What a Loyalty Marketing Analyst at Williams Sonoma wishes they had known before entering the Marketing industry
Steve, a Loyalty Marketing Analyst at Williams Sonoma, advises that marketing at large companies like Williams Sonoma is highly segmented into niche areas, unlike initial expectations of broad impact; this necessitates proactive identification of preferred areas and continuous career planning, rather than a one-time choice, to build a comprehensive skillset, as Steve learned after entering the workforce.
Marketing, Career Planning, Industry Segmentation, Professional Development, Long-Term Career Goals
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Steve Masline
Analyst, Loyalty Marketing
Williams Sonoma
University of Michigan, 2017
M.B.A. at UCLA Anderson School of Management, 2023
Philosophy
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Communication and Marketing
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Marketing is segmented into niche areas at large companies, requiring expertise in a narrow area.
2. Career progression requires proactive identification of desired skills and learning experiences.
3. Choosing a career path is an ongoing process, not a one-time decision.
Transcript
If you learned about this role, what do you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
I would say it's similar to the last answer. At big companies, marketing is obviously segmented into a lot of niche areas. When you think about Microsoft, there are so many marketers working on their products. Williams-Sonoma, a big public company in the Fortune 500, will have a lot of marketers thinking about and solving problems.
So, a lot of times you can become an expert in a pretty narrow area. I didn't necessarily know this, and it wouldn't have hindered me from working at either of these companies, but it's good to know that when you come in, you can expect to have a broad impact and gain different learning experiences.
However, that often requires a bit more longevity, like spending two years at one place and two years at another, or looking further than what's right in front of you. So, I used to think if you got a role out of college in marketing, you'd just learn marketing and be good at it.
You have to be more proactive in identifying and understanding which areas you like and want to learn to build more tools in your toolkit. I thought you chose your industry and your career, and that was it. I've learned, and I think many people learn this as they enter the workforce, that's not the case. You have to keep thinking about where you're going throughout each step of the journey.