You’ll never be bored in a Growth Marketing career
How many of us can say we get to help NASA in our day job?
Chris Arsenault thinks he has a pretty cool job. He’s a Digital Marketing Coordinator at G2V Optics, an Edmonton tech company that manufactures Class AAA LED solar simulators for the aerospace and renewable energy industries.
The scientific equipment company was founded by two professional engineers, both with Ph.Ds in Physics. Chris admits he had “imposter syndrome”, unsure if he could execute a digital marketing strategy for such a complex, successful and growing company.
In May of 2022, he took the OnRamp Growth Marketing Bootcamp, delivered by 321 Growth Academy. This is the same program InceptionU now offers through its Tech Adjacent program, launching September 18th.
He says, at first, it was information overload. He likened it to “drinking from a firehose” as he learned about SEO strategy, content marketing, email campaigns and data analytics.
As a self-described “blue collar” worker, who had previously been working as a janitor, Chris was determined to finish the program and find stable employment to support his growing family.
He flexed his networking muscles and made some good tech industry connections while in the program. Eventually, one of those connections led to a rigorous recruitment process (four interviews) and then a job offer at G2V.
“I have the enjoyment of not being bored at work for once!” laughs Chris.
A day in the life of a growth marketer
In his hybrid digital marketing position, Chris wears a number of different hats on a daily basis. From planning a trade show to optimizing websites, writing social media posts and conducting A/B split testing for campaigns, he considers himself a well-rounded T-shaped Marketer.
T-shaped marketers have the ability to make sound, strategic decisions with expertise in different specialty areas, or traction channels.
Chris says his specialty is data analytics and conversion rate optimization. He utilizes both of his specialties to consistently find ways to improve lead generation in order to further the growth of the company.
Another strength area is communication, explaining their value proposition online in a way that resonates with potential customers is extremely important.
“You can have the most beautiful product ever but if no one understands it, or you can’t explain what it does, you’ve shot yourself in the foot. You will be one of the 90% of startups that fails,” he adds.
Key skills and traits Chris uses on a daily basis in his marketing role:
Adaptability - digital marketing is always changing; be prepared to always be learning
Time management - learn where to focus your efforts to drive profitability and improve ROI
Communication - keep it simple; communicate complex information in a clear and concise way
Humble - know when you’re wrong and be quiet when you’re right
Hungry - you’re determined, a bit competitive and have a strong desire to win
Resourceful - you will get things done, one way or another
“I always thought working in tech meant programming. So I started my journey there thinking it was my only option. After being fortunate enough to sit in on a webinar put on by OnRamp I learned there were other routes that interested me. So, my advice is that there’s still a place for you in tech. I think a lot of people forget it’s not just hard coding all day,” says Chris.
Chris says he was horribly misinformed about what marketers do. He jokes that he pictured “old white dudes” sitting around a boardroom trying to find ways for people to spend money as portrayed in the wildly popular series Mad Men. Now, he has a completely different take on what a digital marketer actually does.
“It feels like really meaningful work. I’m working for a company that helps academics from different faculties advance their research and commercial companies execute their application needs,” says Chris. “Our solar lights are helping NASA in space - I think that’s pretty special.”
Interested in applying?
If you want to read more about the Growth Marketing pathway of our Tech Adjacent program, visit our Growth Marketing FAQ page. If you’re ready to apply, let’s get started here!
Our next Discovery Session takes place August 22nd, register on our Events page. If you have questions, please reach out to info@inceptionu.com to book a 15-minute call with one of our team members.
