Couldyoudescribeoneofyourtypicalworkdaysforme?

Thereisnotonedaythatistheexactsameforme.IfIamworkingonacampaignfornew
members,itmightincludetalkingtoouragencyandgoingoverthecreativeandmessaging.Or
givingeditsorfeedbackonacreativepiece.OrImightbeworkingclosingwithourITteamand
agencytocreateanewlandingpageforacampaign.

Whatpartsofyourjobdoyoufindmostchallenging?
IfindthemostchallengingpartofmyjobisnothavingenoughtimetodoeverythingIhaveon
myplate.Weareasmallmarketingdepartment(only6people)soitsdifficulttojuggleallmy
responsibilitiesandprioritieswithprojects.

Whatisthebestpartofyourjob?
ThebestpartofmyjobisIamneverbored.Ineverdothesamethingonadailybasis.AlsoI
loveworkingoncreativecampaignsandthinkingofnewideasonhowtogrowourmembership

Howmanyhoursdoyouworkinatypicalweek?
Itypicallywork4050hoursaweek.

Aretheretimesintheyearorseasonsinwhichyourjobgetstougher?
Yes,wehavetwomajoracquisitioncampaignsayear(FallandSpring)toattractnewmembers
totheAMA.IhavealotmoretodoAprilJuneandOctoberDecemberwhenIamworking
ongettingnewmemberstojoin

Howwouldyoudescribethecultureofyourjob(company)?
TheAmericanMarketingAssociationisasmallernonprofitwith65employees.Wehaveavery
friendly,laidbackculture.Manyoftheemployeeshavebeenhere10+years.Wehavea
missiontobeaserviceleadershiporientedculture,meaningwestrivetohaveexcellent
customerserviceandputourmembersandcustomersfirstinallinstances.
Isthefieldofmarketinggrowingsomoreemployeeswillbeneededwithinthenextcouple
decades?
Ithinkthefieldofmarketingisalwaysgrowingespeciallyinadigitalworld
Whatdevelopmentscouldaffectfutureopportunities?
ThegrowingcultureofsocialmediaandGenYbecoming50%oftheworkforceinthenext
coupleyearswillgreatlyaffectthefutureofmarketing.Everythingisnowdigitaland
educationalinstitutionswillneedtochangetheirmarketingcurriculumtoaccommodatethe
needsofnewmarketingmajors.

Sincethetechnologyboom,andtheburstofthedotcombubble,Whatchangeshaveyou
seenfrominsideyourcompany?Wheredoyouthinkthechangeswillhappeninthenext
fiveyears?

SocialMediahasbeenthebiggestchange.8yearsagowhenIstartedatAMA,wedidnteven
knowwhatsocialmediawas.Nowmarketingdepartmentshave12socialmediamanagerswho
soledothisonadailybasis.Alsotheboomofpaidsearch(payingGoogleorLinkedInto
advertiseforyourcompany)hasmadeahugedifferenceinthemarketingworld.Nowthereare
agencieswhosolelydoPaidSearchfororganizationsliketheAMA

Howfrequentlydolayoffsoccur?Howdoesitaffectthemoraleofemployees?
Ourcompanyrarelydoeslayoffs.Wedidasmallone(5people)duringtherecessionin2009.
Moraleisslightlyeffected,butthosewhoarelaidoffusuallydonthavetheskillsetfortheir
currentjobortheirjobhasmorphedintosomethingelse.

Whydopeopleleavethisfieldorcompany?
Therearetwomainreasonswhyanyoneleavesaposition.1)theyarenotonthesamepageas
theirsupervisorordisagreewithleadershipintheorganizationor2)theywishtomakemore
moneyorhavebetterbenefits.

Whoarethemostimportantpeopleintheindustrytoday?
Thereanymanyinfluentialmarketerswhoarecurrentauthors
PhilKotler,JonahBerger,SethGodin,KathySavitt(CMOYahoo),GuyKawasakiandPhil
Schiller(VPofMarketing,Apple)

Whichcompanieshavethebesttrackrecordforpromotingwomenandminorities?
IwouldthinkYahoo,Google,Apple,ZapposandAmazonwouldbeleadersintheindustry
WhatwouldbeareasonablesalaryrangetoexpectifIenteredthisfield?Whatisthelong
termpotential?
MarketingCoordinatorsshouldexpectastartingsalaryanywherefrom3050Kdependingonthe
industry.Nonprofitsandagenciespayonthelowersideofthescale.

Whatistheadvancementpotentialinthefield?Whatisatypicalpath?
Ithinkadvancementpotentialisveryhighinthemarketingfield.Thetypicalpathcanvery
basedontheindustry,butitwouldtypicallystartatMarketingCoordinator,MarketingManager,
MarketingDirector,MarketingVicePresidentandChiefMarketingOfficer.

Howdidyougetyourjob?
IactuallyfoundmyjobontheAmericanMarketingAssociationwebsite.Ihavebeenhere
almost9years.IstartedoffasaCoordinatorandgotpromotedwithin6monthstoMarketing
Manager,andthenafter4yearsIwaspromotedtoMarketingDirector

Ifyoucouldstartalloveragain,wouldyouchangeyourcareerpathinanyway?Why?
IfIcoulddoitalloveragain,IwouldhavemadesureIgotaninternshipinmarketingwhileI
wasincollege.IhadinternshipsinHR,butthatwasntmymajor.Itmadeitveryhardformeto

findajobrightoutofcollegebecauseIwascompetingwithrecentgradswhohad1,2or3
differentmarketinginternships.

Howlongdoesittakeformanagerstorisetothetop?
Again,thisdependsonthecompanyandindustry.Butagoodmanagershouldbepromotedtoa
directorin56years.

Whatisthebackgroundofmostseniorlevelexecutives?
Generallymostseniormarketingexecutiveshave15+yearsinthemarketingfieldandhavean
MBAinMarketingorarelatedbusinessfield.
Whateducationalpreparationwouldyourecommendforsomeonewhowantstoadvance
inthisfield?
IhighlysuggestsomeonegetsanMBAinMarketingtoadvanceinthisfield

Whatqualificationsdoyouseekinanewhire?
Ilookforsomeonewithabachelorsinmarketing,motivationtolearn,loveofthefield,excellent
communicationskillsandgoodprojectmanagementskills.

Wouldtheworkinvolveanylifestylechanges,suchasfrequenttravelorlatenights?
Thisagaindependsonthepositionorindustry.ItraveltoourAMAconferencesabout6timesa
year.

Consideringallthepeopleyou'vemetinyourlineofwork,whatpersonalattributesare
essentialforsuccess?
Ithinkconfidence,abitofanextrovert,goodleadershipqualities,notafraidtofail,creative,
thinksoutsidethenormwouldbegoodqualitiesforsuccessinmarketing
WhatprofessionaljournalsandorganizationsshouldIbeawareof?
ProfessionalOrganizationsTheAmericanMarketingAssociation(AMA),TheDirect
MarketingAssociation(DMA),TheBusinessMarketingAssociation(BMA),AmericanSociety
ofAdvertisingAgencies(4As)AcademicJournalsTheJournalofMarketing,TheJournalof
MarketingResearchandtheJournalofInternationalMarketing(allpublishedbytheAMA)