Ah, the age-old question… “What made you decide to go into that?” 

I’m sure we have all been faced with this question at some point or another… I know I sure have! Here’s the thing – I am in marketing and communications and I absolutely love it. Let me tell you why! 

• Ever since I understood what a career was, I knew that there was one overarching career goal that I had and still have to this day: I want to help add value to peoples’ lives. Don’t worry, I’m aware that that goal is fairly broad; before I was fully committed to a specific career, I was at least able to commit to this goal. Working in the marketing and communications field provides me with opportunities to add a lot of value to peoples’ lives; through marketing and communications efforts, I am able to bring awareness to valuable products, services, and programs, and help people to increase their quality of life. In order to do this, it is essential for me to work for companies/organizations whose values align with my own. I’m very grateful that, thus far in my career, I’ve been able to do this which has been incredibly fulfilling.
• The fields of marketing and communications are very broad and provide such a wide range of opportunities! I knew from a young age that I had zero desire to pursue a career in which I would have to do the same job every day for 40+ years. Although some may enjoy the routine, I personally don’t enjoy a high level of repetition in my work life and would much prefer to continue learning and growing by trying new things, working in new positions and for new organizations, and expanding my knowledge and professional skills. 
• I have been incredibly fascinated by human connection my entire life. Something about how people communicate with one another – visually, verbally, physically, emotionally – is so interesting to me. Communication is a powerful tool and can have large-scale effects on personal, romantic, and professional relationships! Difficult messages, when communicated respectfully and authentically, can come across as constructive and considerate, rather than offensive and confrontational. Communication, in my mind, is also the key to sincerely connecting with those around you and creating long-term, meaningful relationships.
• The way in which marketing messages can influence people’s actions is so intriguing to me. Jonah Berger’s book, Contagious, delves into the science behind why things catch on. If you haven’t read it and you’ve ever wondered why certain brands, organizations, or companies blow up or take off, I highly, highly recommend it. Berger discusses six main principles of becoming contagious. I won’t spoil these for you but they ring extraordinarily true in practice. Throughout my work experience over the past year, I have kept these principles of contagion top of mind and worked hard to implement them into marketing projects that I am a part of. With the help of wonderful team members that I am surrounded with, these principles have helped improve the efficiency of various marketing efforts! 

If you’ve never had the chance to consider ‘What made you go into that?’ I definitely recommend it! Reflect on your personal and professional goals to discover what drives you. Delve into your ‘why.’ Whether you have years before you start your career or are years deep in it, this is a grounding opportunity and can help provide you with a steadfast sense of purpose and initiative.

Thanks for reading about my why.

– an entirely unqualified life guru,

Emma ❤