Meet Marketswell’s Newest Team Member: Rob Gautier

Rob Gautier - Marketswell Marketing Coordinator

Hi, my name is Rob Gautier. I am a fourth-year Marketing student at St. Francis Xavier University and the new Marketing Coordinator for Marketswell. Being on the verge of entering the workforce is a stressful time for a lot of new grads. I am lucky to be working alongside two professionals with decades of marketing experience as I make this transition into the “real world”. In order to make the most of this opportunity, it’s important to track what I learn along the way; after all, you only have a beginner’s mind once. Through this blog, I will chronicle my experience: the lessons learned, my personal victories, a few surprises, and track my overall progress. Hopefully, my shared experience will benefit future new marketing grads in the same position as myself. 

Here are my three key takeaways from my first week at Marketswell: 

The Importance of Experiential and Applied Learning 

The conceptual knowledge gained from university education is inherently important, don’t get me wrong. However, knowing how to ace an exam is not the same as knowing how to develop a marketing strategy or help execute a marketing campaign. The fact of the matter is that there are aspects of authentic marketing situations which cannot be replicated on a test. This is why experiential and applied learning settings are so valuable. I remember learning this first-hand from my first marketing internship last summer. I realized I learned the most when my decisions had real-life outcomes that were far more ambiguous than a simple right or wrong answer. Talking to our coaches about how Marketswell provides relevant, applied knowledge to cohort members reiterated to me the importance of experiential and applied learning. 

Focus on Executing at First 

When presented with an opportunity to ask our experienced coaches for advice, the first question on my mind was one that hangs over every new marketing grad: what are the best skills I can develop to prepare me for the modern marketing landscape? This led to me being introduced to the analogy of marketing like a sniper - highly-targeted, precise, sophisticated marketing efforts that land a direct shot on your target. Being a sniper requires developing a well-rounded marketing skill set and focusing on the ability to execute. A lot of eager new grads overlook the sniper phase and wish to become the general: the one calling the shots and driving the strategy. While it is important to be ambitious and grow your creative and strategic mindset, honing your ability to execute when you’re starting off will provide a greater understanding of how specific actions lead to success. 

Marketing is Everything 

Though most marketing students understand that marketing is more than just advertising and PR, a lot of us are unaware of how marketing extends into every aspect of an organization. This notion becomes pretty obvious when you think about how almost every decision made within an organization impacts its image and its relationship to key stakeholders in some way. This includes prospects, customers, employees, prospective employees, partners, shareholders, analysts, board members, and the list goes on. The omnipresent nature of marketing is becoming more evident as the digital sphere continues to evolve, with marketing technology (MarTech) budgets rapidly growing in most organizations. Our coaches have stressed the importance of understanding this at the executive level in order to fully capitalize on your company’s marketing capabilities. Acquiring this understanding early in your career will allow new marketing grads, like me, to truly understand and appreciate the scope of a marketer’s impact. 

In closing, if you asked me what I learned in my first week as a new marketer, I’d say: 

1) Seek out experiential learning opportunities 

2) Refine your skills and become a sniper 

3) Understand the impact of every marketing decision 

Marketing in the real world is a lot different than textbooks and case studies. There are no right and wrong answers; more like learning opportunities. These are the lessons I know any new marketing grad could make use of. 

Graduating university is exciting, somewhat terrifying, and one of the biggest transition points in our lives. I hope sharing my experience with you over the next few months will help take some of the weight off both of our shoulders.