Career Path Of A Senior Growth Marketing Manager At A Marketing Agency
Alina's career path began unexpectedly with a modeling contract in China, leading to international expansion work for a modeling agency and exposure to diverse markets; this experience eventually transitioned into a marketing career in the US, starting with a startup and culminating in a senior growth marketing manager role at a digital marketing agency, "working with a variety of different businesses and learn[ing] from a lot of other marketers."
International Experience, Networking, Career Pivoting, Agency Life, Growth Marketing
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alina FItsai
Senior Growth marketing Manager
Marketing Agency
Irkutsk State University, 2013
UCLA Anderson School of Management, 2024
Creative Writing, Journalism
Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
International Student, Scholarship Recipient, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Alina's international experience in Asia, Europe, and America during her time with a modeling agency demonstrates adaptability and cross-cultural communication skills.
2. Her transition from the modeling industry to marketing showcases initiative and a willingness to learn new skills, highlighting her proactive approach to career development.
3. Her experience at a startup allowed her to wear many hats, contributing to product development, customer relationships, and marketing, demonstrating versatility and problem-solving skills.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Sure, I went to university in Russia, in Siberia. I was the first in my family to attend university.
At that time, I was also part of a local model agency. They offered me an opportunity to go for a modeling contract in Shanghai, China, during my summer break.
When I went there, I realized how many opportunities China offered international talent. So, I offered to represent the agency and help them expand their presence in Asia.
They agreed. They were also a team of ambitious, self-starting young people. During my winter and summer breaks, I worked in Asia in different countries, helping them establish relationships and negotiate contracts with our talent.
I spent a lot of time in China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. That was a very fun time for me.
After I graduated from university, my responsibilities also expanded to Europe, South Africa, and America. It was an exciting time as we tried to expand the agency and build our business together. I also had a great opportunity to learn across different countries and meet many talented people.
After that, I decided I wanted to settle down and have a more settled lifestyle. I moved to the US, to Los Angeles, and decided to work in marketing.
I had already been involved in marketing since we worked in production, doing many photoshoots and video campaigns for brands. At that time, I started taking marketing classes and researching top leaders in the marketing field. I signed up for multiple newsletters and attended conferences, some paid and some unpaid. This helped me stay up-to-date with marketing in the US and land my first and second marketing jobs.
In my first marketing role, I joined a startup that was renting jewelry. That was a very interesting project for me. Our team had about six people, so I had to wear many hats. I had a great opportunity to participate in product development, customer relationships, and marketing.
After that, I thought about how I could grow in my marketing career and what my career trajectory might look like. I realized that working at an agency would be the best for me at that point. It would allow me to work with various businesses and learn from many other marketers.
That's how I transitioned into my next marketing role, working at Nude 6, a digital marketing agency where I currently work.