After working in the insurance industry, Megan Hucek (W.P Carey, ‘20) came to ASU with aspirations for a career in marketing. During her time as an MBA student, she strengthened her marketing chops through her classes, executive mentorships, and through serving as Co-President of the Strategic Marketing Association. Hucek shared with us her playbook for paving the way for a career in marketing, and how ASU’s MBA Program helps students like her build careers in Marketing.
MBASchooled: What did you do prior to business school, and why did you choose to attend business school?
Prior to business school, I worked in the insurance industry in a variety of different functions including communications, real estate analytics, procurement, and product adoption. I gained many great experiences in those roles, but knew marketing was my true passions. In order to pivot into brand management, I knew it was the right time for me to go back to school and obtain my MBA.
MBASchooled:Why did you choose ASU, and what were some of the highlights of your first year?
I chose ASU because of the culture and program curriculum. The location was an added bonus! The best part of my first year was all of the new friends I made within the program. We went through a grueling first year together, but still found time to explore Arizona and have some fun. I also appreciated the different cultural events offered through the program, such as India Dinner and Multicultural overviews of various students’ home countries. Additionally, I was able to become a first-year representative for the Strategic Marketing Association and put on some very engaging and enjoyable events for my peers.
MBASchooled: During your first year, what resources/programs/experiences at ASU were most valuable to your learning and growth?
I felt the marketing curriculum, as well as our business analytics courses, were valuable to not only my internship, but for full-time roles upon graduation. I also received lots of assistance and support from my career coach in Business Career Services as I interviewed for summer internships. Another great resource was our executive mentor network which I was able to utilize to dive deeper into what to expect in marketing roles, as well as bounce ideas off of the experienced mentors throughout the year. I met with four different mentors that each taught me something new based on their previous success in the industry.
MBASchooled: What were the most important skills you’ve built or strengthened in business school so far?
As far as skills I have developed, I would say my leadership and project management skills have grown the most in this program, with communication skills right behind. You do a ton of group work in business school so learning how to manage the work and empower individuals to execute the work was a good learning opportunity.
We all come from different backgrounds and experiences, so getting to know my team members and the skills they bring to the table is important to the success of the team. I was very lucky to be assigned a very diverse team in my first year which helped me learn of other cultures and experiences right off the bat.
MBASchooled: You chose to recruit for internships in brand management. How did you decide this was what you wanted to pursue, and how did you set yourself up for success in the recruiting process?
My undergraduate degree was in marketing, so I already knew I wanted to go into marketing; I just wasn’t sure which area. I’m a very competitive person, and in talking with one of the W. P. Carey executive mentors who spent his career in brand management, I realized the fast-paced and high-energy environment of brand management was something that allowed me to play to my strengths. In order to confirm it was a good fit, I pursued internships in brand to make sure I enjoyed the work.
To set myself up for success in the recruiting process, I spent a lot of time crafting my resume and cover letter to highlight my transferable skills from previous roles. I then attended any interviewing or marketing case sessions to learn how to appropriately think and answer questions like a brand manager. These sessions were offered through the Strategic Marketing Association and Business Career Services. Additionally, I leaned on the executive mentor network and did mock interviews with a few of them for practice. In the end, I was very successful at landing an internship at Nestle, USA in Arlington, VA, which confirmed my passion for brand management.
MBASchooled: As the Co-President of the Marketing Club, how does your club help students who are interested in marketing careers?
This year, our club divided the year into quadrants with each quadrant focusing on a specific goal. In Q1, we wanted to focus on marketing interview prep, so we brought in a speaker to share marketing frameworks for case interviews and an executive mentor to discuss how to position yourself as a marketer in the eyes of the interviewer. Since the recruiting season for marketing starts early, we wanted to make sure our members were familiar with the resources available to them to be successful in their upcoming interviews. Q2 was focused on career exploration. We featured events where students could learn about the different functional areas and jobs within the marketing field.
In Q3, we will host some event collaborations with other campus organizations focused around networking with industry professionals and learning about various trends in the marketing space. We will wrap up the year with a “Marketing in Action” series which will host various marketing workshops, such as pricing strategy, managing a P&L, etc. to give students an opportunity to dive deeper into some relevant marketing skills.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for prospective MBA candidates to make the most of their MBA Experience?
Take advantage of the opportunities your program provides you, whether its multicultural experiences, networking opportunities, or focused development workshops. All of these experiences build out perspectives and enhance the learning experience, while building students’ network.
Also, take advantage of getting to know classmates and their backgrounds and experiences. There is so much we can learn simply from one another, and in the process you will create lifelong friendships.