Caroline has held a variety of positions in fashion and its related fields since earning her BBA in Fashion Merchandising from LIM College. She recently transitioned to the world of digital marketing, where she is Associate Director of Customer Strategy at a retail-focused performance marketing company. Even in this new field, Caroline still relies on professional skills that she honed as an LIM student.
Tell us about your current role.
My company, Sidecar Interactive, specializes in Google Shopping, Bing Shopping, GoogleText Ads, Bing Text Ads, Facebook, and Amazon. In my role, I manage digital marketing for my own clients. I also help others with client management and work with the leadership team to achieve the company's overall business goals.
How would you describe your career path so far?
I’ve spent the majority of my career working for retailers in various capacities, including allocations, buying, and inventory management. When I transitioned into digital marketing, I was cautious about such a drastic shift. But once I transitioned, I found it really exciting to work with clients in a lot of different areas.
How did your LIM education help prepare you for your career?
The blend of coursework and internships gave me what I needed to excel early on in my first role after graduation, when I was an Assistant Buyer for a discount store chain. In particular, having knowledge about buying and retail math are skillsets I draw upon frequently, even as I transitioned out of the retail world.
What career advice would you give to current LIM students?
Do as many internships as possible! I interned in addition to what was academically required, and it was really helpful in determining what full-time roles I was interested in. It’s also beneficial to have a lot of internships on your resume as you’re applying for your first job out of college.
What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’ve had a great experience transitioning from an individual contributor to managing a team. While I oversee a team of people who are in a role I was in previously, management brings a whole new set of challenges, and I’ve been able to build new skills.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
It’s always a challenge to maintain a balance when we’re constantly connected through client emails and internal communication. I make sure to only reply to urgent emails outside office hours and keep lists of anything I need to tend to once I’m back in the office.