Seven Tips from Marketing Directors for Students in Their Final Year 

This month I had the opportunity to attend the Marketing Executive Summit organized by the AMA Tampa Bay chapter, one of the most active chapters of the American Marketing Association in the United States.

Before continuing, I want to congratulate Kelsey Long, president of the AMA Tampa Bay chapter, and her team for organizing this event and bringing together marketing leaders to share their vision on where the discipline is headed.

During the event, different ideas were shared about strategy, leadership, and the future of marketing, which we discuss in the article for professionals titled: "From Director to Director."

At the end of the event, I had the opportunity to interact with the speakers and ask them all the same question:

What is your number one piece of advice for marketing students in their final year who will be graduating this summer or in December?

Here are their answers, which translate into 7 tips for 2026.

1. Choose Your Environment First Danielle Vona – Founder, The Marketing Posse

Danielle recommended not starting your career by looking for a specific title, but instead making a more structural decision: do you want to work inside a company or at an agency?

Companies tend to focus on business growth and expansion within an industry, while agencies demand constant creativity, project management, and working with multiple clients. Neither option is better than the other, but they do require different profiles and motivations.

Many graduates search for "the perfect first job title" when, in reality, what has the greatest impact at the start is where you are going to learn: a large company with well-established marketing teams, a small or mid-sized company where you'll be responsible for everything, or your own marketing and sales venture that will grow little by little. You decide, all paths are good options as long as you keep learning.

2. Optimize Your LinkedIn for Both Algorithms and Humans Barb Smith Gray – CEO, Flutterby Media

Barb was very clear: in the age of artificial intelligence, job searching is also a problem of algorithmic visibility. A LinkedIn profile that isn't optimized will rarely appear in front of recruiters, regardless of the person's talent.

Her recommendation was to treat LinkedIn as a strategic asset: complete every section, research relevant keywords, and stop using generic skills like "leadership" or "teamwork," which don't help you stand out. Today, employability doesn't depend only on what you know how to do, but on how easy it is to find you.

3. Leadership and Alignment Before Tactics Mike Mosel – Principal, Pelarity

Mike focused his answer on those aspiring to leadership roles. His advice centered on three ideas: understanding how you show up as a leader, knowing your team, and making sure the organization has clarity on why customers buy. As hard as it may be to believe, companies sometimes sell without truly knowing their customer's real motivation.

He highlighted that many marketing strategies fail not due to a lack of ideas, but because of internal misalignment around the value proposition. Before thinking about campaigns, tools, or channels, strategic clarity is essential, because as we say at mercadotecniayventas.com, in marketing we must always generate value.

4. Get Into the Market, Even If It's Not the Ideal Role David Phillips – Director of Marketing, Tampa Bay Rays

David noted that the job market is complicated and waiting for the ideal position can become an obstacle. His recommendation was to be flexible with your first role, use it as a door opener, and once you're in, build your path from there.

He shared how his own career started in sales, which quickly helped him identify what he liked and didn't like, and eventually move toward marketing and emerging technologies.

5. Explore Industries and Be Genuinely Curious Karl Strauch – Vice President of Marketing, Port Tampa Bay

Karl noted that it's not just about choosing between a company or an agency, it's also valuable to expose yourself to different industries. For him, curiosity is one of the most important skills in marketing: asking the right questions, understanding contexts, and being the person who can say "I've got it" builds trust and opens doors.

In marketing and sales, we need to be naturally curious in order to truly know our consumer and understand how to generate value for them.

6. Don't Rely Only on Job Boards Tony Stanol – President, Global Recruiters of Sarasota

Tony noted that applying through LinkedIn or Indeed is easy, but rarely effective in a saturated market. His advice was to identify the hiring manager, the person who truly feels the pain of the open position and reach out directly to demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate. That approach, while it requires more effort, tends to yield better results than getting lost in AI-driven automated systems.

Job searching is also a marketing and sales exercise, and don't forget the human element now more than ever. If you find a way to interact with the recruiter in person, that already puts you ahead of many candidates with the most AI-polished résumé.

7. In the Age of AI, Bet on the Human Side David Norrie – CEO, Speak Up

David closed with a clear message: as the industry fills up with data, AI, and technology, the true differentiator will be understanding people.

He recommended taking roles where you can learn and, above all, develop sensitivity toward the human side of communication. In his view, the ability to connect with real people, not just dashboards, will be increasingly valued in the coming years. Technology scales marketing, but human empathy differentiates it.

Don't forget that side of the equation, and that connection must happen in person, not only online. Attend networking events, connect with classmates, professors, and industry speakers. The more people you know, the stronger your personal brand will be.

In Conclusion

What do all 7 tips have in common? Think strategically, with critical thinking about where you want to take your career. Maintain a strong personal brand online, but also in person. Build and enrich your network, and if it's in person, even better.

AI can dehumanize the marketer or salesperson if they want to do everything through the tool. Remember that it is very powerful, but your human skills, critical thinking, creativity, communication, teamwork, leadership, professionalism, and ethics, are more important.

And always remember: in marketing and sales, we must always generate value!

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Author: Dr. Carlos Valdez

Date: February 2026

Edition: February 2026

Text Editing: Claude Sonnet 4.6 for spelling correction and translation

Image generated with: Gemini 3 Nano Banana

Publication: Mercadotecnia y Ventas Magazine

© All rights reserved Mercadotecnia y Ventas Magazine 2026. Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission.

Editorial Syndication: This content is available for syndication.

For editorial licensing or collaborations, contact: carlos.valdez@mercadotecniayventas.com