It's a Journey... Not a Destination.
Posted by ablack on Feb. 10, 2015 / Subscribe 0
I absolutely love ALL things marketing, and I love marketing our industry (A/E/C) just as much. Believe it or not, I’m even one of those crazy marketers who loves proposals; I always have and I honestly believe a part of me always will. In fact, the vast majority of my career has been spent doing proposals. But as it turns out, it was my deep passion for proposals that had branded me a Marketing Coordinator for so many years, effectively stalling out my career progression. It wasn’t until about two years ago that I started doing some serious soul searching and came to the decision that my career was in need of a long overdue kick-start! The result? My journey from Marketing Coordinator to Marketing Director began to unfold…
Like so many of us, I fell into professional services marketing by accident, but I was instantly hooked. I have always worked best with deadlines, so I was extremely comfortable working in a proposal environment. I liked the challenges of developing proposal strategies, answering questions that helped my firm stand out, and adding graphics to make the proposal “look pretty.” There was just something about getting the RFP/Q and knowing exactly what I needed to do and exactly when I needed to do it by. Not only did I like proposals, I knew I was good at them. Actually, I knew I was GREAT at proposals and in that respect, I let my ego get the best of me. Instead of taking risks and gaining additional experience, I stayed in my comfort zone. Sure, I knew that many of my peers were sharpening the tools in their marketing toolboxes…nevertheless I had become fixated on proposals.
But did I really only want to do proposals for the rest of my life? Or did I want to do other things, too? There were a number of other industry marketing professionals who had less experience than I did, that were advancing faster than I was, and that were becoming Marketing Managers and Marketing Directors. Wait just one second! WTF? What did I have to show for working my as$ off on proposals? At the time: fifteen years of experience, a CPSM certification, and a Marketing Coordinator title. Yeah, that just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. What can I say? The competitive nature in me started kicking in.
I knew I wasn’t happy where I was in my career – in the companies that I had worked for, in the roles that I had held, in the lack of growth opportunities and challenges available, etc. My involvement in SMPS – both at the local and national level – had opened some doors and had started me down a path of developing other marketing skills. And I had made jumps before (just for the sake of jumping), but look where that had gotten me. In order for me to make a move that would land me in an upwardly mobile position, I would have to answer the question of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I needed to decide what was really important to me and what my “dream job” really looked like.
I knew that architecture wasn’t for me; that I had to get back to commercial construction. That’s where my passion was; that’s what still got me excited. That’s where I had felt most at home with co-workers and where I had done my best marketing work. And I knew that I wanted to be more than a Marketing Coordinator; that I wanted a Marketing Manager or Director’s position. Don’t get me wrong…there’s NOTHING wrong being a Marketing Coordinator, but I was ready to BE and DO more; I had put in my time. And for whatever reason, titles were and still are important to me…I knew that I would be taken more seriously amongst my peers with a title that better signified my status as I was advancing in both my professional and SMPS career paths.
After several months of introspection and countless hours of discussions with industry mentors, friends and family, I made a life-changing decision. Not only did I WANT to do more than just proposals, but I knew that I was capable and talented enough to make stronger marketing contributions to any company that I was going to work for. So for those of you who knew me and where I was in my journey at that time, you might have then been wondering WHY, after making this decision, my next move was to a Senior Marketing Coordinator position. To put it simply, journeys with purpose often include several deviations before one can reach their intended destination.
First and foremost, the position as Senior MC got me back into commercial construction. It also got my foot in the door at a firm that I had ranked as one of my top three firms to work for. It was a great opportunity because although the position was technically for “Senior Marketing Coordinator” in title, the responsibilities read like a Marketing Manager. Not only would I get to do things to help build my resume and prepare me for an advancing title (and position), but I would also get to work with a Marketing Director who recognized my talent and potential. He was going to put me on tasks that directly supported him and that were intended to position me as a future manager in the company. Things were getting good.
Little did I know that the bottom was about to fall out from under me, though…and only seven months in, no less. I really loved the company, loved the new challenges at work, and loved the support of the team. I honestly saw a long and prosperous marketing career ahead of me AT THAT FIRM. Then one day last May I walked into the office first thing in the morning (as usual) and was walking out the door before lunch…WITHOUT A JOB. The economy was still pretty lackluster and I was part of a sizeable layoff. Talk about being blindsided! It appeared as though MY journey was going to suffer more than a deviation; it looked as though my train might be derailed!
So here is where the rubber was really going to meet the road. I had three choices: 1) I could leave the industry altogether, but I had left once before and hated it, 2) I could undo all of my hard work over the past year and go back to being a Marketing Coordinator, OR 3) I could leverage all of that work and stay TRUE to myself and the decision that I had made. I knew that I had to follow my heart, and after a critical discussion with one of my industry mentors, I recommitted to my original plan. I would only apply for positions as Marketing Manager and above. Now was the time for me to shine as a top-notch marketing professional! And that’s exactly what I did…
There were some great companies looking for Marketing Coordinators, but I wasn’t’ going to sell myself short anymore. I met with a few other companies, but knew right away that the positions offered were NOT the right positions for me. But when I found out about a position at Corbins Electric, that’s when things got interesting. After reading their posted job description, it was apparent that they were looking for more of an entry-level person. For some strange reason, though, I went ahead and sent in my resume; I was sure to explain that I was a senior marketing professional and was interested IF they were willing to negotiate on the position. A bold move, I know, but I figured I had nothing to lose.
I walked out of my first interview with Corbins thinking that they were dead-set on looking for someone more junior; I figured that was the end of that. But three weeks later, they reached out again…and after a couple extra interviews, what was originally advertised as a Marketing Specialist position transformed into that of a Marketing Director! As it turns out, they were at a point in their growth strategy where they saw the advantages of bringing in someone more senior. And I was able to leverage my love for construction, my overall marketing experience, my history working with general contractors, and my network both locally and nationally. But perhaps more importantly, I was able to leverage this experience with honesty on my current skill sets. I had not been in a management position previously, but I had the skills, drive and desire to grow.
So there you have it! I have finally arrived at what I thought was my intended destination; a place where I can develop my skills for and over the “long-haul”; a place where I enjoy high-level responsibilities and a supportive environment; a place where growth and upward mobility are an actual part of my career. So is my journey complete? NOOOO!!! While it’s true that I’ve accomplished a lot over the last few years and am now in a great position, I’m not done yet. I don’t want to stop here. I want to continue to grow and become an even better marketing professional. I want to make my role of Marketing Director at Corbins Electric more than either they or I would have dared to dream of just six months ago. That’s why I have come to call this whole process a “journey.” And although mine has been a long and arduous one, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from my journey thus far, it’s this: if you’re not moving FORWARD, you’re moving BACKWARD. Here’s to another 17 years of marketing A/E/C professional services!
About the Blogger: Cricket Robertson, CPSM not only loves all things marketing, but also loves all things purple. She started her own house-and pet-sitting business a couple of years ago, appropriately named The Purple Cricket. When not working or “SMPSing,” you can usually find her at a concert where she likes to get her “rebellious rocker” on.
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