How to Successfully Ramp Up Your Web Marketing Lead Career at Blend
Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead in FinTech, learned that "it's not surprising that you would enter a job and know everything right off the bat," emphasizing the importance of patience during a steep learning curve. The most effective strategy for accelerating understanding of the complex financial industry was actively seeking mentorship through company resources and engaging with colleagues, a process that took three to six months before feeling fully confident.
FinTech, Marketing, Professional Development, Communication Skills, Onboarding
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Marisa Brazelton
Web Marketing Lead
Blend
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
NYU Stern School of Business - MBA, Specializations in Tech Product Management, Leadership and Change Management, and Strategy
Business Management & Admin
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Technology
Communication and Marketing
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. It takes time to learn the specifics of an industry like FinTech; don't be discouraged if you don't know everything immediately.
2. Take advantage of company training resources and actively seek out mentorship from colleagues to accelerate your learning.
3. Building relationships with colleagues is crucial for getting up to speed and successfully navigating the complexities of a new role and industry.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
When I first started in the FinTech industry, my manager told me not to get upset for not getting up to speed right away. Finance isn't an easy industry to understand. I struggled with my finance class in college, and that made it hard to come into a job without being familiar with how the industry works.
There are many laws and regulations I wasn't aware of, and it takes time to learn them. It's not surprising to enter a job and not know everything immediately.
One way to mitigate this, and something that I found really helpful, was utilizing the company's training tools. I spent hours during my first weeks of onboarding watching videos.
Alternatively, I took the approach of setting up meetings with people on different teams. I'd ask them to explain things in simple terms or clarify parts of training videos. Asking how they understood something from their perspective in their role for years was very effective.
I felt I was able to ramp up in the industry by talking to people. If I was working on an unfamiliar project, I would meet with someone who could best educate me. Making educated guesses based on what I learned from them really helped.
It took me three to six months before I felt I wasn't asking as many questions. I could take something and run with it. It was an adjustment to be okay with that slower ramp-up period, but it has a bigger payoff.
You're putting in the time to educate yourself and build relationships with those who can help you. So, in the long run, no matter how long it takes, it's important not to feel guilty. You will get there, and you'll have the support of your manager and coworkers to help you.