Alumni Q&A: Elizabeth Higgins

1. Tell us about your time in the Marketing Intelligence Program at Towson University. What motivated you to pursue this field of study?

My undergraduate degree was in Security and Crime Science from University College London, but shortly after graduating, I began working in ecommerce and realized I wanted to pursue a career in marketing to combine my creative and analytical sides. I completed as many courses and internships as I could to gain experience, then applied to pursue my master’s at Towson University. It’s never too late to make a career switch if you are willing to put in the work.

Elizabeth Higgins Class of 2023

I really enjoyed my time in the Marketing Intelligence Program and cannot speak highly enough of the professors and staff of the college. I was that ‘annoying’ student, who always had 101 questions after each class, but my professors’ doors and email inboxes were always open. I looked at multiple programs in the Maryland area but the responsiveness and helpfulness of those in the marketing department at Towson, even before I became a student, made me feel confident in my decision to pursue my master’s degree at the CBE. I was also a Graduate Assistant in the Dean’s Office at the CBE, which was both great marketing work experience, and an opportunity to get to know the wonderful people in the Dean’s Office - there couldn’t be a more supportive group of people than them. I spent so much time in Stephens Hall, so now I’m gone, I really miss it!

2. How did the program prepare you for your career in marketing intelligence?

Being fairly new to the world of marketing when I began the program, I soaked up more knowledge than I even thought was possible in the year I spent on my masters. The best way to get the most from the program is to be a sponge for any and all knowledge. Once you get into the workplace, a lot of your colleagues won’t have had the time to learn or understand the uses platforms like Google Analytics, so coming into the workplace with that knowledge already in place will set you apart from other marketing candidates. Plus understanding analytics is essential for business’ success these days, so it makes it really easy to sell yourself to potential employers!

3. Share a memorable experience or project from your time at Towson that significantly impacted your professional development.

I’m one of those people who likes to be good at things when they first pick them up, so anytime I encounter something that is totally new to me and requires the acquisition of all new skills, I can feel a little discouraged. We learned so many different skills across different programs such as R, SQL, Tableau, Google Analytics - just to name a few! Due to the repeated exposure to new software throughout the program, I feel I have become far more resilient when faced with a challenging task and now I can honestly say that professionally, there’s very little that intimidates me!

4. Tell us about your career journey post-graduation. How did you land your first job in marketing intelligence?

After graduating from the Marketing Intelligence program at Towson University, I had a few months to prepare for the world of work due to my international student status. I am on an F1 visa, so I needed to wait for my work authorization to be finalized. While waiting for this, I found my current company - Newborn Brothers in Hanover, MD. I currently work as a Sales & Marketing Coordinator, and I love my job. Due to the small nature of the company, I ‘have my hand in many pies’, ranging from social media marketing, to attending sales conferences, to creating and managing marketing campaigns, and most importantly, tracking the efficiency of campaigns using analytics. My role involves a lot of travel, so in the few short months I’ve been with the company, we’ve been on 5 business trips across the US. This is a huge perk for me because I get to see the country while doing a job I love. The options are endless upon graduating, there really is a role for everyone – make sure you find a job that you love too!

5. Describe a project or achievement in your career that you are particularly proud of.

My proudest achievement so far has been my ability to dive headfirst into the construction industry despite having no prior experience. As previously mentioned, I only started my current role a few months ago, so it has been a steep learning curve. Having a lot to learn, in a short amount of time, while settling into a new role has made room for a lot of personal and professional growth. My manager has been incredibly helpful in this process, so I am very lucky in this way. Now I am a few months in, more settled, and beginning to take control of my own independent projects, I can’t wait to see what the next year has to bring!

6. What advice do you have for current students aspiring to pursue a career in marketing intelligence?

Everyone wants to be ‘the lucky student’. The one who gets the first job offer; the one who gets the big scholarship; the one who graduates with a high GPA. What many people don’t realize is that the ‘lucky’ students have put hours of work in day after day, and with a little grit and determination, you can be that lucky student too. Take advantage of all the resources offered by the College of Business and Economics, such as the wonderful advisors, sales/data analysis competitions, scholarships, careers events, access to alumni, and so much more. I also cannot express the importance of networking enough, particularly on LinkedIn. You can do it from your bed so there’s no excuse – send that message and connection request today! Put your head down, work hard, stay focused, use your network, and everything else will fall into place.

7. Are there specific courses or experiences from the program that you find particularly relevant to your current role?

I’ve recently been doing some keyword research for a marketing campaign. Most of my knowledge I used for this project came from Dr. Chang’s Digital Marketing class. The simulation we completed for one of our class assignments prepared me to conduct thorough keyword research, understand CPC bidding, and navigate platforms like Google Ads. When the time comes, other classes I took such as Marketing Research Methods, will allow me to thoroughly analyze the data from any ads we run.