Sharing The Wisdom feat. Caroline Walton

In this blog we chat with Caroline Walton, Senior Marketing Manager at RAC. Caroline shares her journey across industries and offers valuable insights on continuous learning, seeking mentors, gaining diverse experience, and staying true to yourself in the marketing world.

Could you please introduce yourself as well as your Background?

I started my career in London working in a small agency. I decided quickly, I wanted to move client side and so after that worked in the marketing departments of a variety of industries, including retail, tech, energy and insurance. I didn’t study marketing or business at university, so undertook the CIM professional qualifications in evening classes. After moving to Bristol, I worked temporarily in a financial business before moving into my current role.

Despite a brief time working in propositions, my core passion and interest lies with the promotional side of marketing and so I’ve always been drawn to this. I particularly love the creativity and variety that comes with it and the immediate impact you can have on the customer. This in turn leads to the growth of the business – the powerful combination of data, creativity and insight.

What are some “stand-out things” you’ve learned that you’d like to pass on to your peers as well as the future generation of talent within your sector?

1. Never stop learning.

I think it’s important to keep learning. Theories will change and there will be new ones that emerge. I did my CIM qualifications a number of years ago, but since then have recently completed the Mini MBA in Brand Management. This has given me refreshed knowledge and boosted by skills and confidence. There are so many free courses out there online such as on LinkedIn too, so you don’t always need to get funding to learn. But learning goes beyond the (virtual) classroom. It’s important to also learn from every interaction and situation. And question yourself, did I handle that well, could I have done better? That way we continuously grow and develop.

2. Look for ways to gain experience in an area that interests you, even when you’re not working in it.

Quite often in marketing (and to this day I still don’t understand why since marketing principles remain the same) you often get pigeon-holed in a particular industry or category. Early on in my career, I pushed to move into B2C retail from a B2B tech environment, but it wasn’t easy. However, it enabled me to expand my experience. Since then, I’ve worked in a number of different industries and now work in general insurance.

In role, if you see a project or an area that interests you, then try and get involved. I did this when my company was going through a rebrand, as I love all things brand and it enabled me to gain invaluable experience. Just ask!

3. Get a mentor/s.

A mentor doesn’t always have to be a formal situation which you set up in your work, although these are good too, but finding someone you admire, contacting them and asking their advice or how they tackled a particular career hurdle is a great way to expand your own knowledge around your career and your goals. It’s about expanding your professional network at the end of the day.

4. Listen.

This is an important skill. Active listening, where you’re really focussed and asking pertinent questions is key. It shows that you care about the opinion of the people you’re working with, but it’s also the way you’ll gain a better understanding of the challenges you’re jointly working on and shows respect.

Listen to the customer – it’s easy to get sucked into the job and forget that as marketeers we’re the voice and champion of the customer. So, take time out to listen to them and spend time with them. It’s really grounding.

5. Understand yourself and be true to yourself. 

For me this is about bringing yourself to your job. Our power lies in our differences and recognising our strengths. If you work in a large organisation like I do, you can easily draw on the expertise of those around you and form powerful teams. But above all, be yourself. The exciting aspect of the workplace is the difference in views, opinions and backgrounds which all bring unique and varied ways to tackle challenges.

What is your take on the importance of role models. 

I think role models appear through life in many different guises, not just in your career and it’s important to recognise the good ones, as well as the poor ones. Learn from the good and the bad and make a mental note of the behaviours and characteristics you most want to emulate or avoid, because of the impact it had on your or that you saw on others. It’s important to remember that as you advance in your career, you’ll inevitably become a role model for those around you. So, remember that what you say or do is important.