Don't know what my next time should be in my career path (marketing/strategy)https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanika-choudhary-43ab32142/

kanikachoudhary·Aug 26, 2021

Posted in:Marketing Advice Career Growth

Sorry for the long post...

To give a little background:

I did finance (audit) for almost 5 years only to realise that the monotony and the feeling of not creating something but just checking someone else's work was not my thing. This led me to pursue my 'passion' field which was Marketing and so I went and got a Masters in Digital Marketing.

Since then I have worked in a small company with basic digital marketing, in CRM, in Affiliate Marketing and now finally in a Brand Marketing Manager position.

In this current position, I got to create a whole new subsidiary for a law firm from scratch so right from brand identity, website to the current marketing and branding work. I have done this for almost a year now and obviously, things are becoming more routine and processes have been set. And so, my very annoying brain is bored, for two reasons:

- Same work to do (so no growth or learning potential as such anymore)

- Nothing to create per se anymore.

And this led me to find out a term for the kind of person I am: Starter.

I like building things up from scratch but when they get routine and nothing more is left to explore, I get bored and lose my motivation. I like dynamic work environments (preferably project based I would think (but not sure)

The fields I am interested in are Marketing and Branding strategy.

Also, I like working in pressure environments. (Blame the Indian finance culture for it!)

Is there anyone else who has faced this or is in the similar field and maybe could help me figure out what options I could pursue in this field as my next career step?

Thanks for anyone who read this far!

teresaman·Aug 26, 2021

Hey Kanika! Letting you know I've consolidated your duplicate post and tagged a few other communities for you! (next time you can tag mulitple ones at the time of posting!)

kanikachoudhary·Aug 28, 2021

Oh got it! Sorry I am a new user so still figuring how to use it. :)

tanmayisai·Aug 27, 2021

Hi @kanikachoudhary - Maybe your own marketing firm or consulting could be a direction to explore a lot of problems. You could work with early stage startups to setup their new functions/departments and move on to the next problem

kanikachoudhary·Aug 28, 2021

Hi @tanmayisai,I am definitely considering that. A bit difficult to implement right now because of no meet up's and such to network with other start ups and also I stay in Germany, and my language grasp isn't the best but this is def an option, thanks!

Ambika·Aug 27, 2021

Hi @kanikachoudhary your post really resonated with me!! I too started my career in Finance as an Analyst and then wanted to do something more creative so I shifted into a Marketing Strategy role at Ogilvy and Mather. I then felt like marketing could only impact so much of the product development process and realized I wanted to "dream up and create" new products which led me to become a product and business designer at IDEO. I've struggled with the same questions throughout my career, so I can deeply empathize. I actually wrote about my path in elpha, which you can check out below! Here a couple questions I'd ask yourself:What problems do you want to solve?What lens do you want to solve this problem through? (business, marketing, data, etc.)What superpowers do you have to solve this problem? (marketing channel knowledge, etc.)What do you want the outcome to look like (a new product, a marketing campaign, a presentation, etc.)? My company, Zeit, is a career path discovery platform that is designed to help people gain clarity and confidence around their next career paths! Love to help if we can, and we have a cool workshop coming up in a few weeks that might be relevant for you. Sharing the links below and hope the above questions help!Please keep me posted no matter what!Ambikahttps://www.thezeit.co/https://www.thezeit.co/eventshttps://elpha.com/posts/3jep1k9b/4-reasons-why-2021-is-the-time-to-make-a-bold-shift-in-your-career

kanikachoudhary·Aug 28, 2021

Hey @ambika, thanks a lot!Oh, Oglivy is another option I was looking at. Maybe you can give me an insiders opinion- Does it get monotonous there as well in terms of tasks and learning curve? I will definitely check out your path in Elpha and also the Zeit links. Quite an interesting concept, especially when the 'Great Resignation' is in full force. And like you said, will keep you posted no matter what. Time to go think on those questions. Thanks a lot!

jananikumar·Aug 27, 2021

@kanikachoudhary We have been going through the same thing. I was working as a software engineer for almost 6 years and couldn't see myself doing that throughout my life. I did my MBA in Marketing and worked in a company where I helped develop digital strategy, website and was the growth marketer for almost 2.5 years. After that, as you mentioned the tasks become monotonous. After taking a break for 3 months and a lot of thinking, now I have started my own marketing agency specializing in growth marketing.

kanikachoudhary·Aug 28, 2021

@jananikumar Oh, congratulations! I am sure you will do wonders. :)That is another path I am thinking of but a bit unsure.

