Zig-zagging career paths in marketing

I'm 3 years and 2 full-time jobs into my early career journey. Here are 3 lessons I've learned along the way to help motivate the soon-to-be/ new college graduate who's scared of what their future holds: 1) It's okay and never too late to pivot Spring semester of my senior year, I decided to make a career change from maternal and child health to tech. I dove into my job search with a loose plan, lots of manifestation, and a healthy dose of delusion. What's not seen is the 100s of crappy applications I submitted, a job offer I had to turn down, and the endless job rejections until I finally landed my offer at TikTok. My career pivot and the realization that there weren't a lot of early career resources for new grads led to the creation of The Ninth Semester blog, ultimately leading to my new career path in early career recruiting. One decision I made in college has positively impacted my career ever since and now I get to help 150,000 early career professionals navigate their careers. 2) It's okay to be multi-passionate, that's your superpower I used to (and sometimes still do) feel embarrassed for having an inconsistent career path. I went from a communications internship at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, Inc. → a marketing internship at Penguin Random House → a public relations internship at Ulta Beauty → advertising at TikTok → early career recruiting/employer branding at WayUp. I quickly had to learn the art of painting a story with my career experiences and learned that my diverse career path is what makes me unique. There are skills, software, and niche industry knowledge that I've learned from every role that helped me become a well-rounded early career candidate. There's no shame in wanting to learn and explore something different, especially if you're able to take the lessons from past roles into a new one. Identifying and highlighting my transferrable skills has helped a lot with my career confidence. but the biggest lesson I learned? 3)You're on your own timeline. It was hard watching my classmates land opportunities before graduation while I was on my 20th job rejection of the month. Every step I took, including the mistakes I made on my first post-grad job hunt, brought me to where I am today. I wasn't "behind" or a "failure" - it just wasn't my time yet. And that's scary to believe when you're afraid of never landing a job and everyone around you is constantly talking about how the job market is trash. It's easier said than done, but you have to keep going. Even if you have to take breaks from applying or try something unconventional like a TikTok video resume (like me lol) to break through the void of endless job rejections. Or get real with yourself about what's working/what's not and make changes. But trust me, you WILL find a job and you will land exactly where you need to be. Everything always falls into place. #classof2024 #classof2025 #entryleveljobs #internships #jobhuntingtips #postgrad

I didn’t start in marketing. I started at the front desk. It wasn’t the dream job — but it turned out to be the smartest move I ever made. When you’re pivoting into marketing or project management, where you start matters just as much as the title. I joined as an Office Coordinator. I had no illusions about the role itself, but I did know two people before me had been promoted into other departments within a year. That told me one important thing: this company believed in internal mobility. That role became my launchpad into a full-time marketing position. Since then, I’ve worked across multiple environments — startups, mid-sized companies, and mission-driven orgs — and I’ve seen firsthand which ones help career pivoters actually grow. ✅ 4 Types of Companies Where Career Pivoters Thrive: 🔹 Mid-Sized Companies (50–200 employees) Big enough for real structure, small enough that your work gets noticed. These companies often give you access to different teams and projects, and room to explore beyond your role. 🔹 Startups with strong leadership At one startup, I worked across client success, finance, HR, operations, and marketing, and got promoted twice in under 18 months. The learning curve was steep — but it gave me experience most people take years to build. 🔹 Mission-Driven Organizations When the work matters, people notice your contribution, not just your job title. These orgs often hire for mindset, not credentials. 🔹 Companies with a culture of internal mobility When you’re pivoting, your first role may not be your forever role. What matters is whether you’re in an environment that opens doors. 🚫 What to Watch Out For: ❌ Highly siloed orgs with rigid hierarchies They tend to value credentials over potential, and make it harder to try, stretch, or move laterally. There’s no one perfect company. But the right environment can turn your pivot into real progress. What was your least glamorous first job, and how did it shape your career? Share your story in the comments! 👉 Follow me for career advice that helps you pivot and grow in marketing or project management. #careerchange #pivotintomarketing #pmcareerpath #internalmobility

Your career path is either a ladder or a mosaic.  Ladders go up and down. Mosaics connect in unexpected ways. Choosing a mosaic was the best bet of my career 👇 My resume reads like a career sampler platter: - Healthcare - Real estate - Logistics - Acting - Fintech Today, I lead GTM at daydream. A role that leverages every seemingly disconnected experience. When onboarding customers, I'm not limited to understanding just one industry perspective. I can switch contexts rapidly between: - A fintech founder's revenue acceleration challenges - A real estate company's market positioning dilemma - A creative team's content production bottlenecks This multi-industry fluency didn't happen by design. It emerged from following curiosity. One thing I’ve learned? The market increasingly rewards this kind of composite perspective: 1. Companies need leaders who can navigate cross-industry innovation 2. The most interesting opportunities exist at the intersection of fields 3. Adaptability often outweighs specialized knowledge in rapidly evolving markets If your career path looks more like a mosaic than a ladder, recognize its unique strength. Being able synthesize diverse experience into uncommon insights is a superpower, not a liability.

