A girl’s guide to a job career in marketing

Before I began my senior year of college, I was constantly asked the big question, “What do you want to do after college?” I always answered, “I’m thinking of marketing, but more than anything, I want to feel challenged. I want to actually enjoy my job and not wake up every morning dreading work.” So, when December rolled around and it was time for me to graduate, I began my hunt to find a job position that checked all my boxes:

• A career in marketing
• A role that challenges me
• A job I genuinely enjoy

After what felt like way too many hours of submitting job applications, I came across FabCom, a strategic marketing agency in Scottsdale, AZ. Right away, it checked two of my three criteria: a marketing position, and after learning about the Executive Training program, I could tell it would challenge me in the best possible way. That’s when I decided to click “Apply” and submit what had felt like my 100th job application of the day. Not long after the interview, I received the best news: I had been selected from a competitive pool of candidates—I got the job!

As a recent graduate, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed walking into my first day at my first “big girl job” at a Scottsdale marketing agency—and was welcomed with open arms. From my first day up until now, I have observed, learned, gained invaluable experiences that have both broadened and fine-tuned my skill set. From participating in client meetings to managing projects internally to overseeing advertising placements and releases, I’ve developed a much deeper understanding of the industry’s inner workings.

While being a part of the Client Services team at this Phoenix digital marketing agency, my role as an Account Coordinator entails being one of the faces that our clients see at our weekly meetings, photo and video shoots, conferences, and events. Clients can expect to see my emails in their inbox, whether that is sending creative proofs, collaborating on new initiatives, or providing estimates for any project our client desires.

Since FabCom is a full-service marketing agency, my role allows me to collaborate alongside team members from all departments and disciplines. From coordinating with our web developers and UI/UX designers to our cinematographers and production managers, it’s safe to say that I get to play a role in everything FabCom produces.

Everyone at FabCom brings a unique skill set to the team, creating an office environment that’s lively, creative, and collaborative. It’s a place where people motivate and support one another, all while sharing a common goal: delivering the best possible work for our clients. The team and culture here make me genuinely look forward to coming to work each morning—and just like that, all three of my criteria have been met.

In today’s world, where social media is integrated into our daily lives, it’s easy to assume that advertising and marketing exists solely on social media. However, my experience at FabCom has shown me that the field goes far beyond posting on social media—it’s deeper, more strategic, and far more impactful than most realize. As an integrated, strategic marketing agency, FabCom develops comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies for our clients, filled with 500+ pages of research, insights, and recommendations—the essential tools for optimizing a brand to grow and reach its goals and objectives. Contributing to one of the many strategies—and assisting in the final presentation to our client—gave me hands-on experience that far surpasses what I could have learned in a lecture hall.

Being able to see marketing initiatives develop from ideation to execution has given me the opportunity to witness our clients' reactions firsthand. They’re often amazed by the work we produce. Whether it’s a new website design, brochure, email campaign, direct mail piece, billboard ad, environmental graphics, or video, it’s clear that our clients value our team’s creativity, talent, and dedication to their brand. That’s why they come to an integrated marketing agency like FabCom for meaningful, high-impact work that’s delivered with precision and an impressive turnaround.

Work meetings—most people dread them, but personally I love them. Meeting with our clients and showing them what our cross-discipline team of marketing experts has created for them since our last meeting is what sets this job apart. Whether the Client Services team is presenting a concept for a new ad campaign or unveiling a design for a floor-to-ceiling wall display, our clients are always genuinely excited to see what we have concocted in our creative studio. They smile, they’re impressed, and often in awe of how their vision has come to life—with a little FabCom flair. These reactions are what make meetings so rewarding and remind me of the meaningful impact our work has.

Since starting at FabCom, I’ve gained a whole new level of understanding about marketing and advertising and what it truly means to work at a full-service digital marketing agency. I’ve learned about different software platforms, what an anchor link is, how to create tracking URLs, the difference between sentence case and title case, why I get so many automated emails (I’ve apparently been added to quite a few lead nurture funnels), how to analyze a campaign’s performance, and even the various types of postage and stamping (BTW, it’s not as easy as licking a stamp). As a Communication and Marketing major, much of this was once uncharted territory. But now, my skill set far exceeds what I expected it could be.

Everything I’ve learned—and will continue to learn—is because FabCom isn’t your typical 9-to-5. It’s better. It’s more than just a place to work; it’s a one-of-a-kind career experience and an exceptional team to grow with.