Marketing courses deemed a dumping ground for the untalented
SHAH ALAM – Of all the courses offered in colleges, marketing is one of those often dyed with a rather negative hue with some deeming it akin to a “dumping ground” for those who do not excel in any other field of study.
Such perception might be untrue, but it is what is being reverberated around – and to some extent even by marketing students themselves.
"In many of our hiring interview sessions, prospective candidates often told us that they chose to join in marketing because they can’t do anything else,” said 2X Managing Director Siew Mee Yong.
Eventually, added Siew Mee, marketing courses became a proverbial depot for those who were not good in Mathematics and Science.
“Hence the reason why marketing talents in Malaysia can be replaced by anyone,” remarked Siew Mee who is also the company’s Chief People Officer in an exclusive interview with Sinar Daily.
To the unfamiliar 2X is a B2B-focused Marketing as a Service firm – an area of practice that Siew Mee believes should be taught as a major in universities.
B2B marketing refers to the marketing of products or services to other businesses and organizations.
“A large number of marketing associates in 2X come from the software engineering and mathematics background.
"We also hired people from oil and gas, finance, and auditing background," she said.
New employees at 2X undergo a three-month structured training with a master trainer and a buddy trainer to learn the works of B2B marketing before they are assigned to clients.
Soft skills training is one of the more important elements since employees must deal with customers from the United States.
"We invest heavily in training our employees because you cannot expect a B2C (Business-to-Consumer) marketer to become a B2B marketer overnight.
"We have also kickstarted outreach programs with higher education institutions to raise awareness amongst students and give them more exposure on a career path in B2B marketing.
"Specifically, we want to tap into the business, engineering, Mathematics, and English faculties. We will be doing talks and workshops to engage with the students,” she said.
