by Brooke Sagun
I decided to interview the Marketing Board of Bruin Women in Business to obtain information about their related experience in Marketing. I thought it would be extremely valuable to hear four different perspectives about experiences in the field of marketing in hopes of understanding the various career/internship opportunities available in this discipline. I believe that this information is valuable to all women considering entering the fields of marketing, communications, advertising or public relations. Below are responses from Darci VanRyckeghen, Jessica Pan, Carla Ashkar, and Jessica Wong.
What got you involved in BWIB?
Jessica Pan: During my freshman year, I knew that I wanted to go into business, and I looked into joining a club that would connect me to a network of similarly minded individuals. BWIB stood out to me due to the fact that they are a non-exclusive business club that works to educate strong women and prepare them for the workforce. Among many things, BWIB taught me how to write my first cover letter that then helped me land my first internship. I knew I wanted to give back to the organization so I became the Director of Marketing and Media so that I could mentor other women to help them achieve their professional goals.
Darci VanRyckeghen: I was in my second year at UCLA and realized that I wanted to go into business, but wasn’t sure what sector. I had just interned at mortgage banking company and although I learned SO much, I knew that I would not want to go into any job relating to investing. I switched my major and realized that I needed guidance to find a new direction for my career. Then, I joined BWIB after seeing it at the Big Activities Fair during the Fall at UCLA. At the club meetings, I was eventually exposed to and grew extremely interested in business marketing. I truly believe the club helped me become more successful as a student and businesswoman. I wanted to get more involved and make an impact on other young college women in the same way the club did for me. Therefore, I applied to become a Manager of the Social Media and Retail Marketing Committee. This year, I got promoted to Director of the Marketing and Media Committee alongside Jessica Pan! Being apart of this committee has been such a valuable growth experience for me and I am so excited for what is to come!
Carla Ashkar: I was once a freshman feeling a lot of uncertainty coming into UCLA. I was lost in a sea of faces and distracted by unlimited opportunities. I had no plan of action for choosing a major, was oblivious to the numerous competitive clubs UCLA had to offer, and was struggling to balance my social life with academics. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I came across Bruin Women in Business and finally felt part of something bigger. I knew I had the support system to help me figure out the career path I wanted to follow. This organization is a group of women building even stronger women, inspiring us to be strong, motivated, and dynamic leaders.
Jessica Wong: I first heard about BWIB from our tour guide when I was visiting UCLA as a high school senior, and I was immediately interested in joining a community of students who share similar interests and are committed to supporting one another. After attending the info session in fall quarter, I noticed and really appreciated the welcoming environment that BWIB creates. I’m very grateful for the valuable tips and resources I’ve received through BWIB, and I hope to contribute to this supportive environment as a manager for the Marketing Committee.
What got you interested in marketing?
Jessica Pan: I was artistically inclined when I was younger, and it was my dream to be an artist when I grew up. My love for art naturally progressed as I got older, and in highschool I worked as the publicity director in the Associated Student Body. I used art to market all the school events and news, something I loved doing. Once I got to college, I continued to seek out marketing roles because I was drawn to the creative and strategic aspects of it. I since have worked in marketing for everything from a non-profit, to a financial firm. I enjoy marketing for companies in different industries, as I see each new company as a new learning opportunity.
Darci VanRyckeghen: Originally, I got into marketing because it seemed like one of the few areas in business that I could jump into without have a business degree or economics degree. UCLA unfortunately doesn’t have an undergraduate business school and I switched my major from economics because I was not enjoying it at all. After having an internship in social media marketing at Career Contessa and attending more BWIB committee meetings, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in business marketing. Marketing is so interesting because you really have to understand the specific customer segments you are trying to target with your product. There is a strategy behind each commercial, post, article, etc. for a particular brand and/or product and I love the process of convincing a consumer that my product can satisfy some need in their life. Marketing also appeals to me because it is constantly changing. For example, social media within the last decade has become a HUGE influence on brand marketing and has created a whole new avenue in which consumers can be exposed to and purchase products from all types of industries.
Carla Ashkar: I really had no idea I wanted to go into marketing until I joined BWIB. I started as a member in the Career Development Committee with an interest in accounting before shifting to the opposite side of the spectrum. As a member of the Marketing Committee I developed my passion for branding positive messages and I knew I wanted a career marketing products that I loved. Marketing is a fundamental tool in business, relating to strategies that really focus on understanding your customer’s needs and how the product or service your creating fits those needs. Marketing is all about innovation and thinking outside the box and I am fascinated with the processes behind developing these creative strategies.
