To market, to market

A couple weeks ago I started taking classes in the Integrated Marketing program through San Francisco State's fantastic extended learning program. Having always been interested in marketing as a profession, I was exuberant about the prospect of finally looking into the profession that I've wanted to become my ultimate career. I had always known that I had some sort of passion about, well, anything... yet it took me forever to finally see that I knew that market research was, in fact, my passion all along.

In my early teens I saw a special on PBS entitled "Merchants of Cool."  This documentary led me on a life long quest to find out that I wanted to be one of these merchants.  I wanted to know why these teens are doing what they're doing, why they're buying what they're buying...  I needed to know what was behind all of these behaviors.  Unfortunately, I didn't know how to get there.

Through my slithering, tumultuous college career I took different paths, hoping I would stumble upon what would  get me to the profession I had so long desired.  I had mistakenly though that Public Relations was the right way.  I was wrong.  I knew that I'd eventually have to take a business route, but I didn't have the gumption.  I had to find another way that didn't have me taking Business Administration and Accounting classes.

Eventually, I found that I actually flourished in a liberal arts environment.  So, after switching schools, I ended up majoring in Sociology at Sonoma State.  This was perhaps the best fit in allowing me to find out why people do what they do.  I knew it wasn't market research, but I did know that I had the excuse to study and learn what makes people tick. 

With my Sociology degree, I got to concoct surveys and interviews and delve into human behavior in no other way I thought possible, and I knew I was finally on my way.  However, hiccups inevitably occurred.  I graduated with my Sociology degree with an emphasis in quantitative research, and set out onto the business world - with no luck in landing any job that was market research oriented.

Finally, at my last company I voiced to someone that I had wanted to get into marketing.  This person took me under their wing, in a sense, and I learned a little about Product Management (which does include market research).  Ultimately though a position for me never arose and I was discouraged, laid off, and the passion disappeared.

I didn't think that I'd ever have a passion about my career's direction again.  Being laid off took a bigger blow emotionally than I ever thought it would.  Although I have had a new job for a while, I still feel stings of rejection from my last job.  Almost as if any progress I've made on my dreams have been derailed - that is until I started this program.

I hate to admit this, but mom's really do know best.  When my mom suggested to take the Integrated Marketing Program at SFSU, I knew it was the right choice.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first class, I knew that once I stepped foot in the Market Research class that my life was about to be made.  I drove home that night knowing, that without a doubt, I was meant to be a market researcher.  It also dawned on me that I knew and had my passion all along.  I needed to find out how I could finally trudge through the art and science of something so interesting, and enjoyable to me.

I'm glad that I can sort of see through the fog that was covering my path to me.  As I traverse the trail, I'm glad that there is finally a goal in sight, and that with this program, I have some sort of compass to get me there.  Here's hoping....