For Department of Marketing students, first-hand industry experiences are invaluable. By listening to professionals’ experiences, lessons learned and recommendations, Huskies are better prepared to land marketing positions that fit their skills and interests after graduation.
“While classroom education is important to build a foundation in marketing, the landscape is changing quickly — especially in digital marketing,” said Jaclyn Crawford, marketing instructor and director of Digital Marketing Programs for the college. “Hearing from industry experts is one of the best ways to learn about what is being learned in the classroom actually connects to the real world.”
The department’s Digital Dialogues series allows students to hear from marketing professionals about a range of topics, including SEO, social media content, sensory branding, improving LinkedIn pages and more.
Crawford spearheads the Digital Dialogue sessions for both graduate and undergraduate students. Most Fridays during each semester, she brings a guest speaker from marketing or business into our virtual classroom. These sessions are held via webinar and are not only open to marketing students but to all business students. While these sessions are hosted for NIU business students, they are open to any major. Some sessions are focused on a deep dive into marketing concepts, while others can help students learn more about how to find a job or working cross-functionally.
“Students get to hear how what they’re learning is being utilized in the business world and hear from industry experts,” Crawford said. “Guest speakers get to discuss a subject they are passionate about, so it’s a great time to hear something different every week. I feel lucky to sit in on these conversations and learn new things, as well — a marketer must always be learning!”
Marketing students feel positive about what they are learning in the virtual sessions. These events are Business Passport-approved for business students.
Darsha Patel earned her B.S. in marketing in 2024 and will earn her MSDM in May 2025.
“My experience with Digital Dialogue has been highly impactful,” Patel said. “For me, being able to ask questions about common practices to those who I might be working with in the near future, has helped me grow immensely as a professional. It has not only expanded my knowledge of digital marketing but also helped me network with some amazing professionals. It was an opportunity for me to learn and grow as a marketer and also meet highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals who have made my student journey valuable.”
Herschell Taghap, ’03, works as senior social manager at Stanford University Alumni. As a Digital Dialogues presenter, he has been able to connect with students who are genuinely eager to learn about marketing.
“As much as I’d like to be back on campus, I’m based in California, so I present using Zoom,” he said. “Despite the distance, I enjoy connecting with them immediately by sharing my favorite blur of memories on campus.”
Taghap tailors his content to address current trends in digital marketing, while also providing the marketing foundations of why he loves what he does.
“My goal is to bring relevant info to NIU students, trying to bring life to concepts and theories they’ve learned on campus with real-world experiences,” he said. “[Connecting with students] truly reenergizes my own passion for my own career path. I’ve noticed that as the sessions progress, there’s a growing level of trust that develops, evident in the playful comments and thorough follow-up questions students ask. It not only challenges me to stay current with industry trends, but it also offers fresh perspectives that I often find valuable in my own work.”
Replays of the Digital Dialogue episodes are available on YouTube. Watch now.
Learn more about the Online M.S. in Digital Marketing program.
Learn more about our B.S. in Marketing program.
