By Annie Kuzmanovic
New beginnings are in the air as we are not only kicking off a new semester here at CI, but a new student organization has also been added to the roster of networking opportunities for students. Named for the field of study it will focus on, American Marketing Association (AMA) was started by Business Major Andrea Dosev, who has also taken on the role of President of AMA.
“I was inspired by a professor of mine, Don Carlson, before I transferred to CI,” Dosev said. “He mentioned that it is a great way to network and learn more about the marketing industry. When I arrived at CI, I wanted to create something for the rest of the students who wanted to gain experience and learn from each other.”
According to Dosev, by joining AMA, students will have the opportunity to acquire certifications that can strengthen their resumes, network with influential individuals as well as their peers and become more acclimated to their future work environment. Aiding Dosev in making this happen are his advisors Taylan Yalcin and Ekin Pehlivan Yalcin, who are thrilled to assist with the accomplishments of the club and its members.
”Anyone interested in exploring marketing as a profession would directly benefit from the opportunities presented as part of the network AMA provides,” said Ekin Pehlivan Yalcin. “More broadly, we are all part of marketing relationships whether we choose to be or not, therefore understanding the profession would empower anyone as a consumer.”
Taylan Yalcin also believes that AMA can benefit students outside of the study of advertising. “You may not want to pursue a career in marketing and that is perfectly fine. But when you are looking for a job, you are basically marketing yourself as a valuable employee. Or if you establish your own business someday, you will quickly realize that without customers you have no business and without marketing you cannot get any customers.”
Dosev and the organization’s other leaders are brainstorming big for a lively first semester. “In order to raise awareness, we want to create an event where anyone can come and get a professional headshot taken to be used wherever they need, such as on Linkedln or other social media,” Dosev said. “We are also discussing hosting a larger boot camp style workshop this semester on a topic we all deem interesting and end with a gala.”
“Student organizations on our campus are what brings students with a common interest together in an open forum of discussion,” Ekin Pehlivan Yalcin said. “My hope is that the AMA CI Chapter will be a community of professional discussion and sharing for our campus community.”
If you are interested in joining AMA in a fruitful endeavor, email an advisor at ekin.pehlivan@csuci.edu or taylan. yalcin@ csuci.edu or email President Andrea Dosev at andrea. dosev493@myci.csuci.edu. You may also look them up on CISync. All are welcome!
