Jessica Wang HD ‘14 works in global marketing and product innovation for L’Oréal Paris. She focuses on bringing a product to life, from finding gaps in the market, to perfecting the formula and packaging of a product. She visited the CEC on February 9th to share her experiences and insight with students. Here’s what she had to say!
What experience impacted you the most during your undergraduate years at Cornell?
There is not one single experience at Cornell that stood out to me. It is more important to be authentic and do what you are passionate about in order to create your own unique experiences and individual brand. These will help you stand out when applying for jobs and internships.
How did you navigate the transition from Cornell to the professional world and what did you do to help that adjustment?
The most important thing you can do now to prepare for the working world is to get internships and experiences in the professional field. Internships will help put your education in perspective while you are still in school, so that you can then focus your educational efforts towards the career path that you want to pursue. Professional experiences also teach the rigor and demands of the profession, which is often hard to understand and experience in classes alone.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I don’t have a typical day. My job is fast-paced and unpredictable, which makes going to work each day exciting. Some days I will have meetings in the lab working on new products, or at a plant looking at production of the product. Other days I will be looking at trends in the market, analyzing where the gaps in the market are, and seeing where the competition is. I like to put myself in different environments in order to gain various perspectives on the products we are making and to boost creativity when coming up with new products.
What is a something that surprised you about your job?
I was surprised by the unpredictable and unstructured environment; however, it has taught me to think on my feet and to be more flexible. I have adapted to a role where I need to be ready to react to things quickly changing.
I was also surprised by the interdisciplinary nature of the role. No one is from a traditional marketing background. I work with people from all different majors, and I have to be able to wear multiple hats. My position requires me to be creative and analytical, and to have an understanding of science for formulation, graphic design for package design, and engineering for packaging development. There is no one avenue or major that this position requires, but rather you need unique perspectives coming together to create a product.