College is a stressful time for students. We have to balance classes, our social lives, our extra curricular activities, and if we have time—a job.
I have a job through work-study in my university’s admissions office, but I never work more than 10 hours a week. I do odd jobs for money, but I craved a learning experience that would actually be beneficial to me and my career goals.
One day, I received an e-mail from College Fest about a brand ambassador position through The Campus Agency for ZTE. The position required social media posting, event hosting, and general promotional marketing. And, it was paid. I was sold, so I applied on a whim and fortunately got the position. I am so grateful I did because this has been such a rewarding experience.
I strongly encourage everybody to become a brand ambassador if they have the time to because it teaches you critical skills that can help you in almost any career field, and it is a fun job.
Here are the reasons why I love being a brand ambassador:
1. You get to plan events
I hosted this event for my brand ambassador program. Since ZTE is a tech company, they have a smartphone called the Axon and a projector called the Spro2. The Spro2 is awesome for screening movies or albums in this case. Ambassadors received these two tech devices for the duration of the brand ambassador program. I got a group together and we watched Queen B do her thing. It was a great night to say the least. Event planning gives you experience in hosting. Being able to come up with an event idea, plan it, and execute it are skills that can be applied to multiple career fields such as advertising, marketing, business, hospitality and many more!
2. You get free stuff
Who doesn’t love free stuff?! ZTE sent its ambassadors a huge box of free stuff at the beginning of the program to use toward giveaways. We even got ZTE Nike pullovers. Free stuff gives potential customers an incentive to speak to you and learn more about the company you are promoting, whether it is at events or even just in everyday life. I have my ZTE stuff in my room clearly displayed and when someone comes over they ask what the stuff is—I tell them, and it opens the door for a new marketing opportunity.
3. You get to talk to and meet new people
You meet so many new people when you host events, table for your company, or give strangers free stuff. Every person is a new connection and can get added to your network. Networking is essential in any job because it allows you to expand your job opportunities and potential employers. Who knows, maybe you’ll give free swag to your future boss? You can even make new friends. When people bring their friends to your events, your social circle grows and you get to meet new people. I have been able to befriend other ambassadors at other schools and form connections with them through this brand ambassador program.
4. It is a new experience
I was already active on social media, but this position required that I post ZTE related content on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook 3-4 times a week. At first, it was weird promoting a brand on my accounts. My name is attached to everything I post and I stand behind my opinions. I didn’t want social media integration to seem forced or fake. The quality on the Axon is amazing and it made posting about it fairly natural. The Spro 2 is perfect for a Netflix movie night with your best friend or watching a basketball game live. Connect it to wifi and it works just like a computer! Always being a representation of a company sometimes adds pressure because you do not want to post the wrong thing or inaccurately represent the brand. You have social media directors monitoring your accounts, so you can’t Twitter rant, but it overall makes your social media more professional.
**OPINIONS ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS ARE MINE ONLY AND DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF ZTE***
5. The money
Payday is my favorite day. I’ve learned so many skills that I can use in the career paths I pursue and those experiences are invaluable to a paycheck. But let’s be honest, the pay is an added bonus to this wonderful experience.
Tweet me your experience as a brand ambassador to @thisgirljazmyne with the hashtag #zteu or if you know anybody who is a current brand ambassador and has told you a funny story! The most interesting story will receive a free ZTE swag bag with goodies and trinkets for you to enjoy.