What a Web Marketing Lead at Blend Wishes They Had Known Before FinTech
Marisa, a Web Marketing Lead in FinTech, advises newcomers to the industry not to be discouraged by a slow learning curve, emphasizing that "it's not surprising that you would enter a job and know everything right off the bat." Effective strategies for navigating this include utilizing company training resources and proactively seeking mentorship from colleagues through meetings and discussions, a process that ultimately took Marisa three to six months to fully integrate into her role.
FinTech, Financial Services, Onboarding, Professional Development, Relationship Building
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 intricacies of the finance industry, including its laws and regulations. Don't be discouraged if you don't grasp everything immediately.
2. To accelerate your learning, leverage company training resources and actively seek clarification from colleagues through meetings and discussions. Building relationships is key.
3. The adjustment period to becoming proficient in a new role can be three to six months or more. It's crucial to not feel guilty about this slower ramp-up, focusing instead on continuous learning and relationship building for long-term success.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
Something that I remember when I first started in my industry, FinTech, which is more financial services, is what my manager told me right off the bat. He advised me not to get upset with myself for not getting up to speed right away.
Finance is not an easy industry to understand. I struggled with my finance class in college, and that made it hard coming 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 that you wouldn't know everything right away when you start a new job. One way to mitigate this, and something I found helpful, was utilizing the training tools my company provided, like videos. I spent hours during my first weeks of onboarding watching them.
Alternatively, I took the approach of setting up meetings with people on different teams. I'd ask them to explain concepts in simple terms or clarify parts of training videos I didn't understand. Asking how they'd been doing their role for years was very effective.
This is how I felt I was able to get ramped up in the industry: by talking to people. If I was working on a project I wasn't familiar with, I'd meet with someone who could educate me. Making educated guesses based on what I learned from them really helped.
I'd say it took me three to six months to feel like 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.
This has a bigger payoff, as you're putting in the time to educate yourself and build relationships with those who can help. So, in the long run, no matter how long it takes, it's important not to feel guilty. You'll get there with the support of your manager and coworkers.