Devon Robinson, class of 2024, is a senior management information systems major. He sat down with us to talk about his time as Temple University’s American Marketing Association’s (TU-AMA) co-director of professional development and share some advice on how to make the most of your time in AMA.
How did you first become involved with AMA?
I became involved in TU-AMA during the first semester of my freshman year. We were in the middle of COVID so there were no in-person events. However, the organization still met online three times a week.
My older sister Alyssa was a TU-AMA member and a Cherry Consulting project manager. She told me that I might be able to make some friends by joining the virtual meetings and that I would be able to provide some assistance to the project with my background in web development.
Within the first month, I made many new friends, became a project manager for Cherry Consulting and decided that TU-AMA was the perfect fit for me.
How did you make the jump from general body member to director of professional development?
Holding a position on the executive board was one of my goals, so I sought to become as involved as possible.
I joined the mentorship program and was aiming to get matched up with one of the directors of Cherry Consulting because it’s what I was most interested in at that time. I got paired with Layla Kasymov, who was a great mentor and became a good friend.
Showing up counts a lot! I attended almost every committee meeting on Mondays, where I would work with the TU-AMA communications team to manage the website and listserv. On Fridays, TU-AMA hosted speaker sessions where I would try to ask each speaker at least one question.
I also had the opportunity to carry out two leadership experiences. The first was when I was a Cherry Consulting project manager in the fall semester for LSL Brands. The second was when I hosted a Monday workshop for the chapter on creating a personal website portfolio.
Even though I’m not a marketing major, I felt very welcome. What I love most about TU-AMA and what also helped pave the way to an executive board position were the friendships that I made along the way.
What are your main responsibilities as director of professional development?
As one of the two external directors of professional development, I am responsible for ensuring that our members learn how to network with professionals and develop skills that will help them secure future employment opportunities.
My team and I do this by reaching out to marketing professionals across different industries to come to campus for speaker sessions, hosting workshops and organizing our annual marketing week and regional marketing conference.
My co-directors and I also make ourselves available to our general body to help them with interview preparations, LinkedIn profile building and resume critiques.
Do you feel that your time at AMA helped you get your current position at Barclays?
My time with TU-AMA has greatly helped me develop as a professional in the business world, including landing my full-time position at Barclays. From the start, I was learning how to dress professionally for events like the annual TU-AMA conference, pitch myself at the career and internship reception, and to approach professionals at our Friday speaker sessions.
Many of the previous years’ executive board members helped me gain confidence in my resume and professional presentation. My sophomore year also gave me tangible leadership and project management skills, from serving as a project manager in Cherry Consulting and leading a team of eight to developing and implementing a marketing strategy for LSL Brands.
It wasn’t until my junior year serving as director of professional development and participating on our national case competition team that I felt confident enough to chase after some bigger opportunities like the internship with Barclays. Sourcing and networking directly with speakers, organizing a full marketing week and helping to run our competitions gave me a mix of hard and soft skills that made me feel solid in my interviews.
Joining our case team the following semester helped me experience what it is like to find my role in a project. My time with TU-AMA gave me the skills, professional presence and confidence to thrive after graduation.
Do you have any advice for anyone interested in pursuing a leadership role in TU-AMA in the future? What do you think is the best way to get involved?
Get as involved as possible. Make sure to go to as many TU-AMA meetings as you can and get involved with Cherry Consulting. Our student-managed consulting firm is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience and meet others who have similar goals and interests. Make sure you do not schedule any classes during Fox’s SPO hour, noon to 12:50 p.m., so that you can make it to TU-AMA every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Another great way to get involved is by attending TU-AMA social events. We hold events like a water-pong tournament at Pub Webb, Phillies and Sixers socials, ice skating, mini golf and more each year. This is a great way to meet other members, especially executive board members, outside of a class or meeting environment.
I would encourage someone to make friends with like-minded people looking to gain leadership positions. My closest friends in TU-AMA joined the board when I did or were already on it. We went to the same events, participated in competitions and eventually began to hang out outside of TU-AMA.
What can students do to make the most out of the Temple experience?
Try as many things as possible. Whether a business student or not, get involved with clubs or organizations like TU-AMA and make friends in many different places. College is both a time and place to try new things.
Become a jack of many trades. I am majoring in MIS, which has taught me versatile hard skills, and I take part in leading TU-AMA, which has given me a love for marketing and networking. And after being exposed to the finance industry through a semester of the Fox Fund, I am eager to start my post-graduation role at Barclays Bank.
Keep your doors open. Balance quality with quantity to add as many people as you can to your network. Not just external professionals but professors like Sheri Lambert, Jim Thompson and Mike Hughes are all fundamental building blocks in a network that is incredibly helpful and generous.
The students that you sit next to in class might just become the next big thing, too, so make sure to treat everyone with respect and kindness.
Remember to have fun with everything you do. This time has flown like nothing I have experienced before, and I am grateful for the time I have had at Temple and the Fox School. Make each day count and trust that you’ll end up where you need to be.