Two professionals share how they made a career change into marketing, plus the skills you need to succeed in this dynamic industry.
Astri Prakoso has been forging a marketing career since 2012. After completing her masters in marketing, she landed a job working for a digital agency, before taking on the role of Senior Manager at Sprinklr, a startup software company that offers social media management systems.
“I now manage an international team who work in offices as far-flung as Manila. We help the world’s largest brands do the likes of marketing, advertising and ecommerce, on over 24 social channels globally,” she says.
Astri’s career change into marketing came after working three years as an analyst at an investment bank in Singapore. She discovered her strengths while volunteering to run an internal fundraising campaign.
“The campaign was so successful that the charity committee said I should consider a career in marketing. That's when I made the radical decision to retrain and get a postgraduate degree. Since then, I’ve never looked back.
“I love working in marketing because you get to work on such a variety of projects, which makes your work day interesting. It’s so great having a job I’m inspired to get out of bed for.”
Cameron Kerr – now CEO of Taronga Conservation Society Australia – was working as an agricultural scientist researching in animal health and agriculture when he was inspired to pursue a career in marketing.
“I found communicating the research findings to stakeholders the most valuable part of the process,” says Cameron. “After this realisation, relevant study in marketing seemed like the logical next step for me.”
Cameron reflects that his science background gave him a unique perspective while studying his postgraduate in Marketing and Organisational behavior, with the qualification opening a world of career opportunity he didn’t know existed.
Cameron now has 15 years’ experience in marketing across a range of industries.
A good marketer also knows which channels are most profitable, and keeps a close eye on what customers, leads and prospects are saying about your brand and your competitors’ brands on social media.
Astri Prakoso
Senior Manager
Sprinklr
How to become a marketing specialist
To equip future marketers with the necessary skills and prepare them for the ever-evolving world that is marketing, the Master of Commerce (Marketing) draws on the latest industry insights and techniques.
“Having skills in marketing analytics is essential to understanding evolving consumer trends and behaviors,” says Astri.
“A good marketer also knows which channels are most profitable, and keeps a close eye on what customers, leads and prospects are saying about your brand and your competitors’ brands on social media.”
Cameron agrees that an effective marketer should be on top of trends, driving new thinking within an organisation and ensuring innovation reaches the market as quickly as possible.
“A good strategic marketer thinks about where society is heading, and helps to influence innovation and change within their organisation,” he says.
“Consumer trends are changing quicker than ever, so marketers should be looking ahead to help their organisation prepare internally and be ready to communicate with their customers.”
Why a postgraduate in marketing?
“I finished my studies with the confidence to put myself up against other marketers, knowing that I had the theory and fundamentals to make sound decisions and accelerate good practice,” says Cameron.
For Astri, “The choice to study marketing at a postgraduate level opened doors and helped me transition into the career I wanted.”
She also found the networking opportunities with both guest speakers and other students invaluable.
“Through the program, I met and developed good relationships with other students, who are now marketers in various industries,” she says. “It's great to have them as your peers who you can reach out to.”
From product development and brand strategy to global marketing and marketing analytics, find out where a career in marketing could take you, with a.