College Experiences That Helped a Merchandise and Marketing Manager at Major League Table Tennis Succeed
To prepare for a career, Jordan focused on staying engaged in college by deeply learning subjects rather than just memorizing facts, recognizing the importance of understanding the "big picture" to translate academic tasks, even those that feel like "busy work," into professional settings where focus and dedication are key; Jordan also emphasized building relationships with professors and developing interpersonal skills, recognizing that "every job is really just... having relationships with individuals."
Engagement, Focus, Relationship Building, Networking, People Skills
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jordan Yee
Merchandise & Marketing Manager
Major League Table Tennis
CSU Long Beach
CSU Long Beach MA Kinesiology Sport Management
Medical, Sciences & Related
Sports & Fitness
Sales and Client Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Focus on deeply learning subjects, not just memorizing facts, to understand the big picture, which is essential in a career.
2. Stay engaged and focused on tasks, even those that seem meaningless, remembering their importance to the overall goal, as this mirrors the realities of the working field.
3. Build and maintain connections with professors and peers for networking and learning people skills, as relationships are crucial in any job, especially in sales and marketing.
Transcript
What did you do in college to set you up for success in your career?
When I was in college, for me, it was really just staying engaged. I focused on my studies, making sure I passed all my classes and was on track to actually learn the subject, not just memorize facts.
Thinking about all these majors in a big picture is where I realized that's what you need to do for a career. Sometimes classes or tasks can feel meaningless and like busy work.
But when you're actually in the working field, you have a lot of tasks that maybe you're not happy about. You just have to stay focused and get it done. Remember how important it is to the company, or for you to just get through it and keep pushing on. You don't know what it might open up in the future.
Staying in contact with professors is something I didn't do as an undergrad. I learned during my master's degree that it was absolutely necessary to maintain those connections and for networking. Really, just learning people. Every job is really about having relationships with individuals.
Whether you're selling something, you have to make someone feel like they want it and are comfortable buying it from you. Those people skills are necessary and can be built in college.