Renee Malooly had a long career in education. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism and Master’s in rhetoric writing studies, she became an adjunct professor and English instructor in Texas. Renee is passionate about college instruction and loves the flexibility a career as a college professor allows. But the education industry was profoundly affected by the pandemic.
“Tenure is slowly dying out, and the pandemic led to budget cuts which affected my job. It was heartbreaking but made me evaluate where else I could use my skills. It sparked a desire to start researching different online programs and career prospects. I came across Pathstream’s digital marketing program, and it was a good fit for me. I connected with the content being taught because of my background and knew this new change would challenge me more.”
Before starting the program, Renee met with an enrollment advisor who informed her about the program and made expectations clear.
“I like that the whole program is transparent before committing to Pathstream’s program. I spoke with enrollment advisors about it, and I was able to get extensive background information on Emory’s Digital Marketing Certificate Program. They shared the schedule and syllabus with me before I enrolled. Nothing ever felt like a mystery, and the advisors answered all my questions. I was grateful for not being left in the dark.”
Renee was teaching several classes while enrolled in Emory’s Digital Marketing Certificate Program powered by Pathsream. The 18-week online program requires students to dedicate about 10-15 hours every week to learning, labs, and projects.
“At first, I was worried about multi-tasking but reminded myself that I’ve taught seven courses in one semester. I’ve driven to more than two campuses on the same day. I can teach six classes and learn the fundamentals of digital marketing. Luckily I was able to conduct my lessons online and take the three marketing courses at my own pace. So I think that even if somebody worked physically somewhere nine to five, or whatever working hours they have, I think you can still adapt pretty well to the program.”
Once Renee started the certificate program, she found the course material engaging and had a reliable support system.
“My instructor Mary was wonderful. She hosted weekly office hours for students with questions about the content. If I couldn’t make it to office hours, she responded to emails promptly and always made herself available. I appreciated the attention instructors gave students.”
“I was hesitant about the program in the beginning. I put in the time to get my master’s and didn’t want more schooling. The problem with graduate school is that it’s a lot of theory and not a lot of practical application. I quickly realized this program wasn’t like that. The digital marketing program doesn’t waste our time as students. I’ve taught several online courses, and I’m very particular about how I deliver my content to students. I want to convey a clear message every week and be precise about what they need to accomplish in the semester. Each course included projects that mirrored real on-the-job scenarios you would encounter in marketing. The structure of the digital marketing program left no room for confusion, and the instructor presented the material well. I felt like I was already a marketing pro, and this gave me so much power and confidence to make a big career transition.”
Towards the end of the program, Renee took advantage of Pathstream’s Career Services.
“They were organized and quick to communicate with us through coaching calls, emails, and weekly newsletters they sent with job postings. They made themselves very available to meet with us and work around our schedule. The level of support from my instructors, the career coaches, and everybody I spoke to through Pathstream gave me so much encouragement. This makes a difference because changing careers or asking for a promotion can be scary. It’s also a process, and the journey can be longer than you anticipate, so you need to stay motivated.”
“I’m a technical person; I enjoyed working with Career Services and having a coach communicate clear steps to me or layout the job search process. For example, I was in the dark about resume writing, but then I worked with a coach to clean up my resume and structure it for digital marketing roles. I realized resumes aren’t very scary.”
Renee is currently a social media freelancer and completed a marketing internship for Corralito Steak house. She’s still teaching and building up her marketing experience through different freelance projects.
“Taking the time to gain this experience after developing my digital marketing skills will give me more clarity on what I want career-wise. It will help me determine if I want to look for a full-time marketing position.”
Renee’s final piece of advice:
“Communicate before you commit. Pathstream has many resources and folks available to walk you through the program. Speak to the enrollment advisor, it costs you nothing, but you learn so much about the program. It will help you set yourself up for success and plan out how you will fit the program into your schedule. It will all work out, but preparing yourself is key.”
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