Starting a job in a new city can be intimidating. There is a lot to learn and quite a bit of mystery around what to expect. But when College of Charleston MBA alumna Ashley Marshall ’16 was given the opportunity to move halfway across the globe for her career, she was ready for the challenge — not to mention, über excited.
After graduating from the MBA program with a focus in marketing, Marshall landed a job as a consultant for project management firm [bu:st], LLC. Her first client: a major automotive equipment manufacturer in Munich, Germany. Marshall was responsible for aiding the company in a future product launch, which led to the opportunity for her to be onsite, so she packed her bags for Deutschland.
Marshall says she always dreamed of a career that enabled her to travel the world and relied on her past experiences living and studying abroad to ease the transition from South Carolina to Germany. Little did she know, this was more than a relocation, it was the beginning of an exciting international career.
After nearly three years, Marshall left [bu:st], remaining in Munich to work as a brand specialist for e-commerce giant Amazon. She describes Amazon EU as an innovative, top-brand company that has provided her with life-changing professional opportunities.
She also praises the company for its culture. “The international environment is amazing,” Marshall says. “I have the ability to work with people from around the world with an array of backgrounds and knowledge. Amazon has a unique culture of bringing people together, and it is a truly cool force to be a part of.”
Just as Amazon is a multi-faceted enterprise, Marshall’s job is no exception. In her day-to-day function as brand specialist, she uses the marketing, finance and supply chain skills she honed in the MBA program to grow the brands she works with.
In addition to her academic background, Marshall attributes her success to taking risks and lacking fear. She says it’s important to, “use your knowledge, confidence and, most importantly, ability to connect with others to get to where you want to be.”
Suffice it to say, “nein” is not in her vocabulary.
