Experience, Experiment, Explore: My 3Es for Education

When was the last time you did something for the first time? 

For people who know me, I have been often found quoting this and always experimenting with things beyond my comfort zone. After having worked in the media domain for nearly five years now, the decision to pursue a master’s degree in one of the most renowned and prestigious universities felt like a breath of fresh air. I am originally from India and I started working right after my undergraduate degree. My work journey has been filled with eventful learnings, challenges, and evolution, both from a personal and a professional viewpoint. The world of public relations and marketing blended really well in my life and here I am at USC, honing my knowledge and skills with an aim to continue my career in marketing.  

Now that I have spent nearly three months at USC, my understanding of what working in another market looks like has escalated, thanks to my on-campus job and the learnings from the professors. Traditionally, the framework remains the same when looked upon from a media outlook. Foundations, like planning and strategizing for a campaign, brand building, and using a data-driven approach for marketing, are identical throughout the media landscape. That said, what differs is the lens of viewing culture and popularity. For instance, what Superbowl is in the U.S., IPL is in India. The advertising appeals used across ad agencies remain the same, with tweaks around the cultural and national advertising standards. However, one major differentiating factor is that in the States, micro-management across organizations is less. And the flexibility offered is highly immense – for example, you don't really need to show your face in every team meeting. 

To be honest, one of the biggest changes I have witnessed in myself is the curiosity to know more about what’s happening in the world from a global perspective. Back in India, staying updated about your clients’ industry would happen organically, thanks to the quantum of reports and competitive analysis that had to be done. That in itself defined a lot of learning for me and plenty of news around developments catered around the Indian market. Besides, the real-time learning backed with data and innovative solutions has changed my perspective while pursuing a master’s degree. Additionally, it feels great to position yourself as someone who has good knowledge and awareness of an international market like India while learning and exploring the U.S. market trends. There are days when I am clueless about the examples cited in lectures pertaining to American culture or history.  But isn’t that a reason to deep dive more to gain a global perspective? For me, it again boils down to exploring new learnings as the curiosity to understand the cited references rises. So as an international student, if you've ever experienced being lost or simply not relating to the examples cited in lectures, you’re not alone and it’s a great sign of a learning curve. 

That’s why I say, education is all about new experiences and encounters, meeting individuals from diversified, cultural and educational backgrounds which often makes us embrace new communities, agree to disagree, and respect each other's opinions. 

So if you’re someone who has just started a master’s degree after completing your undergraduate studies, allow yourself the opportunity to explore the various arenas you want a career in, if you haven’t already through internships. 

If you’re someone like me who has a couple of years of work experience and knows what you want to pursue after graduation, experience the grind of what it takes to achieve it. 

And if you’re someone who is changing careers to start afresh in the media domain after a couple of years of work experience in another industry, it surely will be one of the best experiences and encounters you'll stumble upon. 

Till then, Fight On!