From internship to employment

Kimberly Anne Amatong, MBA (specialisation in Digital Management)

Over the course of our work life, many of us will change careers or industries. I am one of those people. What you will read in my story focuses on my experience in Marketing for an education provider. But I actually studied Finance and worked as a Financial Analyst at a FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) company. What I've learned is that life is unpredictable. Sometimes, opportunities will come up that will change the career path you had originally planned for yourself.

Starting in Finance

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (majoring in Financial and Investment Management) from Miriam College in the Philippines, I worked at Procter and Gamble (P&G) as a Financial Analyst where I provided user support to our suppliers in North America and training for internal staff on digital tools. I was still working for them during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a tough time and big adjustments had to be made. P&G was very supportive and they taught me how to be resilient and adaptable in that challenging period.

Coming to KBS

After 4 years at P&G, I wanted to study a master's degree. I decided on Australia because the country was renowned for education, had a multicultural society and provided opportunities for professional growth. I wanted to broaden my career opportunities, so I researched schools with MBAs and found out that Kaplan Business School (KBS) offered an MBA with a specialisation in Digital Management, an area I’m interested in. I looked at student testimonials and spoke to friends who had studied at KBS. They gave positive feedback about their programs and student support, so I enrolled.

During my studies, I not only learned the theory behind strategic management and digital strategy, but also developed practical skills such as communication, critical thinking, adaptability and teamwork.

I became a Student Ambassador to help create a positive impact to the student community. I assisted with campus events such as Orientation and Multicultural Week and other initiatives such as the Ocean Clean-up Month. Through the connections I made as a Student Ambassador, I was invited to attend a networking event hosted by the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. I had the privilege of meeting accomplished entrepreneurs and CEOs who shared valuable insights and career tips.

Beginning my internship

During my KBS orientation, a lecturer spoke about the Academic Internship Program and I immediately knew I wanted to take it as my elective subject. Aleksandra, a KBS graduate and lecturer, had completed the program before and she shared her valuable insights.

I decided to pursue my internship program in my third trimester. I had a consultation with the Careers Advisors about my interests and the types of roles I was looking for. They introduced me to an internship opportunity with the Kaplan marketing team and helped me prepare my resume and taught me interview skills. After my interview, I was very excited when the KBS Marketing Manager offered me the internship.

A typical week at the internship

A typical week at the internship involved training sessions where I learned about our processes and the development of marketing collateral. I was tasked with monitoring and responding to student enquiries via our social media channels. I attended meetings about content creation where we brainstormed new ideas and edited social media content for KBS and our Pathway Colleges.

Becoming a Marketing Coordinator

I spent three months learning and growing under the guidance of my colleagues. Coming from no prior experience in marketing within a corporate setting, the internship gave me invaluable knowledge and skills and hands-on experience with content management and digital engagement strategies. My confidence grew and I was later offered a part-time job as a Marketing Coordinator.

Developing social content

As a Marketing Coordinator, I mainly managed the social media channels for KBS and our Pathway Colleges. To keep people engaged you need to regularly post different types of engaging content. A social calendar is useful for planning and scheduling.

The social content I helped developed included:

Student interviews
User-generated content from our Student Experience Officers and Student Ambassadors about things such as campus events, study tips and careers advice
Student activities on campus (orientation, workshops)
Award ceremonies (e.g. High Achievers event) and
Graduation event photos and videos.

Our social content needed to be visually appealing and informative. I planned video concepts, captured meaningful on-campus moments and edited them to make them engaging and impactful. I added clear messaging, high-quality visuals and compelling captions.

Our team used data analytics to find which posts were performing well or not, which times were best to post for maximum reach and interaction and the optimum number of posts a week for each of our social channels. Then we refined our content strategy accordingly.

Tips on social media marketing

If you are interested in becoming a social media marketer, here are my tips for effective social media marketing.

1. Develop engaging content

Develop content that resonates with your audience. For an education brand that could mean academic achievements or student events. Keep the videos short to enhance engagement.

2. Plan ahead

Create a content calendar which lists all your ideas and posts to publish. This will help you ensure that you have enough time to edit videos, refine posts and keep a consistent posting schedule.

3. Leave room for flexibility

While planning is essential, allow space for spontaneous content such as trending topics or urgent announcements that need to be published immediately.

4. Leverage visuals

Use high-quality visuals (e.g. photos) to make your posts more appealing. Adding eye-catching graphics or subtitles will also help with audience engagement.

5. Engage with your audience

Respond promptly to comments, messages and questions. Building a two-way communication channel with your audience fosters trust and interaction.

The next step

Working with the Marketing team has given me opportunities to expand my knowledge and skills. I have developed practical marketing skills such as strategy development and social media marketing and soft skills such as time management and collaboration with diverse teams. The MBA and my time serving as a Student Ambassador have further enhanced my leadership skills. I feel more confident to overcome future challenges.

I am currently in the Philippines, helping in running my family’s business in the education and service sector. I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned.

Where I see myself in 5 years

In 5 years, I still see myself working in my family’s education business, particularly in sports and communications. I want to create programs that enhance student engagement and develop a marketing strategy to strengthen the company’s brand presence and reach.

Want to connect with Kimberly?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amatongka/

Advance your knowledge and leadership skills in the digital age with our MBA (specialisation in Digital Management). You can also read our ultimate guide in doing an MBA in Australia.