Career Path Of An Associate Marketing Director At NAMM
Luke's career journey began with "a terrible job" in telemarketing, which unexpectedly led to an internship at Columbia Pictures, exposing them to the entertainment industry's business side but revealing its challenges. This experience ultimately guided their path toward the music products manufacturing and services sector, where market research skills and a desire for leadership and communications roles propelled their career trajectory from marketing coordinator to Associate Marketing Director at NAMM.
Career Exploration, Job Search, Networking, Communication, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Luke Walton
Associate Marketing Director
NAMM
USC 2013, SDSU 2020
MBA, SDSU
Fine Arts, Music
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Luke's career began with telemarketing, which unexpectedly honed valuable skills. This highlights the potential for transferable skills from seemingly unrelated jobs.
2. His internship at Columbia Pictures offered a glimpse into the entertainment business, but he found the corporate structure less appealing than the manufacturing and services side of the industry. This emphasizes the importance of exploring different aspects of a field to find the best fit.
3. Luke's progression from marketing coordinator to marketing manager in the music products industry showcases the value of starting with entry-level positions and gradually gaining experience. This demonstrates a clear career path within a specific sector and how climbing the ladder is achievable through hard work and dedication.
Transcript
Hey Luke, could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please also share any internships or jobs you had prior to your current role as a marketing manager.
Specifically, could you share about figuring out that first job?
My first paid job was with USC's telemarketing group. We called former students, alumni, to encourage donations to support the university.
It was a terrible job, but I was good at it. I didn't stay there long, as it wasn't my first official corporate position.
From there, I became a paid intern at Columbia Pictures, working with Sony Pictures in Culver City. A business contact helped me get that opportunity. It lasted about a year.
That was a cool experience, my first exposure to the business side of the entertainment world. I didn't feel as passionate about it, though I am passionate about entertainment as a performer and musician myself.
I saw the hoops people had to jump through for limited positions. Very qualified people ended up in secretarial roles for their entire careers, waiting for someone to retire. Often, they never did, and even then, they might not get the job.
It seemed like a difficult world on the business side of entertainment. So, I looked at the manufacturing and services side of entertainment.
That led me to music products. My first role there was in a guitar group, where I did market research. I think all these experiences flowed into each other.
From telemarketing and interning to secretarial work, and then market research, it led to my current position. I started as a marketing coordinator and worked my way up to marketing manager in the Communications Department.
All of that stemmed from wanting to interface with people and have a role involving leadership and communication. These were things I felt stronger at, rather than something analytical, managerial, or product-focused.
I found a home in music products. I think the manufacturing side connected more with what I wanted to do. It was less ambiguous than the entertainment industry can be.
It became a more foundational, normal career within a field I really appreciated. That's what led me to manufacturing and eventually to services and association work.