As a career, marketing for the manufacturing sector offers a steep learning curve for young professionals. Now, as the world around us is steadily going digital, the experiences marketers create for customers is evolving into an insightful fusion of data and creativity.
However, to power such customer journeys, collaboration is paramount. For young female professionals in marketing, this collaboration also comes in the form of active mentorship and support from their seniors at work.
Today, read more about the story of Alexandra Moreno, Marketing Specialist – ELGi USA, whose experience as a marketer has been enriched by steady collaboration at work.
What encouraged you to choose the manufacturing industry to pursue your career aspirations?
I didn’t necessarily choose the manufacturing industry. Similar to others in the compressed air industry, I came upon it.
Having said that, I have chosen to stay in the manufacturing industry for many reasons. The first and most important one is the values and goals that ELGi has set. I have much admiration for ELGi as a company and they are very aligned with my personal values. It’s a pleasure to raise brand awareness in my marketing role for a company that values its employees, society, and the environment. Also, it’s really fun getting to learn about all the ways compressed air impacts your life. You learn something new every day.
For example, just last week, I learned that compressed air is used to make lottery tickets! Who would've thought about that, really?
What ELGi values have stayed with you since you first joined?
Collaboration is one of the ELGi values that has stayed with me since the beginning. Every person here comes from different backgrounds, insights, and experiences.
It is through true collaboration that we can learn from each other and work more efficiently in reaching our goals. Collaborating with our teammates has allowed me to develop professionally while taking the company to greater heights.
What do you feel is most important to young women who are currently working?
I feel it’s important for women to find a workplace that provides the support, mentorship, and learning experience to help advance them in their careers. I believe that professional development earlier in their careers sets them up for success.
What has been your biggest success during the Covid-19 lockdown phase?
It’s quite ironic that during a year of lockdown and working from home, I have had success in building relationships with people I have never met in person.
I’m really proud of the closer relationships I have built with my colleagues across the world and the new relationships I have created with our channel partners. It’s been great getting to meet with the leaders of our distributorships and learning more about their business and goals and using our marketing resources to help them elevate their brand along with the ELGi Brand.
I really look forward to the day that we can all gather again and properly meet!
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
More than anything else, I really want to learn how to play the piano!
Which woman or women inspire you and why?
To tell you the truth, I am very lucky to have women in both my personal and professional life, who inspire me to work towards becoming a better version of myself.
Since I was a young girl, my mother and older sister have shown me a great example of what a strong, independent woman can do. My mother came to the U.S. at a very young age for a better life. She tirelessly worked to provide for me and my two siblings so that we could have a better future. She inspires me every day to continue to work hard despite the challenges so that her sacrifices aren’t in vain. My sister inspires me to dream big, be more creative, and challenge myself to be a better person. She has shown me that if you work hard enough, you will achieve your dreams.
At work, I look up to Anya D’Souza and Shannon McAfee. They are both great examples of the woman I aspire to be as I grow professionally. They inspire me to be more confident in myself and be a go-getter.
What does the International Women’s Day slogan, #ChoosetoChallenge mean for you in your work life?
It’s easier to live in a life of comfort than it is to challenge and call for change. But whether you choose to stay compliant or choose to challenge, you are making a choice.
For me, “Choose” in the #ChooseToChallenge slogan highlights the importance of taking action to make a difference. If we want to see an inclusive world, we need to #ChoosetoChallenge by speaking up. Through this, we need to kindly and patiently educate those we spend most of our time with: our co-workers.
What do you think is the biggest issue faced by women of your age at workplaces?
I feel like one of the biggest issues women my age face is the lack of trust in our capabilities. It’s important to recognize and appreciate the value young women bring into a company, to respect our opinions, and to not diminish our capabilities.