My name is Jennifer Garcia. I am a student attending the New York City College of Technology (City Tech). Lately, I have been reflecting on my major which is Marketing Management and Sales. I plan to manage my own business in the field of cosmetology, most likely a hair salon, which will eventually be my minor. This is the best career for me because I am very responsible, can handle the pressure of management very well, and I can be a great leader. In order to succeed in this career, I will need to take a few necessary steps. I will need to learn from my experiences from working retail and learn to handle bigger and more serious responsibilities. . By taking these steps, I will be able to pursue in this major successfully.
According to the City Tech Catalog, Marketing Management and Sales is a career for students who are able to “facilitate the exchange of goods and services in the global marketplace” (City Tech 125). In other words, one in this major would need to handle business coming and going all around the world. In this major, students learn how to be prepared for business opportunities in this highly competitive world and how to obtain a career in professional selling and advertising. After graduating with a degree in Marketing Management and Sales, some career options are “General Foods Corporation, New York Life Insurance Company, TD Bank, New York City Transit Authority, and Sprint” (City Tech 125). Specifically, I would like to learn how to manage a business so that I may one day open my own business.
         
Being responsible is an important asset to have if I want to succeed in this major. A marketing managers duties can be accomplished by a single member of a team or as a group responsibility. Key responsibilities vary but may include “developing guidelines, making customer focused decisions, and managing budgets” (“The Role of Marketing Manager” 2). Developing guidelines come easy to me because I have always taken the role of a team leader. For example, I help my manager when it comes down to building the staff schedules. Another requirement to become a marketing manager is excellent customer service skills. This is needed to make customer focused decisions. This is a role that I currently take on at my job because I am in charge of placing orders based on what customers look for. One final responsibility is managing budgets. Currently at my job, I am in charge of paying all of my coworkers. This is a duty that I practice already, which prepares me for the future. These are just some of the many responsibilities of being a marketing manager.
Another reason that I feel that this career suits me best is because I do very well under pressure. When dealing with customers at my job, sometimes they tend to get impatient or the store gets very busy at one time. During situations like these, our brains tend to go into “fight or flight” mode. In other words, we either deal with the problem or try to run away from them. I have always been a fighter and at a time like this, I know how to keep calm. I try to help as many people as I can while being able to still divide my attention evenly. Also, I communicate with my customers to let them know it is busy and someone will help them shortly. A lot of people do not do well under pressure which can stress themselves out. Although sometimes work may be a bit stressful, handling the pressure is vital to becoming a successful marketing manager. Also, the key to remaining calm under pressure is trying to concentrate on one problem at a time and trying not to become overwhelmed by too many different situations. William James, leader of the philosophical movement, once said, “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another” (“William James” 1). This has always stayed in my mind because if we handle things one at a time, we can conquer stressing ourselves out after they have all accumulated. This skill is what distinguishes an employee with manager potential from all the other employees.
Finally, great leadership is essential to creating a successful management. A leader is someone who leads or commands a group of people. I believe that leadership is a natural quality that I carry because there have been several situations where I have had to take control. On many occasions, I had to take on the role of my manager whenever he was unavailable. Also, on group projects at school I am always the facilitator whose responsibilities are “moderates team discussion, keeps the group on task, and distributes work” (“Possible Roles on Teams” 1). Keeping people on task is one of my strong suits because I like when things are done correctly and in order because it prevents bigger mistakes from happening. These habits are shown through the work I do at school as well.
City Tech has prepared me for my career in a few different ways. The overwhelming loads of work that this college gives to the students helps me to manage my time correctly and organize all of my assignments. If I want to pass all of my classes, I need to distribute my time evenly as well as organize and complete my assignments on time. The stress of the immense amount of work from all different classes puts a lot of pressure on students and a lot of them end up dropping out or decide not to hand in all of their assignments. However, City Tech taught me how to handle all this pressure which is vital if I want to pursue in my career as a marketing manager.
I am convinced, through a lot of thought and research, that this is the perfect career for me. I think that I have the assets that this position will require and I can go very far from here. My current retail experience and City Tech have both helped me prepare myself for what I am getting myself into and I am ready for what the future will hold.
Works Cited
New York City College of Technology (City Tech). “Marketing Management and Sales.” New York City College of Technology Catalog 2014-2015. Web. 20 April 2015.
“The Role of the Marketing Manager.” Marketing Manager. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.
“William James.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. 10 May 2015.
Barkley, E.F., Cross, K.P., & Major, C.H. (2005). Collaborative learning techniques. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
