Last fall, more than 100 students filled Barsema Hall’s Room 300 to hear our panel of industry guest speakers share their thoughts on what it’s like to work at a marketing agency vs. an in-house role.
Panelists discussed the differences in culture, workload and experience students can receive in either environment, but ultimately stressed that building a good marketing foundation and network will help them be successful in any route they decide to take on their career journey.
Jaclyn Crawford, marketing instructor and director of digital marketing programs, organized the event to help students understand the differences in these two avenues as they discerned their post-graduation paths.
“When we think about marketing as a career path, often people think there’s only one direction, without realizing that marketing is an umbrella that can contain multitudes of disciplines and work styles,” said Crawford. “There are many different avenues a student can take depending on the work experience they’d like to gain or the work culture that would be the best fit for your lifestyle. Agency, in-house and even consulting work are all vastly different, and it is important to understand so you can best shape your career to your desired goals.”
Featured moderator and current MSDM student Susie Frausto said, “I wish this were the information I had before graduating from undergrad.”
Kelsey Neuman, a marketing senior who served as a moderator for the event, learned a lot from the panelists.
“The biggest lesson I gained from this experience was learning how to balance multiple roles at once,” Neuman said. “As a student, I was actively listening to the panelists, absorbing their insights and reflecting on how their advice applied to my own development. At the same time, as the moderator, I had to think critically in the moment by evaluating their responses, making smooth transitions and guiding the discussion forward with the next question. This experience pushed me to step into a more professional leadership role while still embracing the curiosity and eagerness of an undergraduate learner. It ultimately taught me how to navigate dual responsibilities with confidence and composure.”
Alumna Ashley Dedmond, MSDM ’20, served as an agency panelist and spoke about her role as associate director of paid social at Monks.
“It was important for me to come back to NIU and share my experience with students as it’s important to hear the experience of someone who’s actually been there in order to decide whether to go in-house or agency,” she said.
Learn more about our NIU marketing program.
