Karen Chroback is a business manager at Bloomingdales in New Jersey and has been with Macy’s, the parent company, for fifteen years. She majored in marketing as an undergrad and was always intrigued by the role digital marketing played in her line of work.
“Marketing and technology have evolved and re-invented the in-store experience. They inform every part of our business. I took Pathstream’s Digital Marketing Certificate to upskill and add value in my current role or possibly move into a digital marketing role at corporate down the line.”
Karen found Pathstream’s Digital Marketing Certificate in her employer’s education program catalog.
“I am so lucky to work for an employer that values continuous learning, encourages it, and gives us opportunities to develop, grow and take on new roles. Honestly, I’ve been so motivated by this program because it tested my critical thinking skills. I apply the skills I learn to what I’m doing at work. In my opinion, employers who invest in their employees’ education will see a phenomenal return on their investment as their employees can advance and apply skills while they learn.”
Karen appreciated the way Pathstream developed the program.
“The program content was rich and informative. I liked how each course was designed to engage students through reading, videos, labs, and projects. Each project mirrored a real business scenario, and we studied examples of marketing campaigns that actual companies launched. I could revisit content anytime and add projects to my professional portfolio.”
Pathstream’s certificate programs are designed with adult learners in mind. Dozens of companies, from Macy’s to Walmart, offer our programs to their employees because of our flexible structure.
Karen said, “The program was online and super flexible. When I was busier at work, I could do less; when I had more time, I could invest it in the program. Ultimately, it fit into my schedule well and was easy to manage.”
She also valued the feedback she received from instructors.
“I don’t think I can ever remember getting such detailed and personal feedback on coursework in my entire life. Whether the project was challenging or I aced it, the feedback was so good that I learned as much from it as from the coursework.”
Karen has changed the way she approaches her role since taking the program.
She said, “I’ve always thought that marketing is a discipline everyone can benefit from because you’re constantly marketing your ideas. In business, knowing how consumers make decisions is critical, regardless of your role. I can apply the strategies and tactics I learned in the Pathstream Digital Marketing Certificate Program to my role here, which is to drive business. I work in a store, but our customers are omnichannel customers, so they use digital and social media channels to research our brand before they come to the store. I also manage the in-store individuals you can chat with on our website. So everything I learn is applicable, and it’s so fascinating to me.”
Karen plans to apply more new skills at work and is also motivated to learn more about marketing analytics. She was exposed to Google Analytics in the program and is fascinated by data analysts’ ability to transform data into business insights.
Karen’s final advice to prospective students:
“You can never stop learning. The benefit of a certificate program is that it offers you an accelerated form of learning. It will challenge you and give you essential hands-on experience as if you were on the job. When you’re ready to commit the time to the program, you should enroll because it’s good to challenge yourself and learn more.”
How to take advantage of your company’s education benefits?
If you’re looking to enroll in a certificate program to teach you the valuable skills you need to excel in your career, Pathstream can help you! We have a vast catalog of courses and your employer might cover the costs.
Use our Eligibility page to determine if you qualify!
Was this helpful?
Thanks! What made it helpful?
How could we improve this post?
