When I Grow Up...

Before I started school, I was 150% sure that I wanted to do brand management. Why? Because it would allow me to be creative, to see a product from day one and take it to “graduation day” when it becomes a brand (by the way, this is probably the shortest definition of brand management ever ☺). It only took a few weeks of school to get me so confused that I have no idea what I want to do right now. It doesn’t mean that I’ve ruled out brand management. I just added organizational change to my exploration agenda.

So what do I do to figure out what I want to do? Well, I’m setting up informational interviews with people in brand management and organizational change. I want to learn more about the field, specific positions within the field, and especially the challenges they’re facing. I’m also reading a lot on different industries that I’m interested in, looking at job descriptions for brand management positions, and career paths. On top of everything, I’m also looking for an internship. As I am in the 15-month program, I’m not required to do an internship. However, I decided to pursue this option, if I find a program and a company that I really like.

AT&T, for example, has a great internship program. And what I really like about it is that they emphasize leadership over marketing or whatever field you want to specialize in. It is first a program that gives you exposure to executives, mentors, and networking events that will ultimately help you hone your leadership skills. I never thought about working for AT&T until I saw this internship program. I guess I never took the time to look at this company as an option because I was fixated on cosmetics or publishing. Now however, after looking at this program and talking to former interns, I would consider myself lucky to participate in AT&T's internship program. A few weeks ago, I took the first step towards this goal, when I was among the few first-year students selected for an interview. Now, I have to wait until March to find out whether or not I receive an offer. Four more months is a long time! And the million-dollar question is now how do I keep my name fresh in the recruiter’s mind until then, without being annoying?! ☺