‘‘Focus on
professional
qualifications like
those offered by the
Chartered Institute
of Marketing before
rushing for a Masters
degree. This will allow
you to differentiate
yourself in the work
place and make
settling into the
marketing role
much easier.”
She spoke of wanting to be part
of changing the perception that
marketing is a course that is taken to
pass time, or that is an easy course to
take when one has no other options,
saying that every profession in the
world needs some, if not all the
elements of marketing.
Industry bodies like the Chartered
Institute of Marketing and
Marketing Society of
Kenya were at hand
to give potential
members
information
on how
to join
and the
benefits
of
being
a
40 MAL 11/16 ISSUE
professional member. The Marketing
Africa team was also present sharing
the various issues of this magazine
and scouting for talent.
The event was broken into 2 sessions.
The first part was a question and
answer session where each industry
expert was asked a different question
based on their expertise in marketing.
The questions were quite broad and
touched on marketing and potential
careers in marketing
- What is marketing
- What makes people understand
marketing to be synonymous with
communication or advertising
- What is your favourite P out of the
4Ps/7Ps
- What does it mean to be a
Chartered Marketer
- What would you recommend – a
professional course or an MBA
- What would you look for when
recruiting a marketing professional
- Three tips for how a
marketer should present
themselves in an
interview
- Three things to avoid when
attending an interview
- Why is it important to join a
professional body like Marketing
Society of Kenya or Chartered
Institute of Marketing
The experts shared their thoughts
around these and other more specific
areas of marketing and had words of
wisdom and advice. Some snippets
that came out of the discussion
included:
Image is everything – as a marketer
you must portray a positive image
and this is not only in your work but
also in your dressing and appearance.
People is the most important P of
the Ps of marketing – with emphasis
on how people are motivated and
managed.
When you are a marketer in global
markets, be aware of the differences
in habits and culture especially when
it comes to media consumption
habits.
When going for an interview,
show what value you as a