College Students Thinking about Marketing

 

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Marketing Study and Marketing Students 2021

I am honored to have an opportunity to speak to marketing students at the University of Missouri Saint Louis (UMSL) and Saint Louis University (SLU) this week. My ongoing affiliation with the American Marketing Association/Saint Louis Chapter (for 24+ years) and the Marketing Advisory Panel at UMSL (8+ years) and my genuine interest in the study and practice of the profession of Marketing add up to a number of recurring themes. My commitments this week are for  Wednesday November 17, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. and Anheuser-Busch Hall at UMSL College of Business Administration and Thursday night at 6:00 at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business room DSH 274.

The UMSL event is the latest edition of Speed Networking that allows a relatively small group of students an opportunity to test drive their elevator speeches and get comfortable being uncomfortable in interview situations. I expect to repeat a brushed up version of my advice to anyone looking to get started on their career quest. In the speed networking format the advice needs to be consumable, relevant and compelling.

1.      Think about how you will answer the open-ended question “So, what to you want to do?”

2.      Seek courtesy interviews with individuals and/or companies you admire.

3.      Establish your own “board” of advisors who can help guide your journey.

4.      Follow up and set yourself apart from the crowd.

The SLU event is a more formal classroom sort of presentation hosted by the school’s Marketing Club. These students are also interested in learning a bit about the benefits of membership in the American Marketing Association. They want to know how to get in to advertising or marketing as a career.  

In both cases, I hope the marketing students will rally around the notion of bonding at collegiate chapters of the AMA and be among the 300+ active chapters in the United States. In all cases, I wish the best for future marketers.