A former USC Trojan walks us through her career trajectory

Marjorie Santos at the Sanrio Office (Photo Courtesy of Marjorie Santos)

Getting a college degree and finding a job immediately after school is the end goal for many of us. What happens when you realize that what you thought would be your ideal job in your dream sector turns out to be different than what you expected?

This is what Marjorie Santos experienced upon graduating from the University of Southern California (USC) when she began working at a non-profit organization. As a Latina woman from Montebello, California and the first in her family to go to college, Santos always knew she wanted to work in the non-profit sector. 

“I initially wanted to work in the nonprofit as a way to help my Latin community. I wanted to work with an organization that helped minorities,” explains Santos. 

As the Project Coordinator at a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization, Santos organized an event at the Long Beach Convention Center that aimed to register hundreds of immigrants to help them become U.S. Citizens. 

However, after a year in this role, Santos felt discouraged and frustrated with the unhealthy and “toxic” work environment. Santos realized that neither the non-profit organization nor the Project Coordinator role were the right fit. Santos recalls feeling “unhappy, depressed, and stressed” during this time. 

To cope with the stress and lack of fulfillment, Santos resorted to YouTube where she watched makeup tutorials. This was 2015, the era when rising makeup “Influencers” such as Patrick Starrr, Desi Perkins, and Iluvsarahii’s careers were on the brink of explosion. At the time, Santos recalls thinking about how fun it would be to work in the makeup industry.

This is when the spark went off in Santos’ head and she decided to look for external career opportunities. With help from her then-boyfriend (now husband), Santos made a list of the companies she loved and wanted to work for. 

From working in non-profit to the beauty industry

What happened next proves that sometimes the best opportunities are the ones we do not see coming. One of the companies at the top of her list presented an unexpectedly pleasant opportunity. While browsing the NYX Cosmetics website, she saw an opening for a PR and Marketing Assistant role. Santos decided to apply and a few weeks later she was called in for an interview. After being told she got the position, Santos left her non-profit job to make the transition into the beauty industry. 

Santos quickly learned upon joining NYX Cosmetics that working in the beauty industry is a very fast-paced and quickly changing environment. Yet, Santos loved the exciting and challenging responsibilities that came along with her new role. With NYX Cosmetics, Santos learned the importance of working for a company that she loved and that made her feel good about herself.

As the PR and Marketing Assistant, Santos was responsible for posting on the company’s social media channels. In addition, she tracked the performance across their channels to determine which content strategies were effective and which had to be improved upon.  

Santos also had the opportunity to work closely with some of the beauty industry’s most prominent influencers such as Iluvsarahii, Patrick Starrr, Bretman Rock, and Alissa Ashley. The same influencers Santos had been following through the computer screen, were the same ones she was working alongside with. 

In addition, Santos was responsible for finding talent for promotional events of NYX Cosmetics. This was all happening in 2016 when influencer marketing was on the brink of blowing up and was not as commonly practiced as it is today. At the time, Santos remembers this is when companies were beginning to tap into influencer strategies. 

Santos returns to USC for her master’s degree

After being in this role for over a year, Santos returned to USC to pursue a master’s degree in Communication Management from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Upon completing her master’s degree, Marjorie went on to work as a Brand Marketing and Influencer Specialist at Sanrio. 

Marjorie Santos at the Sanrio Office (Photo Courtesy of Marjorie Santos)

Santos as a Brand Marketing Manager

Currently, she is the Brand Marketing Manager for the activewear company Fam Brands. Santos oversees the branding, social media, and influencer relations of the company’s four brands. 

In her current position, Santos says it is crucial to stay on top of emerging trends. Santos is constantly learning about up-and-coming influencers and pop-culture happenings. 

Her biggest recommendation for anyone wanting to work in marketing is to stay engaged, read, and follow what is happening. She believes it is important to study what other brands and competitors are doing well and what is not working for them.  

Her advice to other women

Santos’ advice to other women who are early on in their careers and who are eager to work in marketing is, “just go for it.” Santos says that while we may stop ourselves from applying to our dream job simply because we do not fit every listed qualification, she insists that we should apply anyway.

In her experience, “most skills can be learned on the job and it’s important to think about what knowledge and experiences we are able to bring to the table, which in my opinion are much more important,” says Santos. 

Santos believes that women should never be afraid to ask for what they deserve. Life can be unexpected, and the best opportunities are likely to come sooner or later. Santos’ career trajectory is an example of how it is never too late to achieve our professional goals. Getting to where we want to might take time and a lot of learning along the way, but eventually, everything will fall into place.