Past Present and Future: Based on BS in Marketing - Essay Example

The world society is living in the 21st century has become a very competitive environment in which people have to prepare themselves in every possible way to stay ahead of the curve. In the workplace employees with the best education credentials are the ones with all the opportunities to obtain promotions. A college education is extremely important since it provides students with valuable resources and tools they can utilize to become productive workers in the future (McGuire). The job market is no longer flooded with jobs in which the ability to perform manual work can help a person obtained a decent paying job. These types of jobs were outsourced oversees to countries such as China, Pakistan and the South American nations where the cost of manual labor is extremely low and companies can obtain as much as 80% savings in this cost account. In industrialized nations such as the United States the job market moved towards a knowledge economy. The ability of a person to get a job and move up the corporate ladder is based on his educational preparation and multiple work experiences that help the person developed competencies and skills. This self-reflective essay is the professional path of the author and the college education she obtained that helped improve her abilities and skills and accomplish her long-term professional goals. In my tenured at the University of Phoenix (UOP) I worked on a Bachelor’s in business with a concentration in marketing. Before I started on this journey I know I had deficiencies in a lot areas and I need the education to achieve my career goals. My formal education prior to the UOP was an associate degree in business with a minor in merchandising. I also accomplished licensing as a certified pharmacy technician in 1983. My technical writing skills were good, but I needed to improve my ability to evaluate a business subject and write a comprehensive analysis on the matter. My oral communication has always been good. When I worked in the hospitality industry for a catering company I got a change to work with teams in which effective communication was an essential element of our job duties. Being able to communicate effectively is one thing, but I needed to develop the ability to formulate original ideas, improve my negotiating skills and presentation abilities. After working in pharmaceutical sales I was transferred to my current position as marketing associate for the company. At my job I’m getting assignments in which I have to retrieve marketing data to use for different reports. When I started on this job a year ago I knew I had to seriously improve in this area of my skills set. I needed to learn how to quickly find and retrieved information about the markets. Marketing is a very competitive field and it requires professionals with the ability to locate information and interpret information to develop comprehensive analysis and reports. The University of Phoenix was the route I choose to balance and expand my abilities in order to be able to become a well-rounded professional and accomplish my career goals. I was interest in the marking field ever since I learn the basics about merchandising 20 years ago in college. My career path is finally place at the location I wanted to be which was working inside the marketing department of a large organization. My experience in sales and my background in prescription medicine as a pharmaceutical technician are things I now visualize as great experiences which are going to help me accomplished my career goals. My goal is to integrate all my knowledge along with the new skills I obtained at UOP to work in the marketing of prescription medicine in the pharmaceutical industry. The education experience at the University of Phoenix provides students with unique and exciting opportunities to learn and apply knowledge about the one’s field of study. I choose marketing as my field of study since my career path required further knowledge in this field. I was very impressed with the methods and pedagogy utilized by this university. The overall curriculum was well rounded and met my expectations in both the basic college courses and the specialized courses in business & marketing. The University of Phoenix teaches students theory and encourages students to learn new things on their own by fostering and focusing on research as a way to learn. Unlike other schools which provide theory and test students if they learn the concepts, the University of Phoenix takes the educational experience a step further and through case studies, scenario analysis and simulations they give students an opportunity to apply the knowledge in realistic scenarios. These types of methods motivate students and teach them how to apply the knowledge in the workplace. The school also does a tremendous job at exposing students at collaborating with others by constantly assigning students to work in team environments. A way to empower employees is to expose them to projects in which they get a chance to work together in teams to improve interpersonal skills and their leadership abilities (Tips for Empowering Employees, 2007). All the courses I enrolled on and passed at UOP helped me become a better person. There were four particular courses which were very important in my professional development. The two general education courses which influenced me the most were critical thinking and college mathematics I. Critical thinking was a tremendous course since it exposed my mind to different ways of analyzing particular situations. At my work I immediately put the knowledge to work for the company I’m working for. The knowledge I obtain from this course can be applied on a daily basis in situations at work and in my personal life. College mathematics was an important course for me because math is the most important discipline which raises the quantitative aptitude of a person. In my career as a marketing analyst I encountered many situations in which mathematical skills and aptitude is required to complete job tasks. After completing this course I was able to analyze and comprehend quantitative data better. The core courses I took in business helped me a lot as well. Two business core courses which were extremely valuable for me were international marketing and financial analysis and behavior I. International marketing was a very