Can you stay satisfied in a marketing career forever? (The questions you ask yourself when stuck in an airport bar). I’ve seen many exceptional marketers move out of the field, taking on roles in project management, professional services and starting their own businesses. Most of these moves have been driven by a feeling of unfulfillment and disillusion with the marketing profession. I can understand it, but I don’t think that leaving marketing behind is a necessity to meet your personal and professional goals. Everyone is different, but I believe that escaping the notion of a linear path between marketing exec and CMO, is the vital first step. It’s almost a guaranteed road to disappointment and dissatisfaction. A) there isn’t enough room at the top, and B) the higher you climb doesn’t correlate with fulfillment at work. The three lessons I have learnt along the way are: 1 – Keep learning – the more specific knowledge you acquire, the more likely you’ll find new areas to expand into. You are much more likely to find something that you’ll excel in and build a new career path e.g. brand specialist. 2 – Take a sideways or backwards step – this can be one of the hardest things to do, but I’ve done it a few times in my career, and I’ve always been rewarded. Conversely when I’ve chased a job title or pay I’ve always suffered. Always look at the real opportunity and ask yourself honestly about your motivations for choosing your next step. You’ll be happier and stay in the career longer. 3 – Build your network – the old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”, is so true. All of my great chances have been by virtue of connections I created over the years. I love connecting with people, I love seeing them grow and achieve, and I love to help people if I can along the way. Call it good karma or call it professional kindness, I believe in it, and sometimes it pays you back too. I suppose I could have just said “Learn everything, stay open to anything, and help out anyone you can.” If you do, I believe you’ll be rewarded with a long, enjoyable, and varied marketing career that will evolve over time. #marketing #marketingcareer #marketers

Gen Z, your marketing career starts now. As the summer #UKGInternAcademy comes to a close, I’m inspired by the curiosity, creativity, and bold ideas you bring. From what I’ve seen this summer (and throughout my own career), here are some takeaways I hope you carry with you: - Study marketing, but also study around marketing. Double majors, minors, or certifications in communications, analytics, psychology, or even coding will make you more versatile. The best marketers can interpret a customer’s emotions and a data set. - Explore adjacent roles. I spent time in product management and development to better understand go-to-market strategy and gain empathy for different perspectives. Those experiences made me a stronger CMO. - Experiment with AI, but keep your human edge. Learn how to use AI tools to work smarter, while developing creativity, empathy, and judgment that no algorithm can replicate. - Understand business, not just marketing. Sit in on sales calls. Shadow customer support. Read quarterly earnings reports. Ask product managers about the roadmap. Being close to the market and the customer is how you’ll know what type of marketing really matters. - Remember: careers aren’t linear. You might pivot roles, industries, or even skill sets along the way. Those detours often become your biggest differentiators. - Build your personal brand now. Share what you’re learning. Opportunities often come from those quietly following your journey.   Gen Z, your adaptability and curiosity are your greatest assets. You remind seasoned leaders like me that the tools may change and trends may shift, but if you stay close to the customer and keep learning, you won’t just keep up—you’ll lead.   #CMOInsights

Your career path shouldn't look like someone else's. Take my round-about "path to CMO" journey as an example. Nerdy kid. Grew up reading books non-stop. Loved music, math, languages, writing. Wrote to pen pals all over the world. Helped local migrant workers as a volunteer interpreter. Went to a liberal arts college on a piano scholarship. Music composition and Spanish double major. Early blogger and website builder. Did most of my coursework at universities in Ecuador. Got a job interpreting for hospitals, courts, 911 calls. Became a certified court interpreter. Went through management training. Loved business and building teams. Published newsletters. Built training programs. Won a Fulbright grant in sociolinguistics. Quit my corporate job and moved to Ecuador (again). Did an M.A. in Latin American studies. Came back to the US and co-founded a business. Wrote my first book. Developed training programs and did market research. Acqui-hired by our biggest customer. Launched a video interpreting service. Developed cultural competence training for healthcare workers. Served on non-profit boards. Joined a market research firm as an analyst. Consulted with large global tech firms. And agencies of all sizes. Co-authored my second book. Became chief research officer. Learned a ton about marketing. Moved to a SaaS company. Developed a partner channel. Led a marketing team. Learned a ton about marketing a SaaS business. Moved to a public SaaS company as a VP of Marketing. Led Latin America marketing and localization. Moved into international operations. Learned about scaling a SaaS business. Launched offices, helped drive international growth. Built a marketing localization dream team and engine. Moved to Ireland and back again. Wrote my third book. Led sales, marketing, product at a smaller SaaS company. Moved into 4th SaaS marketing leadership role. My path is not traditional at all. (But "traditional" can be overrated sometimes.) My best career advice? Lean into your interests. Follow your heart. You just never know where it will lead.

