Takeover Talks: Jarod Panganiban

Takeover Talks is an extension of our Instagram Takeover series where we provide a marketing professional, intern, or co-op student, the opportunity to showcase a day in the life of their job on our Instagram stories. It allows us to sit down one-on-one with our Takeover guest to gain a deeper insight on their personal and professional journey.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Nestlé marketing intern, Jarod Panganiban. We spoke about his journey into marketing, how he discovered Nestlé’s internship and the advice he would give to aspiring student leaders.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

“My name is Jarod Panganiban; I am entering my fourth year in marketing management at Ryerson’s Ted Rogers School of Management and I’m in the Co-op program.”

You mentioned in high school you wanted to go into accounting, what made you want to pursue marketing instead?

“I initially wanted to be an accountant after taking it in high school but after grade 11, I knew that I wanted pursue marketing because I’ve always felt inspired to remain creative and not be limited by the aspects of business.

As of right now are you leaning more towards marketing at an agency or a brand?

“I’ve always been interested in what people thought. For example, when one sees a brand — how does that make them feel? how do they react towards it? From there, I knew that brand management was an area I wanted to focus on and have my initial start in.”

Before we dive more into your internship at a renowned company, tell us more about your involvement in student groups and TRSM. It’s incredible how engaged you’ve been in the student community!

“Thank you! I was on the Ted Rogers Student Society (TRSS) ever since first year where I got involved through their Breakthrough Program. In second year, I fortunately progressed into an associate level role as a photographer, and then grew into an executive role as the Business Management director in my third year.

Joining this student group has allowed me to strengthen my leadership skills and to simply get out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been on the introverted side but being able to put myself out there and meet new people, significantly helped me break out of my shell.”

So, how did you hear about the internship at Nestlé?

“In January 2019, I participated in a Nestlé case competition where my team and I presented a case solution in front of Nestlé’s HR team and won. We were given Nestlé HR’s contact info and I took it upon myself to reach out. I was fortunately invited to their office where I learned more about their summer internship.

Because I valued this opportunity, I maintained the connection that I built with the recruiter. When the time finally came around, I applied for the position and the rest is history. One thing I learned from this experience is if you find a company and meet people you truly resonate with, why not stay with them? The recruiter made a very strong impression on me, and I am very proud to be here today.”

And now that your internship is slowly starting to wrap up, what is your favourite aspect of your role at Nestlé?

“The people. To have people that truly believe in you and your work is truly inspiring especially when you’re an intern and you’re virtual. Simply having that trust from your team is crucial because sometimes you may not have that trust in yourself.

In terms of my role specifically, my favourite thing is being able to tackle many diverse projects. Nestlé truly cares about your personal and professional development so if you are interested in working on a certain project, they’ll find something for you to do. I feel very fortunate to not be limited to only doing one thing, I get to oversee and put my hands on different projects.”

It’s fantastic to hear about a company that cares so much about your development. What advice would you give to a marketing student seeking an internship or job opportunity?

“Be curious. Learn about that company, learn about the individuals in that company. Show that you care because oftentimes having an authentic conversation will stay in the mind of your recruiters. It also shows that you’ve done your research on what to ask and displays how much the role means to you.”

And finally, since you’ve been greatly involved in a student group, what would you tell someone who is hesitant to join one?

“Don’t be afraid. University can seem daunting especially now that it’s virtual and harder to meet people but take it one day at a time.

Don’t hesitate to seek guidance from upper years at Ryerson, a lot of us are very approachable and would love to spend time talking to you and helping you develop personally or professionally.

Shift your perspective to view university as a great adventure to explore. Branching out and joining student groups can enhance your entire experience. If I didn’t join one in first year, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

Thank you for sharing your story and your wisdom with us Jarod!

If you want to gain a more detailed perspective of his specific duties as a marketing intern at Nestlé, we highly encourage you to watch his Takeover on our IGTV, here!

Written by: Annie Limbana

Edited by: Rocky Cheung

Graphic by: Curtis Dizon