Keeping your skills sharp and staying up to date with trends in your field are key in today's competitive climate.
Sure, you may have spent the past 10 years working in a specific niche day in and day out—learning new techniques and future-casting what's around the corner—but there will always be gaps in your knowledge.
Certificate Program in Marketing graduate Galia Goulisheva ascribes to this ideal of lifelong learning to complement her professional experience. Since 2006, she has held numerous marketing positions:
- eMarketing Manager, Global Marketing Shared Services at Oracle
- Web Development Marketing Manager at VMware
- Marketing Operations and Email Marketing consultant
- Senior Manager of Global Marketing Operations at LinkedIn
- Digital Marketing Channel Leads at Facebook
During her time at these positions, Galia has been recognized for her marketing talent, receiving a Gold in B2B for VMware Best Automated Series by MarketingSherpa, LinkedIn Best Leading Scoring Program from Eloqua's Markie Awards and three internal LinkedIn awards (marketing transformation and two-time winner for demand generation).
The most successful people I know are lifelong learners who are constantly evolving by obtaining new skills and challenging themselves to grow personally and professionally.
With such an array of marketing positions at leading high-tech companies, why complete Extension's marketing certificate? Certainly she has the experience and knowledge to excel in any marketing position in her future. "I wanted to become a more well-rounded marketer who excels in both marketing operations and strategy," Galia replies. "The most successful people I know are lifelong learners who are constantly evolving by obtaining new skills and challenging themselves to grow personally and professionally. They want that edge and that's what makes them the best in their field."
And Extension gave her that edge: Galia now holds the Senior Manager of Interactive Marketing position at Genentech, where she's deploying her experience in marketing automation, digital advertising and multichannel marketing to further the organization's reach.
But let's rewind: It was during her stint at LinkedIn that Galia began her Extension education, taking each course online and completing the curriculum in just one year. During the day, she was responsible for the planning, management and execution of all B2B marketing programs for Marketing Solutions, LinkedIn's fastest-growing business line. By night, she was logging on to her class and boosting her marketing know-how.
I know that today I'm a better marketer because of this certificate.
Your work at LinkedIn was very demanding. How did you juggle those responsibilities with taking courses?
I took two to three classes at a time, which meant doing homework in the evenings and on weekends. The assignments were interesting and challenging, and the instructors were invested and willing to provide feedback to help you get even better at the subject. I'm really proud of completing the program with distinction. It took drive, commitment and lots of hard work. I know that today I'm a better marketer because of this.
How did the online format work for your full-time schedule?
I really liked the ability to control my schedule and take the courses at a time convenient for me. Some of the courses had active online forums, which really helped to create a sense of community. You have to be really honest with yourself whether or not you'll be able to allocate the time needed for classes, research and homework assignments. While highly rewarding at the end, you need to realize that this is at least a year-long commitment that requires time, energy and stamina.
What does being a marketer mean to you?
Good marketing means connecting consumers and businesses to a solution that they need, when they need it. Remarkable marketing is about the experience you create while doing it. The best marketing campaigns are designed to delight the audience and create brand advocates in the process. I aspire to create memorable marketing experiences.