“Working at a nonprofit won't make you money." “How will you survive?” “This is NOT how you build a stable career.” I heard it all. Because I did not take the straight and narrow path. In college, I switched my major so many times that the registrar’s office probably had a betting pool on what I’d pick next. First, I was pre-med (because “job security”). Then psychology (because “I like understanding people”). And at one point, I seriously considered art (because “why not?”). By the time I graduated undergrad, I had a degree, a collection of half-used textbooks, and absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. So I tried everything. 📍 First job: Thought I’d change the world—ended up changing toilet paper rolls as a custodian. 📍 Next job: Took a pay cut because it “aligned with my passions” (passion doesn’t pay rent, FYI). 📍 Then: Thought I finally found my calling…until I didn’t. Each time, I worried I was falling behind. That I was "starting over" too much. That my resume looked like a career experiment gone wrong. Turns out, I was collecting the skills, experiences, and perspectives that would eventually help me build something of my own. What looked like “lack of direction” was actually curiosity. What felt like “starting over” was really stacking skills. What seemed like “job hopping” was actually pattern recognition. Now, as a consulting firm founder, every twist and turn of my path makes sense. I help organizations navigate complexity, because I’ve done it myself. I guide leaders through transitions, because I’ve lived them. I connect the dots between sectors, because I’ve sat in different seats. So if your path looks more like a zigzag than a straight line, you’re not lost. You’re collecting puzzle pieces. And when the time is right, you’ll see the full picture. To my fellow major-switchers and job-hoppers: What’s one “random” skill you picked up along the way that you still use today? 👇🏽

Pivoting from a career in finance to marketing and brand strategy has been a journey 👉🏾 I’ve spoken with over 100 students the last two months sharing my career transition. I revealed the uncertainty I faced, but the fulfillment I found in embracing a new path. As I reflect, this career transition has unveiled two invaluable lessons for me: First 👉🏾 I had to learn to embrace the awkwardness of growth. I am really starting to believe that if you can disconnect from how uncomfortable you might feel along the way, you can do anything. Venturing into new territories is exhausting and very uncomfortable. But it’s also exciting and rewarding. The last year has required me to STEP OUT of my comfort zones and face EVERYTHING I fear. And somehow, within this space of uncertainty I discovered my knack for brand and marketing strategy, resilience, and a STRONG growth mindset. I think every journey has its own challenges, but this journey has been incredibly rewarding. Second 👉🏾 Sometimes you need the awkward moments to build your confidence. And confidence is transformative. I wish it wasn’t the case either 🙃. The lure of creative work had ALWAYS intrigued me, but doubt often held me back. It wasn’t until I fully embraced my curiosity that my career—and outlook—transformed. Facing fears in this new path has built my confidence and showed me the power of belief. Particularly, as a First-generation professional and immigrant. Challenging, yet it has revealed my potential and the joy of exploring new frontiers. I often got asked by students: "How did you decide to make the change, and how did you figure out what to do?" Here are all the answers to your questions: A year into this adventure, I'm still navigating these questions. 😅 But in all seriousness, the answer, seems to lie somewhere in the power of persistence, the willingness to embrace discomfort, and the mindset of continuous growth. Everything is figureoutable 🤷🏾♀️ But curious to anyone whose made a career transition, what would you tell your younger self? If you found this interesting, share with someone to add to the convo ♻️

Variety in your career is a superpower. Especially if you want to reach the c-suite. I have interviewed well over 50 tech & transformation leaders now on Beyond the Desk Podcast. There's a common theme... the vast majority have zigzagged their way to the top jobs. Lots didn't start off in technology. Many worked in consulting and did various jobs across a range of industries. The vast majority took sideways or even backwards steps at points. All of them place huge value on the variety and breadth of their earlier experience and the positive impact that had on securing them the c-suite role. So, if you are dead set on becoming a CIO, COO, etc. Take some risks. Say yes to sideways moves and broaden your experience. The data shows that the linear career trajectory isn't all it's hyped up to be. Do you think career variety is important for senior leaders? Follow me for more career & leadership insights Mark Thomas Invecta