Student Spotlight: Mandy Marks
When looking for an exceptional IABC student member to interview for this column, the name Mandy Marks immediately came to mind. Mandy is a talented, passionate individual whose dedication to IABC is phenomenal. As a member of the International Student Membership Committee, Mandy provided her opinions and learned more about IABC student membership on a conference call that lasted until 3:00 a.m. South Africa Standard Time (SAST). Mandy spends hours helping her local chapter by building its web site, mailing letters and spreading the word about the association.
Mandy not only pours her heart and soul into her IABC membership, she also attends the University of Pretoria while working at a brand-new full-time job. Mandy spends her free time creatively, painting and making beaded jewelry, which she sells for a little extra spending money. She loves being outdoors in the sun, especially participating in water sports such as water skiing. And, as she says, “like every girl, I do enjoy shopping! Especially for shoes.”
Read this young woman’s inspirational interview to discover how being a member of IABC has helped Mandy navigate her career path and learn from her successes.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you go to college and what is your major?
A: I attend the University of Pretoria in South Africa. I am studying for a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing and Communication Management. Everyone chooses a general field in their first year; I chose these general studies of commerce. In your third year, your classes become more specific. I have taken courses in strategic marketing, international marketing and tourism management. In South Africa, most degrees are three years and then you can choose to complete a one-year honors which you need to do to have your degree internationally recognized. I recently applied to do my honors in Communication next year.
Q: What inspired you to study communication?
A: Entering the university, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I only knew that I was interested in marketing. Then, in my first year, I was inspired by my lecturer, GP van Rheede van Oudtshoorn. He was so passionate about communication theory and used such unorthodox teaching methods; he even jumped on the tables! His enthusiastic teaching of the subject made me want to learn more.
Q: What kind of jobs and internships have you had?
A: I started out babysitting in my old neighborhood and then began planning parties for children in the area. This experience sparked my interest in events and marketing; I loved organizing the parties. I spent some time working for a retail-clothing store, Queenspark, which made me realize that I am not into retail at all. My most recent job was working for Media Mosaics (www.mediamosaics.co.za) as a stand-in for an internal communication employee when she was out of the office. I got this position through the IABC/Pretoria chapter’s president and Media Mosaic’s CEO, Mareli Wassenaar. My connection to IABC started here and my involvement with the chapter definitely grew.
I recently started a full-time position as the marketing coordinator for Vpin South Africa. My first day was 10 September and I am already recruiting a sales force for the banking-services company. It was a challenge to figure out what to look for in candidates. I went to the IABC web site for resources and the interviewing tips I found were extremely helpful. Now, IABC needs a “what to look for” manual!
Interviewing others has opened my eyes to what works during job interviews. Some people don’t even know how to spell Curriculum Vitae. Your CV (résumé) serves as your initial contact with a company; you don’t want to have any spelling mistakes, especially the first words. I look for someone who walks in with energy and confidence, showing me that they’re motivated to do well. I hope that this position will continue to challenge me as time passes.
Q: What skill do you think is most important to do your job well? Where did you learn this skill?
A: I think that passion is the most important thing in any job. You may not love certain tasks, but you need to have a drive for what you do; you need to have an end-goal that you are constantly working towards. In marketing, organization is key. Your reputation is on the line at all times, so you need to stay focused and make sure you are doing everything correctly. I personally suffer from perfectionism. I set a standard for myself, which people recognize by recommending me for projects.
I would have to say that I learned these skills from my parents. Ever since I was young, they have encouraged me to be the best I can be. My parents emphasized these values that have helped me be successful.
Q: Do you have a mentor? If so, who is he/she and how has he/she helped you?
A: My mentors change throughout my life. My parents have always been key supporters. They taught me things that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. The lecturer I mentioned, GP van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, definitely inspires and encourages me. Mareli Wassenaar got me on the bandwagon for IABC and motivated me to become more involved with the association. Celebrities, such as entrepreneur Richard Branson of the Virgin Group, are inspirational as well. Of course, your peers are also influential. You learn so much from each other.
