After spending a summer at a mid-sized consulting firm, Brad Vonick (UT-McCombs, ‘20) decided to pursue a job search for roles and at the intersection of marketing and strategy. Like many, Vonick’s job search strategy was disrupted in early March as a result of COVID-19. After retooling his career search and practicing diligence and persistence, Vonick was able to land a marketing role at a FinTech company in Austin in early June. In this interview, Vonick shares his story, and his advice to MBAs to help other job seekers navigate successfully through their job search.
MBASchooled: What did you do for your summer internship last summer, and what was your plan going second year?
I spent my summer in Atlanta at a mid-sized consulting firm. Consulting creates great learning opportunities, but many choose that path as a way to explore the various functions of business and ultimately decide where they want their career to go. I knew my passion was marketing and how marketers can enrich the relationship between brands and consumers. I was intrigued by consulting, like many MBAs, but one of the main takeaways from my summer was that it confirmed what I wanted: marketing + strategy.
I decided not to re-recruit for consulting. If, for example, I wasn’t staffed on a marketing-related project until a year or two in, would that be as valuable as going straight into a strategic marketing role? I’m a very future-focused person, but after my summer was when I TRULY realized I needed to map out my long-term career path.
When I came back for year two, I was very selective – for better or for worse. I engaged in on-campus recruiting with only one company, in an industry I was (and still am) extremely interested in: travel/hospitality. I chose to focus more on just-in-time recruiting because I knew there were many amazing companies out there that simply could not hire someone 8 months in advance. The fall for me was all about outreach – not just to build connections, but to genuinely understand the business, culture, and hiring process. Most importantly, it was to help me identify the companies that excited me beyond the eye test.
MBASchooled: Prior to March, what did your recruiting efforts look like?
It was similar to the fall for the reasons mentioned earlier – building the foundation and learning what opportunities would be on the horizon. In January/February, I had a few applications out there but knew it was still too early to apply. I was having great conversations (some even in person, imagine that!) and was very optimistic…
MBASchooled: What happened when COVID-19 hit? Were you recruiting, if so, how did it change?
I was recruiting and simultaneously taking advantage of one of the best parts of business school – travel with classmates as local guides. A group of us were enjoying Colombia for the first half of spring break, knowing we’d be returning to a very different world. I landed in the US and went straight back to my apartment in Austin (instead of the original plan of seeing family). It was then that I started experiencing the seven stages of grief. Some of the industries that excited me were hit the hardest. Marketing was hit hard as well, as it was not seen by many executives as essential compared to finance, supply chain, etc. I spent a nauseating amount of time scrambling with outreach and applications – there were now less jobs and more applicants. The hardest part for me to accept with COVID-19 was this idea that I might have to settle, and I wasn’t ready for that.
MBASchooled: During COVID, what changed with respect to your strategy for searching for jobs?
I had to cast a wider net, especially geographically. While I was willing to go anywhere for the right opportunity, there were a few key cities I was targeting and I knew I needed to expand (fortunately, I got to stay in Austin which was one of those key cities!). With social interactions limited, my strategy in the early stages was to take advantage of the extra time and go all-in on the search. To be honest, that led to burnout pretty quickly. I say this about many parts of life – everything is about balance.
My approach wasn’t sustainable, and I realized I couldn’t just spend hours and hours job-searching on auto-pilot. I needed to be more intentional with my search but also needed to balance it with the rest of my life. Simple things like spending time relaxing on my balcony and reconnecting with friends made a huge difference. It regained my optimism and my confidence, and gave me a second wind – by the end I had revamped my resume and created a portfolio of work, all while balancing the other aspects of my life. Those who know me will not be surprised to hear that balance involved a lot of golf and overall time outside.
I was stubborn for so long, only looking at exact roles with the title “Product Marketer” or “Brand Manager”, because anything else felt like settling. But if there was any positive to job searching during COVID, it was that I became more open-minded and curious about other roles I had heard of but hadn’t previously considered. I realized slightly different titles like Partner Marketing Manager, Partner Engagement Manager, and Customer Success Manager were not only a strong match with my skillset, but also other viable ways to achieve my long-term goals. These roles put brand strategy at the forefront and possess the core responsibilities of a product marketer. When I had this epiphany (in early May), I had a second wind with my job search and actually started gaining more traction.
MBASchooled: What changed with how you went about networking? Did you do anything differently?
For applications with no connections, that’s where the obvious changes came – less opportunities and more competition. From a networking and recruiting (via referrals) perspective, it was relatively similar. I think the receptiveness from others to chat with my classmates and me was a mix of people being less responsive because of all of the craziness, and other people being more receptive and wanting to help however they could (feeling bad that we were job searching during these times.)
MBASchooled: What was interviewing like over the past few months?
This goes without saying, but it was all virtual. The ways to prepare that you learn in business school are still applicable, but there’s another element to the mental preparation that’s needed in the virtual environment (spoiler alert: that still exists after starting your new role…). Overall, however, I felt pretty comfortable interviewing – perhaps that’s just because of my personality.
One dramatic difference was timing, because every opportunity was either on one end of the spectrum or the other: once in a while an extremely quick process, but mostly a much slower one. All companies and teams were scrambling in the early months of this new reality, which delayed communications and feedback. Talking to your career office or existing network in HR (or at your target companies in general) can really help you gain perspective. I was working with a great career counselor at UT-McCombs Career Management Center, Cara Polisini, who made me put myself in the shoes of the recruiting team, which helped me stay patient. It’s harder to virtually gather feedback, coordinate schedules, keep people on track, etc. – anyone back in the real world can empathize.
MBASchooled: How did you find the role you accepted and how did that process go?
Coming from FinTech before McCombs plus being someone who admires a strong brand, Visa was always on my radar. I found my opportunity through my own research, but I was referred by a McCombs alum at the company which helped get my resume noticed (she also gave helpful advice and valuable insight!). The patience mentioned previously was essential throughout this process. I applied, had a few conversations, and then there was a hiring freeze for almost two months. Fortunately, my role was one of two in the entire business unit that was approved to come off the freeze.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have to those who are about to start the career and recruiting search this fall?
I would reiterate a few points mentioned earlier – patience, balance, discipline, and leaning on your support system (who can help you acknowledge reality yet remain optimistic).
Networking will be equally valuable for this upcoming year, but now more than ever the pitch for students needs to be truly informational and not just trying to get a connection for a referral. There are so many paths to take to get to where we want to be in 5 or 10 years…incoming MBAs should engage in outreach to genuinely understand the different paths and what skills can be transferable for their next steps, especially if they are less flexible in terms of geography or industry. A conversation might not lead to a job opportunity but if it makes a student realize another job function that would be a great fit based on past experiences, skillset, and long-term goals, that awareness would actually open more doors! This is not ‘pivoting’, it’s just ‘discovering’.
Another key is acceptance. Recognize how this world will be different. Sit down and take two pieces of paper. On one list out everything outside of your control and on the other list out everything within your control. Take the ‘outside your control’ list and throw it in the trash (actually, recycle it). Take the ‘within your control list’ and tape it up next to your desk. That constant reminder will help with your sanity just as much as your focus and will keep your eye on the prize. I’m not a Philadelphia 76ers fan, but my mantra in business school was “Trust The Process”. The bumps in the road during the two years (that everyone will face at some point) are all a part of the process and the journey, and for me “Trust The Process” was that calming force telling me that better days are ahead.