Marketing Week Offers Essential Advice for Students

For the first time ever, the St. John Fisher College American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter hosted a weeklong, virtual showcase of career opportunities and highlighted the benefits of AMA membership during its annual Marketing Week. Held in mid-October, the schedule included professional speakers and informational workshops.

The week kicked off with a talk by Michael Thomas ’11, vice president of sales and marketing at Triple-O Mechanical. He spoke with students in a strategic marketing class about his beginnings at Fisher, and his journey in marketing.

“It’s about the product and the process,” Thomas shared. It was a message that resonated strongly with the students, including senior marketing major Michael Rizzo.

“His ability to market for Triple-O while also marketing himself was very impressive,” said Rizzo. “He gave great examples of creating a story behind a product in order to influence a buyer.”

On tap for Tuesday was a Young Professionals Panel on the topic of “Why choose a career in sales?” This panel featured Rachel Carter (ADP), Christian Gonzalez ’13 and Jennifer Haskins (Paychex), and Matt Delgado ’14 (Constellation Brands). The panel fielded questions from club members and spoke about the different doors a degree in marketing can open in the business world.

“Think about your next job, but also think about two jobs down the line,” Carter said.

Recent AMA and Fisher alumna Clay Bailey ’20 joined the usual chapter meeting Tuesday evening. Bailey took the club on a deep dive through the world of Canva, a graphic design tool popular among students.

“Putting in the extra time to assemble a graphic or two will instantly take your presentation to a new professional level,” she said.

She also discussed her current role as an account manager with WEBFIRE and gave the club tips on how to maximize efficiency while working virtually.

On Wednesday, Emily Risch ’20, past co-president of AMA, hosted a Qualtrics marketing and sales information session. Risch spoke to a Marketing Principles class, discussing her experience as a sales development representative at the experience management company. She gave an overview of the organization and shared details on her transition to working from home. Risch also offered career advice and spoke upon the importance internships can hold for students.

Later that day, Dr. Julia Overton-Healy, director of career services at Fisher, hosted a networking information session about the importance of connecting with others in the business world. Overton-Healy also made the point that the Center for Career and Academic Planning is a resource for all students.

“Dr. Overton-Healy’s advice was very informative and valuable to the students she spoke with, as many of us haven’t had much experience with networking events or internships yet,” said Sal Saunders, a sophomore marketing major and sport management minor, who is vice president of AMA.

A talk by Fisher alumnus Zackary DeAngelis ’19, digital marketing manager for Iron Smoke Distillery, capped off Wednesday’s activities. DeAngelis spoke on how to gain followers, influence, and work with brands on social media. Senior marketing major and AMA member Kyle Link found the presentation very helpful.

“He showed how his passion for marketing helped both his company and his own personal brand,” Link said. “He gave great tips for young professionals looking for work in 2020.”

Finally, to wrap up Fisher’s Marketing Week, AnnMarie Link, planning and accountability manager at Cisco, gave a timely presentation to students studying international business. Link previously served as a global workflow manager for Xerox and a global strategic marketing manager for Cisco before achieving her current role. She is very familiar with remote work and had many helpful tips for the students. She also spoke about international product strategy and how to penetrate a foreign market.

“The speakers that participated in this year’s Marketing Week all had great experiences and tips to share about marketing,” said Patrick Leahy, a senior marketing and human resources major who serves as president of AMA. “Although it was 100 percent virtual, I think we were able to help our club members learn more about marketing, as well as promote AMA as a presence on campus.”