Anna-Kate Ladbrook, Marketing Data Analyst at Biltmore
The MMA program has helped Anna-Kate Ladbrook develop in-demand analytics skills, build meaningful relationships and land an internal promotion as a marketing data analyst.
Get to know Anna-Kate
Program: Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA)
Start date: August 2022
Anticipated graduation date: December 2024
Current location: Asheville, NC
Life before Jenkins
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand
Undergraduate education: University of Canterbury, Bachelor of Commerce in International Business
Career goals
After earning her bachelor’s degree in international business, Ladbrook looked for a more specialized master’s program to help her pursue her unique career goals. “Because my undergrad degree was so broad, I wanted to develop more technical skills to make myself more marketable for a marketing data analyst role.”
Why Jenkins?
After researching several different programs, Ladbrook found that the MMA program provided the training, experiential learning opportunities and career support she was looking for. “The MMA program at NC State ticked all the boxes for me. It’s a well-rounded program with a focus on career coaching while you’re in the program and afterward.”
Daily life
Thanks to the MMA program’s online, asynchronous format, Ladbrook finds it manageable to balance her coursework with a full-time job. “The flexibility of the program gives me time to absorb the content – and the online format allows me to rewatch anything I want to spend more time thinking about. Because there are no set times to watch the lectures, I can study when it works best with my schedule, which also helps me focus on what I’m learning,” she says. “Outside of working and studying, I love spending time with my family and friends, hiking in the Blue Ridge mountains with my dog Benji and traveling when I find the time.”
What makes it great
Along with the MMA program’s flexibility, Ladbrook appreciates the community she has found at NC State. “Because I had just moved back to the United States after getting my bachelor’s, I felt like I had to restart my connections and build them from the ground up,” she says. Through her involvement in the MMA program, attendance at Jenkins Graduate Program events and participation in a week-long global program in Munich, Ladbrook has found it much easier to build a network and form meaningful relationships. “The program is a great way to make professional connections as well as some great friends.”
She also enjoys the practicality of the curriculum and the real-world perspectives faculty bring into the classroom. “Not only do you tackle real-world problems – you also learn about the thought processes needed to be a good analyst, like questioning the data and asking the right questions to truly understand the value of the data,” she says. “I have loved everything I’ve learned. It feels amazing to have found a field I am so passionate about.”
Career impact
For Ladbrook, the knowledge and experience gained in the MMA program helped her achieve her career goals before even obtaining her degree. A year and a half into her time with Biltmore Estate, where she served in a customer service role, she received a promotion and landed her dream job as a marketing data analyst. “The program not only gave me the skills I needed but also the confidence to reach out and connect to those already in the field,” she says.
In her new role, she develops reports to make complicated metrics digestible and understandable for end users – telling stories with data to communicate relevant insights and enable data-driven decision-making. “If it wasn’t for the MMA program, I would still be dreaming about getting a job in marketing analytics, rather than having a professional job actually doing this work. It still feels a little surreal,” she says.
Final thoughts
For those considering a career in marketing, Ladbrook says she cannot recommend the MMA program enough. “The program is for anyone who wants to focus on the data analytics side of marketing, which I believe is increasingly important and prevalent in today’s marketplace. For me, the MMA program was a gateway to even get into the marketing field.”
Get in touch
Connect with Ladbrook on LinkedIn.
- Categories: