E-journal by Vera Ovanin
Branden J. Munslow, Media Planner: School Projects, Opprtunities & Not Being a Good Fit
Munslow talked a lot about how our in-class projects can be turned into career opportunities and that the work we do in class can stretch beyond grades. Most of the curriculum in this certificate is based on the B2C segment, which is understandable – B2C is a much larger in market size than B2B with billions of consumers; it’s higher volume so it’s more statistically relevant for consumer segmentation, data mining etc. By number of customers and transactions, B2C wins overall and most students are likely to get jobs with large corporations in retail, food, e-commerce etc.
Adapting school projects to support independent publishing goals
That said, I’m have decided to stick with B2B and enterprise software despite smaller customer pools, longer sales cycles and more complex decisions. For this reason, it’s hard for me to turn my in-class projects towards career goals. HOWEVER, I did, in a way, do some of what Munslow is talking about because during the previous semester I developed an entire marketing plan (even some Instagram reels and AI-generated images through Figma AI which I learned how to do) for my literary/upmarket novel. I’m in the process now of applying for a Canada Arts Council and I will use a bulk of that project towards the application and eventual promotion as I can’t expect a publisher to dole out lots of money on promoting a no-name author.
Munslow also mentioned not being a good fit in one of his events roles due to his tech skills. As a freelancer who has worked with about 30 clients over five years or so, I certainly wasn’t a good fit with some of them and it’s nice to hear that this happens to others as well.
Daniella Okezie, Marketing Account Management: Passion Shouldn’t Be Your Guide
Passion is not always the foundation of a career; adaptability and transferable skills can help us find new opportunities when circumstances change.
A lot of what Okezie talked about – not being passionate about marketing resonated with me. If I’m not mistaken, she is passionate about photography but that’s not stopping her from being good at what she does during her day job. I feel the same way and we all have to pay bills. As a storyteller myself, I’ve also meandered like Okeize; after my MBA, I didn’t know where to channel my journalism skills and focus and, while I didn’t pray, I did go through a phase of my life where I had no idea what I’d be good at, and who’d value my expertise (it also didn’t help that MBA wasn’t a place for learning practical, market-tested skills and I should have taken this certificate back then instead, but, I digress). Eventually I transitioned from news reporting to freelance copywriting for tech firms which was amazing and paid well. Really well.
Navigating career disruption and building new skills in b2b marketing
Recently, I had to go through another similar phase since my daughter was born in October 2022. ChatGPT burst on the scene the following month and, little by little, one by one of my tech clients dropped me in favour of AI-generated content. Again, I had to ask myself, “Where will I find work? What should I be doing? Do I need to learn new skills?” I wish that this certificate leaned a bit more towards growth marketing in B2B space, so I could learn about the specific nuances affecting enterprise software firms, primarily SaaS. But it’s OK, I’ve been here before. And while I’m not particularly passionate about commercial technology, it can be a fun gig (especially the expos!) and bring in a decent income.
Stephanie Joseph-Flatts, Brand Architect: Opportunities in Unified Messaging
Joseph-Flatts talked at length about the lack of unified messaging across different channels and that there’s a lot of work out there for us. I’ve found this comforting especially as I plan to launch my own brand like she had (actually I already did in my previous life as a tech copywriter, check out my blog here). As I reinvent myself as a SaaS conversion optimization expert (a.k.a. growth marketing specialist) this lack of coherent messaging and unused opportunities for increased visibility is what I’ll be looking for when I identify prospects that I’ll be reaching out to. I can say to them, “There’s more growth opportunity for you if you align your messaging so your customers aren’t confused about what you’re offering.” Scattered messaging is actually rampant in tech because companies are wrestling with unique challenges explaining to their customers what they’re delivering and how it can help them.
Building trust through consistent professional visibility
She also touched on the importance of visibility although she did mention that Canada Goose found her during her less visible phase. I think this happens once you’ve built a solid network and your name is already known in prospect circles. Maintaining visibility is lots of hard, often daily work, but it’s a way to demonstrate to your own clients what really works. This way they will be more likely to trust you.
That’s a wrap: Key takeaways
The seminar series featuring Munslow, Okezie and Joseph-Flatts confirmed once more that career development is often non-linear and shaped by adaptability, practical experience, and continuous learning. The speakers’ insights highlighted several important lessons:
- Turning projects into opportunities: braden j. munslow demonstrated how academic assignments can become useful career assets. this encouraged me to apply a previous marketing project to promote my literary novel in support of a canada arts council application.
- Adapting during career disruption: changes in the freelance writing industry and the growth of ai-generated content required me to develop new skills after the birth of my daughter. this experience showed me the importance of remaining flexible during professional transitions.
- Building a career through transferable skills: daniella okezie’s experience reinforced that passion is not always necessary for professional success. adaptability, communication, and other transferable skills can support a successful move into areas such as saas conversion optimization and growth marketing.
- Creating strategic visibility: stephanie joseph-flatts emphasized the importance of unified messaging and a consistent professional presence. clear communication can help build trust and create opportunities with prospective b2b technology clients.
Overall, these lessons encouraged me to build on my existing strengths, continue developing b2b and saas marketing skills, and remain open to new directions as my career evolves.