Q: What is your ultimate career goal?
A: This question completely stumps me! I want to be happy in everything I do. I want to be honest with myself about knowing whether my current career is working for me. I don’t want to lose my passion.
Doesn’t everyone just want to be rich, wealthy and successful? I simply want to be able to fill my tank with petrol!
Q: What is your role in your local IABC chapter?
A: I am the student representative for the Pretoria chapter. We don’t have a separate student chapter yet, but we have many students involved with the local professional chapter. If our two groups become larger, we will differentiate. Right now, I am working with some lecturers on merging students interested in IABC with students interested in the Public Relations Institute of South Africa (PRISA), since we all have similar interests and goals. I also send out monthly e-mails for the Pretoria chapter and work on the chapter’s web site (www.iabc.co.za).
Q: How did you get involved with the International Student Membership Committee? And how have you participated?
A: When I was first contacted about being a part of the committee, I thought it was a prank! I couldn’t believe that I would be selected. It has become such a blessing. I think Mareli Wassenaar, president of the IABC Pretoria chapter, recommended me to IABC headquarters. I was invited to go to San Francisco for a day-long meeting, but was unable to do so. Instead, I stayed on a conference call with the committee until 3:00 a.m. SAST. discussing the importance of IABC student membership and how we can increase student involvement. It’s wonderful to have a platform to speak about these issues, because they need to be discussed. With information I gained at the meeting, I am researching how to place bookmarks with information about our IABC/Pretoria chapter in communication-related textbooks at the university bookstores.
Q: What has been your favorite event held by your IABC chapter? Why?
A: The Annual Africa Conference is definitely my favorite event. You gain great international exposure at this conference and create international relationships. Last year, I met Julie Freeman, president of IABC, and Todd Hattori, chair of the IABC Executive Board. It was an amazing experience. Now we even have the Africa Quill Awards, which are kind of like a prescreening for the Gold Quill Awards.
We recently had a wine-tasting event with a speaker discussing investor relations. It was fun learning how to pair certain wines with different foods after the lecture. I prefer rosés.
Q: What do you think is the best benefit of being an IABC student member?
A: Networking. You’re going to want a job one day, so you need to meet people. Being a member of IABC is an ideal way to meet professionals in the communication field and make connections. Connecting with other students is another benefit. For us in South Africa, the discount at Kinko’s doesn’t apply because we don’t have any! A lot of students read about the benefits and ask me, “what is Kinko’s?”
Q: How do you think being a student member of IABC has helped you?
A: It has definitely improved my confidence. Speaking with professionals at chapter events allows me to be more comfortable talking to professionals in other situations. If I didn’t have this exposure to communication professionals, I would be much more nervous in my interviews. Being a member has also provided me with up-to-date knowledge about the industry. If I have a question about something, I visit the IABC web site or my local chapter. I find great answers to my questions. In addition, almost all of my contacts in the industry have come from being involved with IABC.
Q: What would you say to other students who are thinking of joining IABC or starting a chapter?
A: If you are going to join for just one reason, join for the networking possibilities. Networking is the foundation for getting a job. But you can’t just join and expect opportunities to come to you. You need to get involved. And get involved early on. Don’t wait until you’re about to graduate. Join IABC during your first or second year of university. Relationships take time to develop, sometimes even years, so getting involved immediately will help you more in the end.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add that we didn’t ask you about?
A: Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am truly honored to be selected for this interview. You should come to South Africa now, board and lodging is paid for, you just have to get here!
Q: Can we extend that invitation to all student members?
A: Sure! I have a background in tourism, so I can show you around. Also, could you please send me some Starbucks? That’s all I heard about on my conference call with the International Student Membership Committee and we don’t have any here. Maybe you could start a franchise?
Note: Readers will be happy to know that we sent Mandy a small bag of Starbucks coffee as a thank-you for taking the time to complete this interview.
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