The Value of Attending WWU Marketing Events
The Western Washington Marketing Department puts on a few events every year for their students in the major. Whether you’re in the major already, or working to get into it, attending WWU marketing events can be incredibly beneficial to your careers.
How do these events help?
First of all, it’s a great way to learn about yourself, meet new people, and further your education of various marketing skills.
Secondly, if you’re looking to get a competitive edge in your career, the simple act of just showing up will get your face in front of industry professionals.
So, what kind of events are available for Western marketing students this year?
- Meet the Professionals Networking Event
- The Annual SMA Marketing Case Competition
Both events can really give students that early experience they need to start their journeys as marketers.
But let’s be real.
These can be incredibly daunting experiences for students who have just gotten into the major and have very little marketing knowledge to share. Well, take it from someone who attended the case competition earlier this year. It’s 100% worth it!
The marketing department puts these events out because it offers incredible value to the students and alumni who decide to show up. The department wants to make sure every student can be exposed to the right resources to be hired after graduation, and these networking opportunities can be just the thing to boost your careers.
Participating is also a great way to build confidence in areas where you might have felt fear or anxiety. The only way to overcome this is by pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and learning from experience.
Virtual Events
With the introduction to COVID-19 this year, students around the world have experienced a harsh change in their academic education systems. Since virtual learning is becoming a normal trend in society for the near future, its important to understand the value of adapting to changes in the plan.
For example, the Agile Marketing Manifesto, gives 10 steps towards applying an agile approach to education. Step six can be directly applied to your life as a future marketer.
Responding to change over following a plan
Participating in virtual networking marketing events during a global pandemic can show professionals you can apply a flexible agile approach to your education and life. This is a great way to gain experience and more confidence on how to navigate your future career through these tough times.
For many, this might be a harder environment to participate in than before but applying an agile approach to your education will only benefit you in the long run. Attending virtually can show employers that you are flexible and can adapt to any situation that is thrown at you.
Personal Experience
Earlier this year, I participated in the annual SMA case competition and I thought I would share my experience with the event.
I can say with confidence that participating was single handily the best thing I could have done in the position I was in. I was in the process of going through MKTG 391/382, the two introductory marketing courses taken once accepted into the major. My knowledge on marketing subjects was incredibly limited but I took initiative to show up anyway. Experiencing an event where professionals all around the greater Seattle area could come together to talk with students and see what skills they could apply is an invaluable experience.
Looking back on that now, I am so glad I exposed myself to that sort of environment early in my marketing career. This event taught me so much about myself as a college student, marketer, and future graduate. Not only was it a great experience, but it was also the start of a new mindset that would eventually grow into how I look at my career.
Overall,
The simple act of just showing up to these events can change your perspective of how you see yourself and how others see you. Not only are you learning to market yourself as a professional worthy of being hired, but you're pushing your limits as a student as well. The virtual nature of these events will be different, but a great opportunity to apply agile flexible approaches to your career. Personally, I would say that participating in these events is a career-changing experience and I can’t stress the benefit enough to anyone going into the marketing major here at WWU.