 companies looking for Marketing majors, still go and talk to the other companies. Be aggressive and apply EVERYWHERE. When I was looking I tried to apply to at least 2-3 companies a week. I just graduated with a degree in Information Systems and applied at companies I'd never thought I'd be able to work at (Google/Microsoft). Surprisingly, I got interviews with both of them. No second interviews, but it was certainly worth a shot! Good luck in the job hunt and hope this helps!

Thanks for the advice Ryan! Where did you attend school? I see you're in central Wisconsin, did you compete on any of the collegiate ski teams up there?

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Originally Posted by ChrisK

Thanks for the advice Ryan! Where did you attend school? I see you're in central Wisconsin, did you compete on any of the collegiate ski teams up there?

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I went to UW-Eau Claire. No, I didn't compete on any of the ski teams (and I am pretty sure we just had a ski club), I just went to Colorado when I wanted to ski :)

Haha I meant water! The Eau Claire team is always pretty good

Hey Chris -

"marketing" is a fairly wide-open arena with a lot of different areas of focus from research/analysis to design to front-end sales. Any particular area you want to focus in on or strengths you have?

I have a BA in Marketing and MBA in Management and been in the "real world" for 15 years now so I may be able to help steer you a little. I don't work in the marine industry but like you, would love to follow my passion.

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Originally Posted by ChrisK

Haha I meant water! The Eau Claire team is always pretty good

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Haha, I guess I am too used to people specifying water skiing. I guess my mind is concentrated on the upcoming snow skiiing/snowboarding season. Yeah, I have heard their team is pretty good. I considered joining since they try to recruit like crazy, but I was always too busy.

Berg,

You're right, marketing is incredibly vast; however, I believe it's rapidly becoming smaller as technology and media are converging on each other rapidly. I've honestly had exposure to many different facets of the marketing world. I had the opportunity to do a lot of design work and writing while I worked at a hospital, I was able to do social media and e-marketing through a heavy-equipment manufacturer I worked for, and I'm currently having the opportunity to work with marketing research using software such as Qualtrics. Additionally, in each internship I've had I've been fortunate enough to be involved in discussions of long-term business planning, which is definitely an interest of mine.

What I'm trying to say is, I've had opportunities to work in a lot of it, and I like it all. I'm not picky and I'm very open to anything. Like I said before, the marine industry would be ideal, but I have many other interests and I'm sure there are markets out there that I would attach to that I don't even know about.

What kind of business are you in?

Wait........ aren't you a 99%-er? I thought you were suppose to go "protest" somewhere about how bad corp/businesses are and that greed is ruining America. What will your peers think when they find out you actually want a job?

Sorry, I have nothing constructive to add, but I like to post something every week or so.

Hey Chris - 2 weeks out of college I landed a job in marketing through a friend's dad's referral at a software company about an hour away. Got my feet wet with everything from research to sales engineering, design, etc. Went to night school for my MBA while working there which was a great experience. Got to see and learn about the inner workings of a lot of other companies from startups to Fortune 100's. From there I've traveled a varied path - Working in the world of investments at a brokerage, then on to an e-learning design company startup where I was employee #3, to health insurance and employee benefits, to being self employed as a freelance consultant and designer full time for a year, to working at a software company again and still doing some freelancing on the side.

Probably my best is advice for getting started is that it's not as much what you know but who you know. I met a lot of people through the MBA program and also have gotten some great insight and connections being a freelancer for a variety of companies ranging from diesel trucks and industrial equipment to vacation rentals in Maui to electrical contractors, a health food company, and a few other software/tech companies.

I'd suggest some professional networking when you can, but not only that. Internships would be a great way to get your foot in the door as well. I tried doing some shoulder rubbing through the American Marketing Association and other Professional Guilds and stuff and in the end, honestly they were all a waste of time. The best connections and contacts I've made have been at places you'd least expect. Weddings, my neighbors at a campground, some guy broken down at the boat launch, riding up a ski lift, that sort of thing. It's real easy to ask "so what do you do" in those kind of situations and strike up a conversation and try to steer it towards occupations and companies. You never know where it will lead.

I'm FINALLY working with a friend, doing some design/consulting, etc. for his custom marine shop and services. He's doing ballast, stereo and electrical upgrades, light service work and repairs, procurement and consignment, etc. I'm hoping it will take off and become something I can invest fully into. It would be a dream come true.

Berg, interesting to hear your whole story. I have been doing my best to try to network with people and I'm hoping something will work itself out that way. Intereting to hear that you went to school for your MBA while working, that seems like an attractive option in a couple of years maybe. Also interesting to hear your opinions on the formal marketing organizations.

Thanks a lot for the advice, any extra insight I can get I'm all ears for. Good luck with your friend's startup, that is a kind of business I would love to start as well. It's definitely a big risk and probably slow to get off the ground, but I think it would be quite fulfilling working on and around boats all the time.

Chris