In interviews, I would bring in examples of ...

Prologue:?It's Wednesday in our universe and therefore time to sit down and reflect on the past, present, and future with one the alumni of The Underground Agency at NKU Haile College of Business . Today, we sat down with Alexander Rainford, MBA ?from? HubSpot .?who left us back in 2016. How do you get from a college graduate in Northern Kentucky to Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot in Florida? Sit back, read, and find out! And if you are curious as Alex, you may even find out why HubSpot was #11 on Glassdoor's Best Places to Work in 2023.

David: Let's kick off this interview with the hardest questions of all. How are you, Alex?

Alex: Great! It's been a crazy couple of years both professionally and personally. On the work side of things after nearly six years I left a job that I loved at Cengage Group to join HubSpot as a Senior Marketing Manager focused on product marketing for Sales Hub. It’s been an amazing ride so far at HubSpot, and I’ve learned a ton from all of the extremely talented people that I work with.

Personally, it's been exciting as my wife Kelly and I moved to Florida, started our own vacation rental business and just had our very first baby, Ashton, just a few weeks ago. So a crazy couple of months for sure.?

David: I should have waited with this interview until you have your first year of fatherhood behind you ??! On the other side, you might be sleep-deprived at that time so it is good we are doing it now. You have no idea, Alex, how happy I am you are with Kelly. I would like to get some credit for it called the Prague experience. But let's skip that so I can enjoy the warm feeling of being the one who brings people together for happily ever after. So, how is your job as a Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot?

Alex: My job right now has me focused on how we talk about our products, how we position them in the marketplace, and how we differentiate them from the competition. At HubSpot, we create software that helps businesses grow better. For me, I work specifically on our Sales Software called Sales Hub. In my day to day, I get to work a lot with our product teams, sales teams and the broader marketing organization to help tell the story of one of our key products, and bring new features to market. Practically this looks like lots of content creation including messaging, email, web, video and other traditional marketing channels. One of my favorite parts of my role is getting to speak with customers and partners who use HubSpot software to help grow their businesses. Hearing how HubSpot has helped them get more customers, or drive greater awareness of their products is one of the most rewarding things. I also get to work on a lot of larger, strategic initiatives as we think about the future of sales and marketing in this post-COVID world, and how we can help businesses connect with customers. Our CEO recently wrote a really great blog about how we are thinking about the Age of the Connected Customer, and what it means for our future. I think it's a really exciting time to be here.?

David: That is very exciting! Not to mention, you are doing what we are training our students for.

Alex: Sorry for interrupting you but I have to say this to your students who are currently in your Creative Marketing with Study Abroad in Prague (IBU 395) program (since I met them last November). You won't find another marketing class quite like The Underground Agency experience. This course or really life experience arms you with real world marketing experience that directly prepares you for your first full time marketing role. During the course, myself and classmates, including my wife Kelly, got to work quickly in the classroom leading up to the trip. We developed messaging, positioning and marketing campaign frameworks for several brands. Then, using what we'd learned so far began work on our real client, a Czech based restaurant chain - think Chipotle but for Hot Dogs. We got the chance to learn about the brand and work with them virtually, leading up to our trip. The trip itself was incredible. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe offering expansive cathedrals, winding cobblestone streets and beautiful views. The food was obviously incredible and each day was the perfect balance of business and fun with plenty of time to explore. The trip culminated in a client presentation, where we got to deliver marketing plans to the company in person just like a real marketing agency does. I took some of my projects and experiences with me to my first full time marketing role interview, and they helped me land the job.

David: Don't apologize! This is very timely as they are one month away from our 'work' trip to Prague and Northern Bohemia and are already working on the second client project. Now, even though you touched on this just a little, I really want to know more about your journey to HubSpot. How did you get that job?

Alex: I had my eye on HubSpot for a while for a couple of reasons. The first is their culture. Not only does HubSpot consistently rank highly on Glassdoor, they also have an incredible culture that solves for the customer. I’d applied to HubSpot a couple of times, and actually had a few interviews that didn’t lead to an offer. However, after seeing the role I have now posted, I knew it aligned really well with my experiences and skills. To help get the job, I reached out to the recruiter who was so helpful throughout the process. She gave me great advice on how to prepare for interviews and questions that I might encounter. I tailored my experiences to the job description in a way that made it easy for interviewers to see how what I’d done in my previous roles aligned nicely with what they were looking for. I also took the time to really do my research on the interviewers and come prepared with genuine questions specifically about their background. I think that curiosity and effort helped elevate my candidacy and ultimately helped me land the role I am in now.?

David: You touched on several important matters but the ones I want to highlight are culture, perseverance, networking, and tailoring. All four are critical to job success yet many of us fail all of them. First, they do not do diligent work on understanding company's culture and how important it is for having a job we actually enjoy. Second, we quit after the first rejection, even though the rejection itself is the opportunity door. The fact you keep applying to the same company reveals you are truly interested. Not to mention you are already on their radar and in the system. Third, we do not reach out to those who already work there (not to mention recruiters) to learn more about the position, culture, and, most importantly, build those internal relationships. Finally, we get comfortable and don't tailor our story (i.e., resume, LinkedIn, cover letter). Clearly, you have done all four which bring me to my next question. What are the experiences that had the greatest impact on your personal and career development and why?

