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Brand management is one of the most popular career tracks for job seekers pursuing opportunities in marketing, especially MBA students, which therefore makes it one of the most competitive. Despite the fact that brand management tends to attract top candidates, many of these job seekers find themselves facing an interesting Catch-22. All of these job and internship seekers unfortunately discovered the Catch-22 of brand management career search and found themselves all seeking an answer to the same question: How do you acquire the initial brand management experience necessary to successfully pursue more brand management opportunities when no one will give you the opportunity to gain that initial experience?
While there is not one answer to this question, here are some simple ways that job seekers, especially, MBAs, can work to beat this Catch-22.
Brand management, or product management as it is often called in many single-brand companies, is the core function within the consumer products or consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. While it is difficult to truly define brand management due to the fact that it occasionally differs from company to company, brands are generally considered to be their own businesses within each company and brand managers are generally compared to general business managers and/or small business owners assuming responsibility for their brand or their family of brands.
Brand management is one of the most popular career tracks for job seekers pursuing opportunities in marketing, especially MBA students, which therefore makes it one of the most competitive. Despite the fact that brand management tends to attract top candidates, many of these job seekers find themselves facing an interesting Catch-22.
It was observed this year alone by hundreds of MBA students in both interviews and at national career fairs that employers and recruiters seeking prospective brand managers would only seriously consider individuals with previous brand management experience. This was the case for both job seekers and internship seekers, even those with relevant experience or skills, such as product management experience in single-brand companies. All of these job and internship seekers unfortunately discovered the Catch-22 of brand management career search and found themselves all seeking an answer to the same question: How do you acquire the initial brand management experience necessary to successfully pursue more brand management opportunities when no one will give you the opportunity to gain that initial experience?
While there is not one answer to this question, here are some simple ways that job seekers, especially, MBAs, can work to beat this Catch-22.
- Review the job descriptions, responsibilities and skill requirements for current brand management job postings and identify those skills and responsibilities that overlap with your own for your professional experience. Be sure to highlight these on your resume, in your cover letter, in your interviews, on your LinkedIn profile and so on.
- Seek out brand management contacts in companies and/or industries in which you have an interest. You can do this within your own personal, professional or alumni networks or on LinkedIn.
- Request informational interviews from these individuals and when successful, ask as many questions about the industry, the company, its culture and their career as possible. This will not only help you learn enough to be “dangerous” in future interviews and conversations, but it also opens up discussions about how to pursue a career in brand management.
- Be sure to ask these individuals how they got their “foot in the door” in the industry and what advice or insight they might have to share with you on how to effectively break into it. This can sometimes lead to you and your contacts finding common ground and more opportunities for career networking and potential future job interviews.
- Finish your informational interviews and conversations by asking them for other contacts within their organization that might be able to share their experience and insights. This will expand your network of brand management professionals.
- Keep in touch base with them every few weeks or every month. This keeps your name fresh in their minds when new job opportunities become available. In addition, keep checking their corporate websites, and if you apply to a specific position posted by their company, let them know for they may become your champions down the road.
Here are two more ways I can help you in your MBA job search. First of all, please visit MBA Highway as your source for MBA jobs and internships, as well as MBA-level career resources. Second, please join MBA Highway on LinkedIn to network and connect with thousands of fellow MBAs and MBA-seeking employers and recruiters.
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