How to Get Started in the Marketing Profession With Katie Saglimbene
College today is not what it was like in the early 2000s. Especially for those going for a marketing, PR or advertising degree. A couple months ago, Katie was a panelist on an Advertising and Public Relations career course panel for Michigan State University. We just had to share the insights she shared about entering the Marketing & Advertising profession.
During this fun Q & A session, you’ll learn more about Katie’s marketing career journey, the importance of social media to Elevate Marketing Co., and get professional tips when it comes to working in the marketing and advertising profession. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Share your career story - how did you get into marketing, specifically social media?
Katie: I graduated from Spring Arbor University with a BA in Business Administration with a Marketing Concentration in 2009. After graduation, I was lucky enough to be referred to an IT company in Lansing that was looking for a part-time marketing coordinator. After landing the job, I organized, planned, and executed different marketing strategies – everything from events and tradeshows to email marketing, social media, and blogging.
After about six and a half years, I started to grow weary. The office politics were exhausting me and I no longer loved what I did. After doing some light job hunting, I decided to step away from the traditional 9-5 job and began consulting. So I put in my two weeks’ notice and leaned on my connections to help me launch Klimb Creative, LLC. My last day of work was on a Friday and that following Monday, I hit the ground running with three clients. It was exhilarating and terrifying but through that chapter in my career, I learned to trust my instincts and I learned to have confidence in myself again.
What led you to start your own business? How did you find your first clients?
Katie: I learned the hard way that we work too much of our lives to be “stuck” in a job we don’t love. Yes, my job today is still tiring. I have days that are exhausting and frustrating, but at the end of the day, I spend it doing what I love. When you have more bad days than good days, it’s time to evaluate your position. For me, I knew I needed to find my passion for marketing again. I needed to fight for it in a way that would drive me to be better. I knew that if I had gone to work for another company, I would risk the same situation. I needed some space and time to breathe. I needed to get excited about marketing the way I did when I was in college.
How does social media play a role in the work you do with clients?
Katie: Well, it plays a HUGE role! Much of our business at Elevate Marketing Co. is providing our clients with social media management and digital advertising. Our clients are all different sizes and industries. Some are entrepreneurs. Some are B2B and some are B2C. Some use social media for specific purposes and campaigns, others use it for building brand awareness. Overall though, social media allows all our clients to tell their stories and connect with their audiences.
How do you keep up on social media trends or other marketing trends?
Katie: I am a big podcast person! I rarely sit to read a book – but I love to turn on podcasts! One of my ultimate favorites for trends is Social Media Examiner. They have a killer website and their podcast is full of great tips, ideas, and trends to be on the lookout for. I also lean on HubSpot for free resources. They have an incredible blog for marketing and sales strategies. The same goes for Hootsuite. I am also actively following a number of Facebook groups for social media managers. Sometimes some of the best trends come straight from the end-users!
For Leadership, I lean heavily on Donald Miller’s “Storybrand” podcast. It is incredibly easy to listen to – it’s fun and light, yet very educational. I’ve walked away from one too many times with a golden nugget that birthed a new direction or project for Elevate. Plus JJ Peterson’s laugh is so contagious!
What do you think students can do to stand out when they go to apply for jobs? Any specific tips?
Katie: We’ve had a few internship positions at Elevate that have attracted a number of applicants. Those that stood out to me were professional in their actions and creative in their resumes. I could easily pick out those who used a template for their cover letters or simply copy/pasted my company name in place of the last. In our world of marketing and social media, I am looking for creativity – raw, genuine creativity. Getting a job takes effort. Keeping your job takes a ridiculous amount of effort! So if you can’t put forth the effort in applying for the job, I am hardly convinced you can keep it. Also, responsiveness is key. It’s a core value of ours at Elevate so when it takes more than 24 hours to respond to a potential job interview request, then it’s not looking good! I also received a few applicants that went as far as creating their own website to showcase their portfolio. This was very intriguing to me because it spoke to my creative side and yet it showcased their work and talent. In short, being responsive, creative, and professional.
We hope you enjoyed this Q & A and can take something from it as you navigate this crazy world of Marketing!
Stay connected with everything going on at Elevate Marketing Co. (including snagging some prime marketing tips) by following us on Facebook and Instagram.