How the MS Marketing program prepared this alumna for a role at Oracle
Julia Yanowitz (BSBA ’20, MS Marketing ‘21) just graduated in the spring and is now working for Oracle in Texas as ERP Cloud Applications consultant. Julia has previously interned at Star Plus retail design, China, Enhanced Retail Design, New York and with Kellogg’s at Tampa.
Q: Tell us about your background.
Yanowitz: “I originally am from Mendham, New Jersey and loved growing up there but did not love the cold. I became interested in the University of Florida because of their highly ranked business school, study abroad opportunities and of course the warm weather. Eighty percent of people change their college major but once I started taking my first marketing courses, I knew I picked the right major for me. I loved all my professors, courses and the people I met undergrad.
For fun I was always at Depot Park, watching the sunset at Payne’s Prairie and running in the stadium. I also was a part of Heavener Leadership Challenge, Retail You and held marketing positions within my sorority.”
Q: Why did you join the MS Marketing program?
Yanowitz: “I wanted to join the MS Marketing program to gain a deeper understanding of the marketing industry as a whole. Marketing is becoming an even more core part of every business and allows companies to truly understand who their customer is/how to satisfy them. The MS Marketing program was really attractive to me because I knew I would be able to strengthen all the analytical skills that are needed to become successful in today’s marketing industry.”
Q: What do you enjoy the most in the MS Marketing program?
Yanowitz: “The best part of the MS Marketing program was all the people I met (professors and students). The professors I had were so knowledgeable and gave real life examples from their careers. I learned tangible skills that I am already utilizing in my first job. Also, the students that I worked with on projects all taught me so much and were so fun to work with.
My favorite class was Art and Science of Negotiation with Professor Callahan. This was the first elective I took during my MS Marketing program, and I absolutely loved it. I learned the importance of negotiations in business situations, and I use the skills almost every day.”
Q: What is your advice to current undergraduate students who are thinking of doing the MS Marketing program?
Yanowitz: “If anyone is interested in doing the MS Marketing program, I would highly suggest reaching out to an admissions advisor as soon as possible and discuss the opportunity. I was able to do the combined program which allowed me to complete my undergraduate and graduate degrees all in 4 years all thanks to discussing the opportunity with my advisor. Also, I would suggest reaching out to other people who have been in the program to hear about their experience. If you ever have questions, please reach out to me!”
Q: What were internships and other activities you participated in as an undergraduate student?
Yanowitz: “My first internship was through UF’s study abroad program in Beijing, China. I interned for 5 Star Plus Retail design where I managed three social media accounts and increased engagement by 100% by the end of the summer. I also attended networking events with people from all around the world in order to find new prospects for the company. On the weekends I spent the summer traveling to places like the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and so many other amazing places.
My second internship was for Enhanced Retail Design in New York City. This internship strengthened my analytical thinking as I worked the entire summer with the company’s vendor managed inventory system and helped our clients solve business issues. I learned more about the retail industry and how important it is to analyze data and present solutions in a clear way.
My third internship was with Kellogg’s in Tampa, Florida. This internship strengthened my sales skills as I was in charge of a territory of 20 Publix stores that I visited over the course of a week. I learned the importance of asking strategic questions in order to understand my customers better and how much of sales is focused on listening.”
Q: What are you doing after graduation?
Yanowitz: “I am currently working as a Business Development Consultant (BDC) at Oracle in Austin, Texas. My goal as a business development consultant is to help companies solve problems with Oracle software. I work with an incredibly talented team, and we all specialize in selling Enterprise Resource Planning. I am currently in my second week of training, and I am having so much fun learning about the products and meeting everyone on my team. I am so thankful for my manager and training facilitators for making the first 2 weeks so wonderful.”
Q: Where do you see yourself 5 years from today?
Yanowitz: “In 5 years, I see myself continuing to work for Oracle but in different roles. I would enjoy becoming a manager and being able to have my own team of BDC’s that I get to work with. I also see myself continuing to follow the sales path and become a field representative. Regardless of what role I take on next, I want to partake in a lot of shadowing opportunities in order to get a better understanding of other roles and learn more about the skills needed. I hope to continue to grow and learn as much as possible.”
Q: Tell us 3 cool things about you.
Yanowitz: “My go-to fun fact is that everyone in my family is left-handed (mom, dad, brother, and most of my cousins, uncles, and aunts).
I also love to run, and my goal is to run in the Boston Marathon within the next 5 years. In the meantime, I love running along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas.
I have met 3 people on the Bachelor franchise (Tyler Cameron, Matt James, and John Paul Jones).”
