Laura Tommasina, Digital Marketing Specialist, WeAreBrain

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Laura Tommasina, Digital Marketing Specialist at WeAreBrain in Amsterdam (NL). USI Degree: Master in International Tourism, 2019, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, 2015.

How did you start your career?

I started my career while still studying at USI, first with two years working as Service Line Advisor for UBS during my bachelor studies in economics, and then with almost one year as Marketing Coordinator for EF Education First during my master. After finishing the courses of my master I started looking for opportunities abroad, in order to kick-start my career while still writing my thesis. I found an opportunity in Amsterdam, where I first worked in event marketing for international medical and pharmaceutical congresses, and now in IT.

Why did you choose a career in WeAreBrain?

I chose WeAreBrain because I was looking for an Amsterdam-based agency which would allow me to dive into multiple industries, from both a B2B and B2C perspective. Moreover, I prefer working for a medium-size agency rather than a big one, as within the marketing team we have versatile roles that allow us to gain broader knowledge of different domains within the marketing field.

What is your current role/duties?

Besides working on digital content for the company itself, I've had the opportunity to work with different clients in the cosmetics, education, and tourism industries. More concretely, my current role within the marketing team entails:

• Creation and curation of digital content;
• Management of social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram);
• Creation and management of WordPress and Webflow landing pages/websites for SEA campaigns and agency labels;
• Collaboration to the launch of a new e-commerce business in the cosmetics industry, including social media strategy, content creation, and social media management;
• Research, testing and creation of platform solutions for B2B projects.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career in WeAreBrain?

Reliability, flexibility, ownership, efficient communication, ability to work within a team.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

USI is a young and very international institution. That is reflected in the approach to the subjects taught and the rather informal communication and collaboration with the academic staff.

What competences and/or skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

I appreciated the independence and self-discipline gained over my bachelor degree, as well as the opportunity to learn how to work in a team and communicate efficiently that I acquired during my master. Hard skills are important, but the soft skills picked up along the way are just as relevant, if not more.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

Just start somewhere :) don't go crazy looking for the dream job or the best career trajectory, things will happen in due time.