Focus Article- Jacqueline Harnevious

Proactive Visioning, Planning and Preparation Essential to Crafting a Marketing Career Plan

Mapping a career plan in accounting marketing is becoming more complex and nuanced as opportunities for advancement — and even partnership — expand for marketers.

A key concept in creating a career plan today is understanding advancement requires visioning, proactive planning and preparation, as well as seeking out constructive mentoring.

Accounting firms have defined career trajectories for accountants, but historically, marketing departments haven’t had that same structure. That lack can make accounting marketers feel adrift regarding career planning and advancement.

This is where proactive career planning comes in.

Sean Smith, chief marketing officer at Schneider Downs & Co., said his firm tries to prevent that “wandering the wasteland” feeling by defining a path for their marketers, in part through hierarchy and titles.

“The trend in accounting marketing is moving away from staff being generalists and toward marketing professionals having their own specialty,” Smith said. Those evolving marketing niches are much like an accountant’s career path. “You can’t be everything to everyone.”

The key steps to creating an actionable career plan for accounting marketers are not complex but require constant care and feeding.

Observe and Listen

“Creating and building a career path within a firm will rely on two skills — observation and listening,” said Shelly Castorino, marketing and business development director of Wouch, Maloney & Co.

Before deciding how to define a path, stay in a position for at least six months to observe and learn the lay of the land, she said. Learning and understanding the culture of where you’re working will be crucial to understanding what’s needed and where your strengths will add value. Additionally, find or create opportunities for yourself, particularly if you have a skill set that could add value but is not currently being utilized by your firm, Castorino said.

Look at the bigger picture

Jennifer Cantero at Sensiba San Filippo LLP, AAM board member and equity partner candidate at her firm, believes a skill that helped her through her career plan was always taking the time to stop and see how her work fit into the firm.

“I was always thinking like an owner and not getting lost in the weeds,” Cantero said.

Choose a Niche Decide where you want your career to go. That begins with matching your strengths to a firm’s needs.

Ask yourself why you went into this field and what it was about the vocation that interested you enough to do this for the next 40 years.

“Once you figure this out, you can keep the skillsets that you brought to this job in mind and never lose sight of yourself as the individual when crafting this plan,” Smith said.

“Everyone’s career plan is different,” Cantero said. “You need to listen to your inner passion. Consider your values and your life’s priorities; then consider your specific desires for your goals.”

From there, she said, start backward. Envision the end goal and consider what you’ll need to get there.

• What skills and knowledge will you need?

• Will you need additional education or a type of certification?

• What networking and relationships will you need to create?

• Does this fit into your overall life plan with your family?

Seeking continued training in your skillset will be important to differentiate yourself as the guru in your niche, Smith noted.

Name Your Objectives

Once you have identified your niche, the direction you’ll need to take to meet your objectives should become clear.

Start with setting goals and objectives and find organizational tools to help track progress. The first rule of setting goals, Cantero said, is being realistic. There’s no need to bite off too much. You’ll need to keep your current position going as you grow, and you do not want to neglect those commitments while chasing the future. Nor do you want to reach the finish line exhausted and burnt out.

Approach your career plan like a marketing plan. Create the plan, break it down into actions, consider how long each step will take, and then calendar it out. Additionally, create a budget in case you want to pursue your MBA or specialized certification.

If you’re just starting out, map out some goals for increments of one, three and five years, Smith said.

“Ask how would my job evolve in a perfect world? How would I like it to be different? Then make sure you socialize that and explain to your supervisor and to your firm,” Smith said. “Assume responsibility for your advancement. For a person starting out, one goal may be to learn the business. Another is to be present and visible. Your technical skills won’t matter if you don’t know firm leadership, or if they don’t you.”

Assess Progress

Be strategic, said Morgan Cooper, marketing director at Wilkins Miller. Your current performance may be working right now, but how can you elevate your role?

At least twice a year, Cooper updates her goals and communicates those plans to leadership. She stressed evaluating your own performance at least once a year and making sure you’re not only putting out fires, but proactively planning strategic growth for yourself and the firm.

Find a Mentor

A critical step in your career path is to find a peer mentor who believes in you. A mentor doesn’t have to be a marketer; it could be a partner. This person ultimately is an advocate for your program, Castorino said.

A mentor should encourage you to take risks and challenge yourself to reach outside your comfort zone, said Cantero, who teaches her mentees to advocate for themselves.

“I’m completely transparent about my own journey, the wins and losses,” when working with mentees, Cantero said. “I help my mentees identify their strengths and weaknesses, ask them questions to lead them to their own answers and build their own plans, and create a safe space for them to fail and learn. I also teach them the importance of celebrating the small wins as much as the big wins.”

Career Disruptions

If your role is upended because of a force outside of your control, such as a merger or acquisition, don’t take it personally. Reflect on what happened, then refocus on where and how you can add value, Castorino said.

Unexpected personal or professional events can derail what you thought your path would look like, Cooper said, and flexibility is key to recovering. If disruption happens, revisit your goals, growth opportunities and possible new paths.

Sometimes, plans can be derailed in a positive direction, such as an unexpected promotion or opportunity.

“I actually had to rewrite my career plan mid-career,” Cantero said. “About five years ago, my managing partner approached me with the idea of becoming an equity partner. That completely shifted my entire career plan because I didn’t even think that was a possibility.”

Conclusion

Creating a career plan in accounting marketing may be difficult if leadership hasn’t defined a trajectory. Still, marketers can create their own futures by engaging in proactive visioning, planning and preparation.

Jacqueline Harnevious, digital marketing manager, Windham Brannon. Contact at jsharnevious@windhambrannon.com