This week, our guest of honour is a communications major from a recognized university. She’s a curious and dynamic hard worker who loves being inclusive and listening to different perspectives. She’s creative and has a passion for cars, which is only a couple of reasons why her role as ‘Brand Communications Coordinator’ at BMW is a perfect fit.
Interested? Read on to learn more!
The Struggling Graduate: Describe yourself in 3 words.
E: Team-player, hard-working, goal-oriented.
The Struggling Graduate: What is your role and what is a typical day like?
E: I work at BMW Canada’s head office as a Brand Communications Coordinator under the Marketing department. Every day is different which is why I enjoy coming in every morning! I am responsible for reviewing and editing any English and/or French content that is utilized in advertising campaigns across multiple communication channels during campaign execution. I also help manage all of BMW Canada’s social platforms which include our Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channel. Additionally, I assist with incentive fulfillments for test drive leads and coordinate fleet vehicles to sponsorship partners such as Air Canada and Accor Hotel properties. All in all, I am involved in various projects that include large and small tasks on a day-to-day basis.
The Struggling Graduate: How did you get your job?
E: After graduating from university, I decided to specialize in digital marketing at a recognized college to enhance my knowledge and gain hands-on experience in my field. I want to say that this certificate in particular truly opened the doors to my future. Additionally, I’ve always had a passion for cars, especially their aesthetics. During my 3rd year in university, I began my career in sales at a car-rental company. I had the opportunity to drive different car models, learn more about their functionality and build strong relationships with customers and business partners. I stayed at the company for 3 years and decided to apply to opportunities that combined my marketing knowledge and love for cars into one position. I applied through BMW Canada’s Careers page and received a call from them within a month. My best advice to anyone currently looking for a job would be to go for something you are passionate about. The way I see it is, if you love the product/service you’re involved with, you’ll enjoy the overall work you do.
The Struggling Graduate: That’s really good advice. What skills do you need to be good at your role? Describe the kind of person who would excel in your role.
Although being able to speak/write French was not mandatory for the role, my manager had told me having this skill was an advantage over many of the applicants for my position. Because of this skill, I revise and approve any French content communicated to the public from a brand standpoint as well as assist with French translations for my team and others from different departments. I handle multiple inquiries as my team consists of 6 members working in different areas of the BMW Canada Brand. With that being said, being able to multitask and meet deadlines under a limited amount of time is key to excelling in this role. If you can work on large projects while assisting with small tasks popping out of nowhere, you’ll be set! Lastly, paying attention to detail is a must in this role. The reason being that I am responsible for approving visual and written content from our creative agencies. There are a lot of things I have to look out for before the piece is published. These include but are not limited to spelling errors, meeting Corporate Identity standards as well as the brand’s overall tone.
The Struggling Graduate: Last but not least…where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I’d love to be working as a specialist within the marketing department at BMW Canada. This role would enable me to apply all of my knowledge and experiences at the company. BMW Canada as a whole is a great organization not only because of my duties, but because of the corporate culture it offers. Everyone who walks by you either smiles or asks how your day is going; hence filled with positivity and approachability, and that is the kind of environment I enjoy working within.
The Struggling Graduate 