October 2021

Structure of a T-Shaped Marketer

The horizontal part of the “T” is the broad knowledge about marketing. This includes all of the skills surrounding marketing that you’re familiar with. These are skills that you have general knowledge in and understanding of, but are not an expert in.  

The vertical part of the “T” shows a singular depth of knowledge in one specific subject. This can be a skill that you have a passion for, or something you found you have a natural talent in. The skill you decide to deepen your knowledge in is the specific area that you will want to focus your career in.  

Research The Company’s Dress Code

The first step in determining what to wear is to look at the company you are interviewing with and decide the overall feel. Is the company strictly professional? Is there a casual feel to it? By looking at the company’s social media and website you can get an idea on how their employees dress. Most websites offer some insight to how the company presents itself and their dress code(opens in new window).  

1. Join the Alumni Association

The first way to stay connected to your alma mater would be to join the alumni association. For most universities there is a fee required to join. Usually, this is a reoccurring annual fee that is put towards alumni events, networking events, career services and scholarships for current students. For Western Washington University(opens in new window) specifically, the WWU Alumni Association(opens in new window) offers many different membership plans and rates spanning from 20-dollars for recent graduates to the most expensive 850-dollar sapphire lifetime joint membership. There are many different perks you get when you become a part of the Alumni Association, one of those being that it keeps you updated with events happening on campus.

Using Humor on Social Media

People trust people. Let me reword that, people trust people they relate to. Even more trust is extended to those we know or look up to. Social media connects us with people we trust, whether that be your best friend or Nicki Minaj. For this reason, earned media is incredibly valuable for a business. A good example of companies utilizing humor on social media platforms are fast food restaurants on Twitter. Do you remember the Twitter beef between McDonald’s and Wendy’s? Both companies gained copious amounts of earned media by making their consumer base laugh.

What is Networking

Networking is the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or interest, usually in an informal social setting. Networking is building a connection with another individual. 

Networking is used by professionals to expand their circles of connections, to find out about job opportunities, and increase their awareness of trends in their field. Networking does not only have to occur in the professional world.

What is the Case Competition?

The Western Student Marketing Association Case Competition is an event that brings together marketing students to work on a marketing problem and provide a solution to a panel of judges. Those who are interested in participating can sign-up at one of the SMA meetings(opens in new window) or go to the SMA website. Participants can choose their team members or are assigned in a team of three(opens in new window), and attend a prep meeting to ask any questions regarding the event or procedure. Details about the case are not given to the participants until the day of the event. The Case Competition is usually held on a Saturday with refreshments and food provided for everyone. Each team is given 3 hours to analyze the case and, without Internet, need to come up with a solution to present in the form of PowerPoint. There are two rounds of judging, and time is given to the top