Digital Marketing Student Spotlight: Charlene, Kristine, John And Vica
Get to know more about our Full-time Digital Marketing students from the Summer 2017 Cohort: Charlene, Kristine, John And Vica in our Digital Marketing Student Spotlight.
What Did You Do Before Coming To RED & What Brought You Here?
Charlene: I graduated from UBC with a degree in Sociology and trained in English & Chinese Interpretation and Translation at SFU. After that, I worked as an Admissions Officer at an international high school for about two years. I liked helping students achieve their dreams, but I also wanted to do something more creative. Luckily, my friend who is in the digital marketing field told me about RED and I was on board!
Kristine: Before RED, I worked as a Website Administrator for a local antique furniture store for 4 years and as a freelance SEO specialist for 9 years. I’ve always wanted to work in a digital or tech company but I realized that SEO is just only a small part of Digital Marketing. I came to RED in order to fill that knowledge gap that I am lacking from the industry.
John: I used to be an influencer and professional gamer. I was using a lot of digital marketing strategies in gaming and found a real passion for it. RED was a good way for me to learn a lot more about digital marketing and get practical experience.
Vica: I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship and had big dreams for my future. As an artistic person, I was constantly seeing opportunities and coming up with new ideas for creative ventures. That’s the blessing and the curse of every creative mind – it never stops generating ideas! I knew I had the drive and passion to be an entrepreneur, but I lacked the necessary marketing skills to get my ideas off the ground. It was a winding career path, but eventually I decided to return to school to study Digital Marketing, so I could bring my ideas to life!
Meet Charlene!
What Opportunities Do You See In The Digital Marketing Industry Moving Forward?
Charlene: It’s almost impossible to have a business without using some aspect of digital marketing to create brand awareness and conversions. Customer relationship management, advertising—everything has become digital. BC has been seeing a huge demand in the tech field as well, so it’s definitely important to hone in on this.
Kristine: There’s such a wide array of job opportunities for digital marketers as most of the company are tweaking their traditional marketing methods into digital marketing. Tech positions is very dynamic and also a critical part of the industry nowadays so there are great long term prospect in this field.
John: I see a lot of opportunity in the gaming industry for digital marketing to be integrated. I feel as if a lot of smaller gaming organizations are still in their infancy when it comes to their digital marketing strategies.
Vica: There are so many opportunities in this field! Digital marketing skills are in high demand. You can start your own business, offer freelance services, work remotely or at a local company. I am keeping my options open and feel excited about the opportunities ahead!
How Is RED Helping You Reach Your Career Aspirations?
Charlene: Tech companies have been coming to Vancouver to set up shop, and there are so many local, innovative startups. Traditional institutions teach academia, so I think RED breaks that traditional frame and brings something completely new to the table. Client projects, presentations, PPD sessions…everything is relevant! It’s hands on, encourages us to push our own limits and facilitates team work. I’ve never had such an intense learning experience, but this was also the most rewarding experience too.
Kristine: RED provides me the required skills and hands on experience so I can pursue my career in digital marketing with confidence. Building marketing strategies with our 3 community partners and collaborating with classmates and other individuals from different programs helped me develop my communication and professional skills.
John: RED has really good teaching staff, the hands on client projects they have really set them apart from everyone else.
Vica: Before coming to RED, I spent a lot of time researching and learning about marketing on my own. Although there are tons of free resources online, I felt I needed structure, hands-on projects and professional guidance to be a successful business owner. The Digital Marketing program at RED was a great fit. It is fast-paced, thorough and very practical. You study hard and work with real business clients under tight deadlines. The level of commitment is high, but the results are worth all the hard work!
Meet Kristine!
What Are Your Career Goals After RED?
Charlene: I would love to be able to combine my skills of bilingualism (English and Chinese), customer service and digital marketing in my future job! I am especially interested in social media management, creating campaigns and pitching them, creative content and communication facilitation!
Kristine: After RED, I want to pursue a career in a digital tech company and utilized my digital marketing skills in SEO, SEM and Social Media Marketing. However, I eventually want to develop into a position that allows me to continue to use these skills while also managing a marketing group.
John: I want to pursue digital marketing within the gaming industry, and continue building my own personal website and brand.
Vica: I wouldn’t mind a mini vacation… or some time to catch up on three months of no sleep (Just kidding) After RED, I would like to start growing my freelancing business. My goal is to collaborate with other passionate people who welcome creativity and fresh ideas!
What’s Your Favourite Part About Your RED Experience?
Charlene: Everyone is ridiculously friendly. We all work hard and play hard. I was quite shy in the beginning of the cohort, but I really got out of my shell and gained a lot of confidence! I also got to bring my anxious rescue pup, Bobo to school and he has also become a part of the RED Family! Just positive vibes all around 🙂 #REDFam for life!
Kristine: The “Family” vibe of RED. Everyone is very supportive to each other including the instructors. In RED, I feel that I am surrounded by people with similar values and interests like mine and I’ll able to connect deeply with those around me, and talk about topics close to my heart.
John: My favorite part about RED is the awesome friends I made!
Vica: I loved its hands-on approach to learning and inviting school atmosphere. For someone who likes challenges and fast paced learning, RED was a great option! The cute puppies running around were a bonus, for sure!
Meet John!
What Is Something RED Has Taught You About Yourself?
Charlene: Life might be tough, but so am I.
Kristine: RED made me realized that in digital marketing world you should know how to communicate with people. It isn’t enough to just know about things, it is also important to get the audience to listen to what you are saying.
John: RED taught me that I can deliver client projects on tight deadlines, and if I organize my time properly they can be polished too!
Vica: RED taught me that I can accomplish anything I can set my mind to! From day one, it challenged students to step outside of their comfort zones and learn to face and overcome challenges. It’s a rigorous program with a heavy work load and tight deadlines. You don’t realize what you’re capable of until you look back at your own accomplishments. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned about marketing and my own abilities throughout this program.
What’s Your Go-To Karaoke Song?
Charlene: Neon Trees – Everybody Talks
Kristine: Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
John: Hey Jude – Beatles
Vica: I can’t carry a tune to save my life, but my go-to lip-synching song is “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. It’s an oldie, but a goodie!
Meet Vica!
Connect!
Charlene: LinkedIn
Kristine: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
*All photos taken by Vanessa Shakespeare
Digital Marketing Intern & Full-Stack Marketer Alumni
LinkedIn | Instagram
Interested in finding out more?