Alex: I’ve been really fortunate in my career to have incredible managers and leaders that have given me some amazing advice that helped me progress. I’ve learned so much from all of them and couldn’t imagine being here today without their guidance and support. Outside of mentors, at Cengage, what really worked for me was asking for stretch projects or extra things I could take on that might even be outside the scope of marketing. The experiences I gained from cross-functional collaboration gave me a much better understanding of the business as a whole, and helped me really see things from the perspective of other teams.

I’ll also say if I think back to both my M.B.A. at Xavier University and my Marketing B.S. at NKU Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University , taking class projects seriously and putting in the effort goes a long way. I still think back to the Study Abroad program I did with you and the client projects we worked on. At the time the slides were overwhelming and it felt like too much information to produce. Looking back on it now, my willingness to really take the work seriously prepared me so much more for post college. Frequently in interviews, I would bring in examples of client projects that I worked on. When I did land my first marketing job, some of the slides we would do for our marketing plans looked almost identical to what I had already done in your classes at The Underground Agency . So for me, taking that seriously and using it as real world experience has been critical.

Now, what helps me the most, especially being newer at HubSpot, is asking for feedback. People have been genuinely helpful and offered suggestions that have not only improved my work, but also the way I work and it has made me a better employee and person because of it.?

David: You mentioned two very important things. First, ask for stretch projects that might be out of your job description but aligned with your personal interests. This is critical for internal growth and, subsequently, opening doors to internal advancement. Second, be proactive and ask for feedback, don't wait for it. I think too many people expect to receive it without asking. And when we don't get it, we end up not growing, not feeling being seen or recognized, not feeling supported, and, eventually, discouraged and quit or resign. This applies to workplace as well as education. It's the feedback that really helps us grow and discover what we are good at or can be good at. Speaking of that, what do you think is your element?

Alex: I think what I really enjoy are larger strategic initiatives and bringing together teams across departments to achieve a common goal. It sounds vague, but one of my favorite projects I did in my past role was a cross functional project that brought together sales, marketing, and support to deliver a sales campaign that supported our customers during the busiest time of the year. We actually did a whole internal Top Gun themed campaign to hype people up, which was a lot of fun, especially considering who I got to work with. Now, where I really thrive is thinking about how we can help businesses grow better, especially in sales, and coming up with creative ways to serve them.?

David: Given what I learned from the Age of the Connected Customer, I feel that HubSpot will provide you with lots of future opportunities to thrive in your element, especially if you continue doing what you have always been doing: Asking for stretch projects and feedback. Both of which will shape your future within and beyond HubSpot. So, we talked about present and past. What about future? What do you see in your future?

Alex: Well this year, I'll be taking some time off to spend with our baby. I imagine that will take some time but I am fortunate that HubSpot offers 16 week paternity leave for both parents. In the future, I’d love to move up into roles of increasing responsibility including leading teams. I’ve always been interested in customer marketing as well as advocacy and brand awareness so I’m always keeping my eye out for any cool projects that could help me learn more.?

David: I am a father of two. Benjamin is 12 and is in middle school. Ellie is 8 and a proud third grader. Alex, kids add a whole new dimension to our life and purpose. Since I don't understand quantum physics, I can say: They are the fourth dimension. They changed the way how I think about myself and everything I do in this universe. Enjoy it! And if you ever need Brio trains or Duplo, let me know. Sorry, I would offer Legos but they are too precious to give up. OK, let's end with some words of wisdom. Any advice for our current rookies and apprentices (students) at The Underground Agency ?

Alex: I really believe in continual learning. Part of that is why I work at HubSpot. They believe in continuing and free education through many of our academy courses. Just now, I am taking classes on SEO to improve my content skills as I write landing pages. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to people on LinkedIn and ask to learn more about their role. It happens to me from time to time and I am always happy to speak with them. Even in your own company, reach out to another department and just spend 15 or 20 minutes getting to know what they do, and how they work. Oftentimes, you’ll uncover a cool project that you could work together on. Finally one of the best pieces of advice I ever received was just because there is an opportunity, doesn’t mean it's the right one. Really be intentional about career moves, and take the time to do your research. Going a different direction and trying something else sometimes can lead to the most rewarding opportunities.?

And when it comes to interviewing, some of the best interview advice I ever received was to really do your research and align your experiences with the job description. For me, that means I take a sheet of paper and come up with 10-15 examples from my career that match specific core competencies of the job I am applying for. During the interview I pick from those examples to sound as relevant to the job as possible.

David: Thank you, Alex! It has been a true delight sitting down with you and reflecting upon your past, present, and future!

Epilogue:?Once and again, we end up on a nostalgic note. Both Alex and Kelly were in the shoes of our current Creative & Marketing Associates back in 2016. Looking at this photo reminds us that it would be lovely to take it again. Maybe, we should have a reunion of our 2016 class - a reunion that would bring Eileen Weisenbach Keller and myself together with Ethan Smith , James Weingand , Austin Eibel , Kelly Rainford , Alexander Rainford, MBA , Brittany Smith , Savannah Purcell , Hannah Siefert , Lydia Epping , James Schmidt , Jacob Arnold , Nicole Hagedorn , Jamie Kohls , Megan Pickett , Ella Kremer , Danielle Gray (Walker) , and Jessica Harsaran !

And for all those who made it this far in reading this interview, if HubSpot ?looks interesting to you, check their open positions on LinkedIn. And if you have more questions about life there, you know whom to connect with.