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A FEW THOUGHTS ONCAREERS
Chris Kondo
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Introduction
Several excellent
resources regarding
career planning, resume
writing, interviewing, etc.
CSUF Career Center
School advisors
Faculty
Professional societies
Working professionals
Internet, etc.
I wont duplicate
This reflects my
personalthoughts and
experiences
Based on questions from
CSUF students
Some abbreviations:
CSUF Career Center = CC
CSUF Career Center On-Line
Resource Website: CCOL
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Questions3
What functional area should I go into?
What careers are available in marketing?
What is product management?
What is sales?
Should I get my MBA? Whats the best way to find a job?
What are companies looking for?
What should I be looking for in a prospective
company? When I graduate is it better to work for a small or a big
company?
What general career advice do you have?
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What area should I go into?
If your priority
is:
Then look for:
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Why?5
If youre having fun
work longer hours
learn more quickly do a better job become more valuable to firm
job security &
pay increases and advancement
opportunities
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What careers are available in marketing?
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1. Internet Marketing
2. Retail Marketing
3. Marketing Communications
4. Nonprofit Marketing
5. Product Management (Brand Management)6. Services Marketing
7. Sales
8. International Business
9. Sports Marketing
Resources: CCcareer counselors, CCOLcareer exploration, Marketing Department faculty, SalesCenter, Marketing Department informational brochures (one for each of the above),http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/, American Marketing Association CSUF chapter
http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/http://www.careers-in-marketing.com/8/13/2019 Career Talk (Undergrad) Copy
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What is Product management?7
ProductManager
Sales
Research &Development
Manufacturing
MarketingCommunications
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A Product Managers life
Prepare next yearsmarketing plans forpresentation to seniormanagement
Ride along with sales
representative to checkcompetitive activity
Meet with finance todiscuss planned priceincrease
Travel to industrysymposium
Draft objectives forupcoming focus group
Meet with R & D to plan
line extension product Visit CSUF to recruit
Assistant ProductManager
Revise sales forecast forproduction planning
Meet with advertisingagency to providedirection for newcampaign
8Product
Manager
Sales
Research&
Development
Manufacturing
Advertising &
Promotion
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What about sales?
Some believe sales is:
High pressure
Closing the deal
Earning the commissionIn fact, many professional sales careers about:
Building relationships
Communications and management
Personal leadership and integrity
Applying business skills to solve client problems
(partnership)
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For example,
Sales representatives for BaxterHealthcare (medical products/pharmacompany):
Might have 25-30 hospital clients
Develop deep relationships withpharmacy, nursing, administration
professionals Expected to be part of the hospitals
team in delivering high quality carewhile managing costs
Receive several weeks training peryear on an on-going basis
Represents the companys singlelargest marketing investment
Training ground for companys seniormanagers
Training ground for healthcare industry
Earn more than product managers
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Should I get my MBA?11
Yes
If
youre planning a career in business
youre mentally up for it it fits with your personal life
you generally like school
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When?
Full-time program: theres a sweetspotAfter youve gotten some work
experience (some schools insist onit)or maybe you already have it!Before other aspects of your life close
in (family, job, travel, financial
responsibilities)Part-time program: typically more
flexibility in when, less in where
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Where?
Personal circumstancesA chance to see the country (world)Safety schools and stretch
schoolsNot fun to get, but rejection letters
do tell you bravo, you went for it
Resources: various guides to MBA schools in bookstore; US News & World Report rankings;CC; CCOLGraduate School; for CSF MBA program consult Graduate Business AdvisingCenter in Langsdorf Hall 700; websites of MBA programs
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Whats the best way to find a
job?14
Career Center (Titan Connection) Job postings (e.g., 100 sales jobs listed)
On-campus interviews
Resume preparation (CC + CCOLTitan ResumeBuilder)
Interview preparation (CC + CCOLInterview
Stream)
Networking, networking, networking
Resources: In addition to above, Networking bio assignment & Linkedin
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By the way, regarding electronic
communications15
Do not use unprofessional email addresses:
Using @hotmail.com, @yahoo.com, @gmail.comaddresses or similar perfectly ok
If a prospective employer tried to check you outon myspace or facebookwhat would they find?
If they did a web search on your name what wouldcome up?
Linkedin is the social networking site for businessprofessionalsall of you should be on Linkedin
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What are companies looking
for?16
Solutions to their
problems
So, you must figure out:Whats their problem?
How can I solve their problem?
How can I best communicate this to the
company?
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For example
Opening: Sales Representative
Companys problem
Opening in LA districtsales sagging
How you can solve their problem
Youve had the opportunity to learn sales skills at CSF (TheSales Leadership Center) and research sales careers
Communicate to company
Ive had the opportunity to learn about your (shampoo) company
and am very excited about the new brands and technologies in
the hair care category
Ive earned my Certificate of Professional Sales
An opportunity to work in the LA would be a dream come true as
Im familiar with the LA culture and believe I could apply this to
the job
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What should I look for in a company?
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Above and beyond the obvious stuff:
Do you have what they need?
Do you trust your prospective boss?
Do you like the people youll be working with?
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Is it better to work for a big company or a small
company?
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If you want to work for a big company, its
better to work for a big company
If you want to work for a small company, its
better to work for a small company
Having said that, people generally move from
big to small
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Why?
Start at a big company:
Get training
Build network
Learn how a largecomplex organization
works
Learn current
management systems Develop skills and
demonstrate
performance in one or
two functional areas
Move to a small company:
Apply what youve
learned
Career opportunity vianetwork
Lead a department,
function or business
Enhanced earningspotential
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What career advice do youhave?
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Take Risks22
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Balance your personal and professional life
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Youll always be in marketing24
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Youll always be in marketing25
You
Your ideas
Your programs
Your employees
Your profession
Your department
Apply what youve learned in here!
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"We are looking for
ideas large enough to be
afraid of again.
Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (1900-1971),
award winning theater director
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The End27