As she neared her graduation from Colgate University, Charlotte Lawson knew two things. First, as an aspiring entrepreneur and self-described “branding fanatic,” she knew she wanted to build a career in marketing. Second, with a double major in German and psychology, she knew she would need to pursue a graduate degree to achieve her goal.

Vanderbilt’s Master of Marketing program stood out to her for several reasons. For the native of suburban Nashville who had spent the previous four years in upstate New York and Germany, being close to home again was an important draw. Even more important to her was the caliber and design of the program. “I wanted to be in a prestigious program that brings people from different academic backgrounds together,” Charlotte says. “So many other programs required a marketing background. But the Vanderbilt MMark actually encourages people from non-marketing backgrounds to apply.”

During her year at Vanderbilt, Charlotte found that, even with no prior training in business, she could directly apply lessons from the classroom to her internships and job interviews. In one case, she says, “We learned in class how to build a website wireframe. I took my notes from that class and three days later built a website wireframe for the company where I had an internship. And the internship turned into a job.”

Charlotte also cites the Career Management Center and her leadership development coach as indispensable resources. “I must have met with Zeke Arteaga at least 10 times,” she says. “The CMC was pivotal to my experience here. When negotiating my full-time role, I met with the CMC, a professor, and my executive coach in the Leadership Development Program because I didn’t feel prepared for negotiation. They made such a difference. Now I have a role I am excited about, with an overall package that reflects what I was hoping to land after graduation when I came into the program.

“So many things here have contributed to my future professional and personal life. This program will help you embark on incredible new opportunities if you open your eyes and find them. You will meet impressive people, build strong relationships, and learn so much about yourself.”

Fun Fact: Charlotte’s first marketing presentation was to German business executives—and delivered entirely in German.

I have a role I am excited about, with an overall package that reflects what I was hoping to land after graduation.