exciting course and taught me a lot about the implications of international factors in the business world. I learned the importance of environmental scanning and the implication different cultures have in the way companies should market products in foreign countries. This class helped me open up my mindset and realize that the business world is not centered on the United States. At work I was able to apply concepts and techniques on marketing issues and make suggestion to my colleagues I would have never thought of before taking this course. The finance analysis and behavior course provided me with an understanding of business financial concepts which are essential for any person working in the business field. In my personal life this course helped me become a more conscious consumer and improve my personal levels of savings, while at the same time it encouraged me to create an investment portfolio. The University of Phoenix is one of the most technological advanced and innovative players in the educational industry. Their college is excellent at both their distance learning and onsite programs. The school could improve its educational experience by exposing its students to the new technologies in the business world such as Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology. VoIP technology allows phone calls to be placed over broadband internet connections (Jones, 2006). Advanced VoIP applications allow both voice and image to be transferred in real time to one or multiple users. The UOP online platform should provide instances in which this type of technology is utilize to prepare business and professionals in all field to the type of virtual meetings they will encounter in the future. VoIP applications are being created to target a movement away from traditional landlines. Sony and BT Corporation created a package to be launched in January, 2008 to create a VoIP enabled messenger for the Playstation Portable units that operates with wi-fi connections and offers video calls, voice calls and instant messaging (BT VoIP software ready to give voice to 24 million Sony PSP’s, 2007). The completion of a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing is my greatest professional achievement in my life so far. When I started I did not think I had it in me, but now I’m motivated to continue learning new things everyday. I always placed a high level of importance on improving myself everyday, but after completing this degree continuing my education has become my top priority in life. I used to surf the internet for fun stuff which is good, it was hobby. Now the internet has become for me a learning tool which allows me to find the information I desire to learn new things. The library at the University of Phoenix is a great resource I will continue to use to educate myself. After completing this degree my education goals have been raised to another level. My next goal is to enroll in the winter of 2007 in an educational program towards earning a Masters degree in business administration. I’ve learned the importance of learning new things in the field study one chooses and how critical it is for a professional to keep up with the new trends, theories, concepts, technologies and practices. Lifelong learning is the key to achieve the knowledge a person needs to get ahead in life. The UOP provided me with the confidence I needed to continue towards and MBA. Three years ago if somebody had asked me if I ever would try to earn a Master degree I would have said no and that studies are not that important and were a waste of time. My perspective in life and about education has changed a lot and my career goals had changed as well. My current career goal is to enter into the prescription medicine marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. I have experience in sales in the industry, a background as a pharmaceutical technician and bachelors in marketing. I am ready to shift my career. I want to complete a MBA in order to obtain a higher management position. In five years I see myself as the Director of marketing of prescription medicines of a major pharmaceutical company. I want to encounter new work challenges while at the same time increasing my level of income to be able to save enough capital to retire without any financial worries. By obtaining a higher level of education I will a chance to accomplish all my goals and improve my quality of life. I will continue to develop my presentation skills by getting involved in community outreach programs in which I will have the opportunity to speak to large crowds of young people to emphasize in them the importance of education. A skill which I will practice and continue to develop is my ability to perform research. I’m thinking of joining some type of writing circle to be able to analyze book and articles in which I’m able to perform research and write at the same time. In the 1995 I earned a certification as a Meeting Planner. In 2008 I planned on earning a status of a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM). A PCM designation is enhances the credibility of a marketing professional among their peers and in the marketplace (Marketingpower, 2007). Education is the cornerstone that enables people to accomplish a lot of things in life. From a work perspective it open up doors towards better opportunities in order to increase personal income and work in more stimulating assignments. In life education helps people understand our changing world better and contribute more towards a society. The University of Phoenix is one of the best schools in the world which allowed me the opportunity to earn a bachelors degree in business. References BT VoIP software ready to give voice to over 24 million PSPs (2007). Faultline, 218. 27. Retrieved September 11, 2007 from EBSCOhost database. Jones, N. (2006). Voip Technology Introduction. Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.voip.com/voip_articles/Voip_Technology.aspx Marketingpower.com (2007). Professional Certified Marketer. Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.marketingpower.com/content591.php McGuire, J. Importance of College Education. College View. Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.collegeview.com/importance_of_college_education.html Tips for Empowering Employees (2007). Teller Vision, 1361, 5. Retrieved September 11, 2007 from EBSCOhost database. Read More