Meet Samantha Wong
March 2023 Edition
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Name: Samantha Wong (She/Her)
BCITMA Position: VP of External COmmunications
Why did you join the BCITMA?
"I joined the BCITMA to become a part of a community that uplifts each other and provides the necessary support to help each other succeed. I wanted to meet like-minded individuals that shared the same passion I had for all the creative aspects of marketing, as well as gain a first-hand experience as to what it would be like to work as a real-life marketer.”
What does your role look like as a VP of your committee?
”In my role as the VP of External Communications, I work closely with both the Digital Marketing and Creative & Branding Committee in order to present a unified voice for the BCITMA through all of our platforms. This involves plenty of copywriting to ensure that the BCITMA's message and value isn't lost in translation when communicating with the public, and also involves creating some graphics myself. As someone who appreciates the creative aspects of marketing, being able to convey a story through the creatives and copywriting that I do is an important part of my role that I greatly value.”
Do you have any experiences you would like to share from your time as a VP?
”A main experience that I will forever be grateful for are the amazing people I have met ever since joining the club. Although I don't work directly with some of the executives, I have developed close relationships with them and would even consider some of them to be my closest friends. I think a large takeaway from my time as VP are the connections I have made, whether that be with other executives or actual industry professionals that I have interacted with through opportunities I gained from being a VP. Additionally, becoming a part of the MA as a whole has provided me a strong experience that will help me towards becoming a marketer in the 'real' world, and has helped me expand my network and portfolio exponentially.”
How do you keep your personal and work/school life balanced?
”Maintaining a work/school life balance is something that I have genuinely struggled with over my years in education. However, as time progressed - and particularly from my experience at BCIT - I have gained a lot of knowledge on how to properly manage not only my time, but my personal relationships as well.
A main thing is getting your priorities straight. Although it is nice to want absolute perfects on all your assignments, and 99-100%'s on your exams, I believe that the trade off of sacrificing your relationships and mental health is not worth it. If anything, going to BCIT made me realize that there are some things (many things) that are more important than grades: yourself.
Another key factor is having some sort of organization scheduling system going on. Whatever way you decide to do it, have something to keep track of deadlines, appointments, meetings, etc. I find that in BCIT, it is so easy to lose track of time and forget even the most important things you didn't think you would ever forget, such as a project submission or even your mother's birthday. Organization is key to having that work/school life balance, and by properly scheduling your days, you'll be able to see exactly when you are free (and please don't be alarmed if you see your 'free' days are once every month ...).
Overall, I also believe it is a certain mindset that helps you keep a good balance; you can schedule and organize your entire life, and have your priorities be the straightest it's ever been, and you can still feel like your balance is off kilter. It's vital to keep in mind that at the end of the day, everyone is just simply trying their best, and it's okay to admit that maybe you're not doing so hot at the moment. Try your best to do your best, and everything will turn out pretty alright.”
Can you share what you’ve learned so far with BCITMA?
”I've learned with the BCITMA that sometimes things don't turn out the way you want them to. There are many projects or events I have seen that had to be scrapped at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, and sometimes that just happens. Not everything is within your control, and it's okay to take a step back and go, "You know what, this wasn't my fault." because really, a lot of the time it isn't. I've found that people tend to put a lot of blame on themselves when things don't go their way; it's definitely tough being a full time student in school and being an executive in this extracurricular club, and sometimes you just have to admit you don't have the time to do it all, and that's okay.”
Any tips or tricks you would like to share with Marketing students?
”I don't believe there are any super secret tricks other than the whole 'keep a life balance' and 'stay organized and scheduled'. I think one of the things I wish I knew going into Marketing at BCIT however is to focus more on learning and fully comprehending the content than memorizing and info dumping to get a perfect grade. Later on in the Marketing program (or even life), you'll be grateful for the knowledge that you're being provided by your instructors as you'll actually be using it in your marketing career. It is way more important that you know your content and can properly utilize the concepts.”
What Would You Choose?
Tea or Coffee? Tea
Favourite Color? Lime green
Dream Vacation Spot? Lake Como, Italy
Favourite Snack? Sweet Chili Doritos
Favourite Season? Summer
Favourite Song? Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
FUN FACT:
“I cannot swim, ride a bike, and have never been on a plane. I live under a rock.”
GOALS FOR 2023:
“Become smarter.”
Want to learn more about the Communications committee? Find them here now and connect with Samantha!
