Entry-level positions for aspiring Brand Strategists and Business Consultants
Entry-level brand strategy and business consulting roles often begin with internships at marketing or branding agencies— "amazing training grounds" offering diverse client experiences and skill development in areas such as "managing clients and their expectations." Beyond traditional internships, exploring LinkedIn and personal networks can uncover less conventional opportunities, enabling individuals to potentially "create a role for yourself that maybe didn't exist."
Marketing, Agency Life, Networking, Internship, Client Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jessica Hekmat
Brand Strategist + Business Consultant
JessKimia Consulting
Boston University
MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management
Communications
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Internships at branding, marketing, or social strategy agencies offer excellent training grounds, exposing students to diverse clients, team dynamics, and crucial skills like time management and client communication.
2. Agencies provide opportunities to learn about various aspects of the marketing mix and how they interrelate, regardless of a student's chosen specialization.
3. Students should actively explore their professional networks through platforms like LinkedIn, and don't be afraid to create roles for themselves by identifying areas of interest and directly contacting individuals in those fields
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
The most obvious choice is probably an internship at a branding, marketing, or social strategy agency. Marketing and communication have become extremely fractionalized and niche.
What used to be just an umbrella marketing agency now includes PR agencies and influencer agencies. There's a lot going on.
If there's a certain area you're interested in, I would suggest seeking out agencies. I think they are amazing training grounds because you work with multiple clients and many personalities. You're often staffed on different teams and manage up, down, and sideways.
You learn a lot about time management, managing clients and their expectations, and how to communicate and present. Agency life is fantastic as a first or second experience for learning the space and seeing how different parts of the marketing mix work together.
I'm sure there are other opportunities that I don't know exist. LinkedIn is really great for digging around and seeing who's in your extended network doing things that sound interesting to you.
Just ask. Often, you can create a role for yourself that maybe didn't exist. So I wouldn't feel limited to what's a traditional undergrad internship.
First, think about what you want to get out of it and what you want to explore. If there are certain areas you want to rule out or zoom into, start exploring your school network and personal network. See who has their hands in any of those areas and what might be a good fit for you.
Advizer Personal Links
jesskimia.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakimiabakhsh