Career Path Of A Senior Manager Fleet Marketing At Amazon
David's career journey began with an undergraduate degree in international relations and Marine Corps internships, followed by nine years of service as an infantry and intelligence officer. After considering a career change, this led to Amazon's military pathways program, a two-year accelerated leadership program, which eventually propelled David into program management and finally to their current role leading Amazon's fleet marketing program.
Military Experience, Career Transition, Amazon Career Path, Leadership Development, Project Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
David Marshall
Senior Manager - Fleet Marketing
Amazon
Baylor University
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey - Masters Business Administration (MBA)
International Relations & Affairs
Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Business Strategy
Disabled, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. David's career path demonstrates that diverse experiences can lead to success. His military background, coupled with an MBA pursuit and participation in Amazon's military pathways program, showcases adaptability and career transition skills.
2. His experience highlights the value of internships, even those that might not be directly related to a specific career path. His Marine Corps internships provided valuable training and experience.
3. David's journey emphasizes the importance of networking and leveraging opportunities. His transition from the military to Amazon was facilitated by Amazon's military pathways program and through his contacts, highlighting the value of professional networking and targeted career strategies.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
I had a bit of a different career path. After college, I went into the military, specifically the Marine Corps first, before entering the civilian business world. In college, my undergrad was in international relations, with a focus on Arabic language and culture.
My summer internships were with the Marine Corps, and I spent them in Quantico, Virginia, doing various types of training and officer candidate school. So, when I graduated, I joined the military right away.
I spent nine years in the Marine Corps, serving as both an infantry officer and an intelligence officer. I did some interesting roles, which we can discuss later. My last two to three years in the military were my decision point. I was coming up on nine years, and I had to decide whether to stay in the military or leave and try something different.
I wanted to leave and try something different, something more creative where I could chart my own path. So, I ended up working on getting into an MBA program, which didn't work out right away. But through contacts, I ended up joining Amazon through their military pathways program.
If anyone's not familiar, it's an accelerated leadership program within Amazon operations, offering career development, accelerated training, and a path to speedy promotions. I did that for two years, got my foot in the door with Amazon, and then moved into program management, which is where I wanted to be.
From there, I built myself through a number of successful project and program completions. Ultimately, I was asked to launch the team and develop the program I manage now, which is Amazon's fleet marketing program. I think we'll probably talk more about that in a different question, but it's been a long path.