Two years ago I was a fashion designer, and four months ago I was writing logic for an app that helps teach programmatic marketing. If there are uncharted parts of your brain that you are dying to explore, continue reading this post.
For seven years, I spent my time designing fabric, jackets, furniture, bicycles and more. It was a small fashion company, so when there was a new need, I took on responsibility outside of my job description: I rebuilt two eCommerce sites, I designed an archival system for thousands of garments and I developed methodologies for graphic design that turned the jobs of three people into one. Over time, I realized that I got more excitement from a successful business decision than from designing a great sport coat. I wanted more opportunities to innovate and to be a part of something groundbreaking, so I decided to look for a career change.
It took me about five minutes to find MediaMath. I searched Glassdoor for “top companies to work for in NYC,” and found “MediaMath” towards the top of the list. I was immediately drawn to the name, and after a few clicks, I was on the Marketing Engineering Program (MEP) website. I read that in the Marketing Engineering Program, I would rotate onto different teams at MediaMath, learning the ways of the industry. Full-time training? Getting paid to learn and become an expert in trailblazing technology? I was sold.
For the first four weeks of the Marketing Engineering Program, my calendar was jam-packed with introductions to various MediaMath teams, training sessions on TerminalOne and learning all aspects of the ad tech industry. I shared the journey with nine other MEPs, each from a different walk of life. There was a chef, an executive-level administrative assistant and a recent graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, just to name a few. We were all so different, but it was obvious that we had something in common: we were excited to learn, we wanted to work in a collaborative environment and we all loved the fast-paced culture.
At the one-month-mark, the MEPs headed to Adroit Digital to learn how to manage TerminalOne campaigns. We were dying to get hands-on experience, but we were still at arm’s length, literally looking over the shoulders of Adroit campaign managers as they made optimizations. When we were assigned a research project, I felt a little deflated. Finally, after a few weeks, I began managing my first campaign. I knew exactly what settings to start with because I had seen campaigns set up several times by Adroit managers. I also knew how to structure my campaign strategy, through researching the market and positioning myself against competitors. It occurred to me that all the MEP training and assignments were designed to culminate perfectly in the moment I started my first campaign. I felt like Daniel-san in the Karate Kid being told by Mr. Miyagi to “paint the fence” and “wax the car,” unknowingly transforming into a karate master.
On our final rotation, I was placed on Platform Solutions (PS). The PS charter is simple: make sure TerminalOne clients are happy and educated on how new technologies can help improve marketing performance. In my first week on PS, I was already advising a large client on best practices in TerminalOne. It was a rush to be trusted with client-facing discussions while I was still training as a MEP. The best advice I can give future MEPs is to identify the most exciting part of MediaMath and work as hard as possible to contribute to that part of the company. I ended up loving my Platform Solutions role, and the team that I had rotated onto.
The MEP gave me several other career opportunities, but instead of hedging my bets, early on I was completely focused on Platform Solutions–learning how to interact with clients, sharpening my mastery of TerminalOne, and understanding all of the upcoming tech in the industry. The MEP gave me the time to discover what excited me in the industry, and then the opportunity to immerse myself in focused training. My hard work paid off, and the MEP helped catapult me into a manager role on the team with which I fell in love.
The Marketing Engineering Program became my alma mater, a badge of honor, and I try to contribute to its ongoing success. I have given TerminalOne trainings to the second and third MEP cohorts, I actively mentor new MEPs and I work with the MEP managers to help brainstorm new trainings and assignments. The Marketing Engineering Program helps me stay in touch with the principles of MediaMath, through innovation, collaboration and hard work, all while having fun. It is refreshing to be part of a culture where your brain is more important than your resume–and where all walks of life are welcome!