A panel of Millersville alumni present tips, advice, and resources to the ‘Ville’s future marketing moguls. Shaun Lucas / SNAPPER
Shaun Lucas
Editor-in-Chief
The Lombardo College of Business hosted “Marketing Night,” the first in a series of guest lectures featuring alumni from disciplines within the business administration major planned for this semester. The talk featured graduates Sam Tigyer, Karly Wiest, Tyson Monzon and Jessica Berry discussing topics such as Millersville’s effect on their professional careers.
The four graduates spotlighted numerous positions within the marketing discipline: Tigyer, class of 2019, works as search engine specialist, managing Google Ads accounts for independent auto shops. Wiest, class of 2015, serves as the marketing specialist of Sunrise Logistics, using both Adobe Suite design programs and overseeing the firm’s email, social and web marketing. Monzon, class of 2018, works at IBM, selling software as service by completing product demonstrations. Berry, class of 2020, recently started as a sales account manager at TopGolf, where she will book events for clients on location.
“My day looks different everyday,” Wiest said. “That’s what I love about marketing.”
Event hostess and associate professor Dr. Lexi Hutto asked the graduates questions about these positions, mainly about the characteristics they find to be important within marketing. Each guest described their daily processes, all descriptions mentioning communication with clients as a central aspect to their jobs. For example, since Berry’s workplace is a newly established business, she is, “educating people and building the consumer base from the ground up,” taking many inbound calls.
Communication also tends to be challenging to do well in marketing, per the graduates. Monzon recalled how the pandemic paused in-person events with clients, making building connections with buyers difficult. In her previous position as a ticket sales representative for the Baltimore Orioles, Berry mentioned cold calling potential customers to offer tickets during losing seasons.
“One of the biggest regular challenges is communication and managing customer expectations,” Tigyer said. “You don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver.”
Each speaker expressed their favorite aspects of their respective jobs. Tigyer and Berry both said they enjoy working with customers to solve issues and network. Wiest mentioned networking in the form of designing company merchandise to give to clients. Monzon said learning more about his job makes him sell products more confidentially.
Even though the panelists are recent college graduates, each expressed the importance of experimentation in finding a job you enjoy. For example, Tigyer started post-graduation working social media management, but knew he would rather focus on technical work.
“I love being able to really dig into the data…It’s not only about finding out what you like, but also what you don’t like,” Tigyer said.
Wiest displayed a similar sentiment, working a sales role out of college and then transitioning to a position with more creative influence due to her passion for design.
“Pick up the pen, write your own story, and do what you want…While it was scary to join a new job and company, it’s rewarding,” Wiest said.
The group collectively listed off characteristics of effective workers, including adaptability, willingness to grow and learn, persistence, being able to work with a team and give and receive feedback.
“If you go in thinking you know everything, it’s not going to go well,” Berry said.
To conclude the talk, the four speakers gave advice to students in attendance, mainly encouraging them to join clubs and work different jobs to gain experience and knowledge.
