Job description
As a product marketing manager at Brooks Running Company, my role is to set the foundation for how our marketing and sales teams tell product stories to customers. This includes developing product positioning that tells the story of each product as well as creating content (like catalogs, videos, etc.) that serves to engage, educate, and excite customers. By partnering with footwear and apparel product managers, my team and I get to learn the ins and outs of each product and then work to use that information to craft the right story that brings the product to life in the best way for the target customer. This requires strong writing and communication skills and the ability to pursue a story angle, which Humboldt helped instill in me.
Why did you choose this program?
I chose the Journalism program because the ability to inform others through storytelling excited me, and I was attracted to the many different media avenues I could explore. Cal Poly Humboldt’s hands-on approach and practice of encouraging students to get involved early in collegiate and community journalism was something I appreciated, and I was drawn to the program’s tradition of excellence and innovation.
How did this program prepare you for your job?
While my career path didn’t take me directly into news writing, it did prepare me for my work in website moderation, social media marketing, public relations, and product marketing by developing my skills in media. My job requires me to understand how to interview, write, create content, and even organize and execute photo and video shoots. I was able to gain this experience in classes and through work on ‘The Lumberjack’ and ‘The Osprey.’ And, I now find myself asking my team the same questions my professors asked me to challenge me to produce high-quality work like, “Who’s your audience?” and “What’s your angle?”
What did you enjoy most about the program?
In addition to preparing me for a career that I love and can grow in, the Humboldt Journalism program provided me with lifelong friends and experiences. When I get together with friends from the program, all now with successful careers of their own, we love to recount our times together in Humboldt and catch up on the latest happenings with the program.
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
The Cal Poly Humboldt Journalism program prepared me well for my career today. The skills required for journalism are foundational for many different facets of marketing and are indispensable for building a career in journalism, marketing, communications, and more. Plus, the Humboldt professors are world class and have an amazing record of producing journalists and other content creators that go on to meaningful careers after college.