Follow us on Twitter!

Search jobs in healthcare and other job search engines at JustJobs.com

Jump to the Site Navigation Links

Custom Search: Search this site (plus a few others)

Considered working as a marketing director? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to DiversityJobs.com Street Smart – a collection of true work-life stories told by members of minority groups (including women), from a counselor to a software engineer, and everything in between.

I work an exciting job as the Director of Marketing for an insurance company. I didn’t get to this position by traditional means. After a dismal high school experience I studied secretarial science and an allied health field, but then found myself divorced with a child at age 25. Not wanting to raise my child in my current situation, I went to the top university on the East Coast and, after an hour of talking, convinced the Dean of Students to let me take two courses, and if I aced them, admit me into the school. This took a lot of talking since my high school transcript was not stellar, and I never took the SATs. But, it worked.

Four and one-half years later after working full time and taking classes every night and Saturdays, year around, I graduated cum laude with a double major in marketing and management. I took the only job I could find as a sales representative for an insurance company. I would probably say the best adjectives to describe me are persuasive, determined and driven.

As a 30-something African American woman entering the work place, I often wondered if my quick rise to a Director’s position after three years experience in sales and marketing were only due to my race and gender. Then I realized that the reasons why really didn’t matter. I was the top producer as a sales rep and had to perform as a Director to keep my job, so if the race and gender helped get me the position, they wouldn’t help me keep it. My performance would.

As Director of Marketing and Sales, I set the sales projections for the company. If actual sales are below my projection, the people hired to meet the anticipated sales would have to be let go, and if I under-project the company would not be staffed to handle the influx of customers. I also oversee the message presented to the community about the company and services. It requires a lot of intuitive and analytical skills to be successful. Job satisfaction rates a high eight. What I don’t like is managing a staff of twelve people consisting of sales representatives, marketing analysts, advertising sales staff, and marketing service staff. Finding competent people who want to work hard to achieve can be surprisingly difficult.

I like what I do because it allows me to be creative and think out-the-box. I hate rules, and am a bit of a maverick. It can be a good thing in a company, as long as you are successful and engage others fully. In marketing you are only as good as last year’s numbers. The monetary rewards are great, but constantly having to perform at peak can be stressful.

Marketing people must be creative, sales people must be risk takers. A strong sense of self-confidence and aggressiveness is required. But, if you love the job, it is not really that difficult. I don’t even really like people, but am in front of them all day. Being comfortable around and talking with people are the main job requirements. Become well versed in just about every subject, because being able to talk confidently with a client about anything is important.

I got started in marketing with insurance companies because they were the ones that offered me a job after completing school. I never thought about sales, but found I was good at it. I may not be a real people-person, but I have persuasive skills and am very good at presenting a product. Sometimes you just don’t know what is inside of you, so never turn away from a situation until you have tried it.

I learned that if you include people in your decision-making process it engenders consensus. I call it the illusion of inclusion. I had to get the financial guys to see things my way, and instead of battling I just went to them with hands open and asked for help. Maybe I use their advice and maybe not, but I always extend the illusion to them. That is probably the best thing I learned in the working world; people need to feel needed. A good salesperson allows that to happen.

I am proud of my accomplishments in growing the company. It feels good to see membership numbers. I wrote the brochures, trained the staff, and set the strategy. It makes the stress worth it. The only thing that would make me want to quit my job is realizing that most people at the top are placeholders. I have had a few exceptionally brilliant bosses, but it is “who you know the higher you go” that determines success.

I do not have a healthy balance with home and work life. Nights and weekends are spent going to events, openings and smoozing clients. But frankly, the money makes life good. I make six figures and am a single woman with a child in college so finances are not a problem. I can afford to pay his tuition and live nicely. Not extravagantly, but my first priority is the tuition. I have an abundance of vacation days, but who can go on vacation when people are vying for your job and there is so much to do. Sad, but true.

A person should have a master’s degree and a whole lot of confidence to do the job. I would only tell friends who love a challenge to do this type of work, because it can be stressful.

In five years I hope to be able financially to do non-profit work and give back to my community is a positive way. My son will be out of school, money will be tucked away, and I can start living for me.