Nicole's MBA Journey
Nicole Sopkovich joined the team at MBA in June 2021, and since then she has taken creative reign on the Marketing Strategy within the business. Nicole has brought her knowledge and experience to the table, enhancing the way the business approaches its Marketing. Nicole has been a great asset to the company, bringing many creative ideas to the table and executing them.
We asked Nicole some questions about her experience working for MBA...
& here is what she had to say
What were you doing prior to your start at MBA?
My journey prior to MBA is quite unique… I’m from the United States, where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, after graduating with that I decided to move to Ireland where I worked at a child and family agency. I realised I wanted a change of career while also being able to utilise some skills that I already gained through my degree and work experience. I decided on marketing as it involves understanding how consumers think and feel, while also utilising my previous experience in analytics on top of being able to express my creative side. I made the decision to pursue my master’s degree in Digital Marketing in England, and ended up loving it so much that I wanted to stay in the country! I interviewed for MBA after graduating and knew immediately it was a company I wanted to work for and I’m so grateful that I did.
Why'd you decide to join MBA?
After university, I knew I wanted to join a company that actually invests in its employees and would allow me to grow in my marketing career. After my first interview phase, I knew I wanted to be a part of this company and I knew the skills I developed in university would suit the role that they were filling while also allowing me to continue to learn. The tools they had in place already for marketing would ensure that I succeeded in my journey. Most importantly for me, I could tell the team would actively listen to my suggestions for the department while also giving me critical feedback.
What was your training process like?
I was given a handover to begin with that had all the information I needed in great detail to get me started. This included step-by-step processes, platforms used, and essentially everything that I required to begin marketing for MBA. The first week, I met with a few of the recruitment consults to get an overview of the industry from their perspective and an in-depth understanding of the company culture I was now a part of. Following this, I met with the board to discuss what the main objectives are for the company and how the marketing department could align with those goals and beyond.
Can you describe your MBA journey?
I started with MBA over a year and a half ago and within that period I have had the opportunity to grow a lot professionally. I have been able to develop marketing efforts across the board. MBA has also allowed me to work on a variety of projects across multiple marketing channels during this time and I look forward to continuing to do so.
What does your typical day as a Marketing Executive look like?
Every day looks different for me and what I prioritise depends on the urgency of the tasks at hand. Some days my focus is working on marketing collateral and other days it is on optimising the website with a lot of other duties in between. However, every Monday I start my week by reviewing and outlining all the tasks that are required for the week ahead. I divide the required tasks by level of urgency, create a plan and then get started with my day.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is that it allows me to be creative and strategic. My favourite thing to do is create interesting content that makes a difference for MBA whether that is client decks or social media campaigns… Marketing efforts constantly need to be refreshed and transformed in order to stay relevant, so getting the opportunity to develop new materials and strategies while also updating old ones is a part of the role I truly appreciate. I love that no two days feel the same, it’s not an easy job, but it’s a rewarding one.
What is the worst part of your job?
Marketing is tricky, not everything is going to work out the way you think it will regardless of how much thought or effort is put into it, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. It can also be stressful as a lot needs to be done on a daily basis, however, tackling that by being organised and setting a list of priorities makes the ‘worst’ part of my job easier! It’s important to stay resilient and continue to work towards goals and smash them!
What is the company and team culture like?
Being from a different country and embedding yourself in a culture you are not entirely familiar with can be difficult, however, the people at MBA made it easy! Everyone is so welcoming, kind and most importantly, encouraging!
