If I Were a K-Popstar, This Would be My Comeback After a Long Hiatus
Even though I only had 3 published posts, LOL!
Six years later…
It’s been a while since the last time I logged in to this account and started a post. As a perfectionist, I tend to have a high standard for my writing. It won’t be posted and only be kept in draft if it's not good enough. That is why you can only see 3 older posts — which were posted years ago — and there are a bunch of drafts that I’ve never revisited.
I really love writing, but I need external “pressure” or motivation to do it consistently. This is also why I am taking Joanne Tombrakos’s Digital Marketing class. I heard from my friend, who was her previous student, that she gave weekly blogging tasks, which is a perfect solution for my perfection-minded issue!
So here I am, six years later. If I were a K-Popstar, this would be my comeback after a long hiatus — but in my case, this is my comeback to write on this beloved blog. As there might be new audiences reading this, I will reintroduce myself with some life updates, especially in my current master’s study.
She came back (after being pressured by her Professor)!
Just kidding, Prof!
Hi! I’m Annisa (or if you’re Indonesian, you can call me Icha). New York City was never my dream until I fell in love with Broadway shows around 8 years ago. I’ve never considered getting a master’s degree in this city, either. It was an impulsive decision, I would say, to pick a city that is 10 thousand miles away from my home country. I decided to go to New York University (NYU) for its Integrated Marketing program at the beginning of 2023, influenced by a close friend who planned to study there. It’s crazy to think that I’m now sitting at a table with one of the most beautiful views at NYU.
In a previous post, I talked about how I failed to get into my dream undergraduate program but later managed to get into one of the best Accounting programs in Indonesia (It’s written in Bahasa Indonesia, unfortunately. Sorry, my international folks. But you can Google Translate it if you want, haha). After failing the Indonesian college admission test for dentistry schools, I switched my path from a natural science high school student to an Accounting college student. It was definitely challenging, but I made it anyway.
I graduated in the Covid era — yes, I’m one of those who had a virtual graduation. What’s worse is that period is not the best for job seekers. Many companies have laid off their employees, especially those technology-based ones. In my case, it’s a double trouble because I made my second switch from Accounting to Marketing at the same time. I had the opportunity to be an auditor in one of the Big 4 accounting firms, but I didn’t take it. Before deciding, I did a trial by taking an internship program there. The experience has made my desire to switch even stronger. I didn’t enjoy the work, and I can’t see myself in this field in the future.
Why Marketing?
During my undergraduate studies, I volunteered as a Community Ambassador at a pioneer in digital marketing learning services in Indonesia called lingkaran (yes, it’s styled with all low-case letters). I had the opportunity to meet digital marketing experts from notable technology companies, such as Tokopedia and Gojek. In Indonesia, these companies are the leading players in digital marketing. I was captivated by how powerful digital marketing is, especially in audience targeting and the immediate result data that we can get.
I went on the job hunting competition, not empty-handed. Knowing that I had to stand out among thousands of marketing students, I sought marketing skills through competitions and student projects. I landed my first “legit” marketing role as a Digital Media Planner in a multinational agency. Mainly, I helped clients to optimize their digital advertising campaigns. My typical day would be checking dashboards in the morning, meeting with the team and third parties in the afternoon, and then compiling the media plan and campaign reports at night.
At one point, I felt that I needed to grow. Don’t get me wrong; I learned much and grew in this role and the agency. The thing is that I didn’t have a strong foundation in marketing as a whole. All that I knew was digital marketing. I want to gain a 360-degree view and also a strategic view. That motivated me to continue my studies, particularly in the city where you can witness many marketing efforts in various forms.
Expect Me To Write More This Time
Since I got the motivation to write, I should make the most of it. In the next several weeks, I will talk about certain topics about marketing and share my thoughts about them. It is an opportunity for me to learn and get inspired, and hopefully, for you as my readers! I feel so excited and anxious at the same time (and, as always, got pressured by the high standards that I set for my writing). I will try my best to capture everything in a simple and entertaining way and give perspective based on my work experience and study.
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Stay connected,
Annisa