Jessica Wong: The art and impact of storytelling really interests me, so I was drawn to marketing because it involves telling and developing the story of a brand or product. I’m also very interested in how marketing combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to strategy, since it involves creative design as well as data-driven insights.
What is your favorite marketing project you have worked on?
Jessica Pan: My favorite marketing project is one that I worked on when I was working for Zinc Inc.. Zinc was creating a social media app that was focused on bringing people physically together and served as a sort of “anti social media” social media interface. I was focused on marketing the app through a side project called “The Pink Jacket Project”. We owned a pink denim jacket that said “Social Media Sucks” on the back, and I worked with different influencers to model the jacket and ask them about what social media means to them. We created an instagram based entirely around the jacket and influencer responses. This was overall an incredible experience as I got to work with many people of different creative personalities while also driving our start-up’s media strategy forward.
Darci VanRyckeghen: My favorite marketing project I worked on was with Career Contessa. The company’s mission is to encourage women to push themselves and grasp new opportunities in their career, even if that means making a complete career switch. February is Black History Month and the company wanted to create a campaign that celebrated the accomplishments of African American women in their careers. This included athletes, actors, CEOs, activists, etc. One of the tasks I did for this campaign was researching quotes, speeches, and major career accomplishments of these women. Then, I outlined this information into social media posts that were going to be posted on two specific days of the week as part of the campaign during February. Not only did this task teach me the logistics and planning that goes into a marketing campaign, but it was also just inspiring learning about other women who accomplished so much in their lives despite major obstacles.
Carla Ashkar: My favorite marketing project would have to be the one I am currently working on as a Marketing Manager for BWIB. My team and I are creating our very own website, which will incorporate blog posts on various topics in the marketing industry along with any tips we have for interviews and internship opportunities. Once the website is up and running, we will eventually work with SEO tactics and learn how to strategically implement keywords throughout our blog. I really enjoy coordinating these projects because not only does it improve the member’s knowledge of the industry, but it also allows the students and myself to have direct exposure to marketing methods and practices.
Jessica Wong: My favorite marketing project involved designing and executing a drip marketing email campaign for a software company. I learned how to use customer relationship management software to customize which email a recipient would receive next based on how they engaged with the content in the previous email. I enjoyed the strategy behind making the emails as appealing as possible to potential customers by seeking to package the information compellingly and using recipients’ interests to create targeted email sequences.
What are your plans this summer?
Jessica Pan: This summer I’m working at Red Bull as a Product Marketing Intern. I am really excited about the role as there is a new Organics line and I will get the opportunity to be a part of developing and implementing the marketing strategy for this new beverage.
Darci VanRyckeghen: This summer I will be completing a Film Brand Marketing Internship with Universal Pictures. I have always been really interested in working in the entertainment industry. I interned for a producer last year and currently am interning with an independent film distribution company. I realized that I wanted to combine my passion for the industry and the marketing skills I have acquired from the past and explore a career in entertainment marketing. I am really looking forward to this summer because I am such a huge fan of Universal Pictures and its films and am excited to apply my knowledge to the film projects I will be assigned.
Carla Ashkar: I will be spending my summer in San Francisco as a Marketing Intern for Benefit Cosmetics. I am very excited about this opportunity to combine my passions of both marketing and beauty. I love cosmetics and the story makeup tells as I believe makeup is best reflected as a tool for exploration and self-expression.I really look forward to learning about the marketing strategies and techniques that drive Benefit’s business operations forward.
Jessica Wong: This summer, I will be interning with Yum! Brands’ Collider Lab as part of its data science team. I am very excited to gain further insight into the quantitative side of marketing by discovering what conclusions can be made based on data from market research, and ultimately what strategic actions should be taken as a result of the findings.
As a member of BWIB, I have learned so much important information practical for my future career. I’ve learned from female professionals in the Business Industry about the different career paths and process of obtaining an MBA, which has helped spark my interest of furthering my education by earning an MBA myself after a few years in the workforce. After interviewing the Marketing Board, they all reaffirmed my reason for joining BWIB, as I wanted to be a part of a like-minded community with similar career aspirations which I believe I have been successful in discovering. I am hopeful to gain hands-on marketing experience during college similar to many of the Board Members that I interviewed.
I am currently working towards applying to the communication studies major and earning a minor in film, television, and media studies. I plan to pursue a career in marketing in the film/entertainment industry. Alternatively, I am also considering working in the non-profit sector with a public relations and/or marketing role.
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