Alexa167·Aug 27, 2021

Consulting! Whether you're working for a larger agency or yourself, companies come to external consultants in times of transition and urgency, which means you'll get the adrenaline rush + change in routine you value.

kanikachoudhary·Aug 28, 2021

@Alexa167 Yes, that was my thought too. Life would have been so much easier if Germany had english speaking consultancy firms. But I also think whether consulting in a larger agency is a bit romanticized and that it also gets operational?

kathyschwartz·Aug 27, 2021

Hi @kanikachoudhary! Great description of a starter. I'm with you. I have had similar issues throughout my career and have now moved into offering marketing strategy through my own business. I love the work but so far, it is a lot harder to make a good living at it. Client development is not a super power so I've really had to stretch in that area. Lately I have been working part of my time as a fractional CMO for a number of startups. This has been a good mix for me. Good luck finding the right set up!

kanikachoudhary·Aug 28, 2021

Hey @kathyschwartz Oh, congratulations! And I can absolutely imagine how hard it is with client development in this field.What exactly is a fractional CMO and what does that job profile look like?

kathyschwartz·Sep 01, 2021

This is a formal definition from chiefoutsiders.com: "A Fractional CMO is a marketing executive to help with customer acquisition, sales development and company growth. Your company gets executive experience without the full-time cost. ... Virtual CFOs, for example – have been around for decades." The job profile really varies by position. Some companies are looking for a very seasoned executive to come in, others need specific help for something special like a product launch. Some work part time and others may work full time for 6 months. Some may be "on call" for a certain number of hours each month to help an internal marketing team whenever they need help. All of these will give you the flexibility and variety you like.

kanikachoudhary·Sep 02, 2021

@kathyschwartz Oh wow, this really is interesting. Never had heard of this term until now. Thanks a lot and I will be sure to look into this! :)

EvaEvangelou·Aug 30, 2021

Hey Kanika, great work figuring out where your strengths lie, that's the first step. Not being sure of the next step is a question I explore regularly with those I'm coaching. I've put together this video for navigating this stage- https://youtu.be/_ZQnOYaos0E. Best of luck!

kanikachoudhary·Aug 31, 2021

@EvaEvangelou Hey Eva, absolutely going to check it out, thanks!

EmilyJS·Aug 30, 2021

I think lots of people go through what you´re going through, especially once you´re at a part of your career where you´ve mastered the technical end. I have had similar issues and found that switching to a more dynamic atmosphere helped me find balance between my need to be creative and also grow within a company. Here are some ideas: -try to get a job in a company that values internal innovation and get in on the trial projects for new products and services (tech is really good at this, but also most major brands at this point have different types of internal incubators)-maybe the field you´re interested in is innovation more than marketing. every company needs someone who is researching and planning for the next step. Maybe think about pivoting in your current company or looking for innovation based positions in other companies. -if you work in an agency that manages brands or strategic communication, you would be able to leverage your experience, but at the same time start anew with each new client that you getHope you find your path!!

kanikachoudhary·Aug 31, 2021

@EmilyJS Innovation is a field I did not think of yet but thanks, definitely is something I can consider. Yes agency or consultancy firms was my next thought too since that way I should have some learning curve and dynamic environment most of the time. Thanks a lot!!

AbigailBoudreaux·Aug 30, 2021

Thank you for sharing @kanikachoudhary! It's natural to feel this sense of boredom and desire for change when you're passionate about creating and solving new problems. Your clarity of your strengths and where you're feeling stuck is a wonderful first step!There is a lot of great advice in the comments, and I'll offer a few questions to consider:- where else might you be able to 'Start' something, either in your current role/company or in other aspects of your life? -- this can help point to potential smaller steps to energize yourself before making a larger role transition- what's your ideal work vision (how do you spend your time, who do you work with, how do you feel at the end of the day, etc.?) -- this can help identify ways your current role is aligned (or not) and create some criteria for a future position Happy to chat more if you like - wishing you the best!

kanikachoudhary·Aug 31, 2021

@AbigailBoudreaux Those questions definitely require some more indepth thinking and once I have some answers to those which are absolutely thought through, I will for sure reach out to you. :)Thanks a lot!!

rachelserwetz·Sep 14, 2021

Hi! I'm Rachel, a Career Exploration Coach, and I've spent years building and designing an entire process to ensure you can practically explore, learn about, reflect on, and clarify your ideal career direction / next step. We leverage learning and reflection to drive confidence in which role, industry and environment would be the best fit and next step for you. Happy to chat with you about it and show you how it works! Webite here - iamwoken.com, and free coaching call here --> calendly.com/woken/demo

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