We all have that one friend whose outfits are always on point, who always looks like she’s ready for a full spread in your favourite fashion magazine. Tamara Belair is one of those people. A first year BCom student pursuing a major in Marketing with a concentration in IT, Tamara is a motivated student hoping to share her creativity and love for fashion with the world. One of the ways she was able to do this was by participating in the Entertainment Management Conference this winter. Read on to hear more about Tamara’s accomplishments, passions, and inspirations.
Tina Arani for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): What do you hope to do with your Marketing degree in the future?
Tamara Belair (TB): I hope to pursue brand management at a luxury fashion or cosmetics company. Although I’m all for graduate school, I’m not sure it’s really necessary for me to do a Masters right after my BCom… I want to gain experience within the industry and then eventually do a graduate degree in strategic branding (at NY’s School of Visual Arts) or consumer behavior. Finally, the dream would be to work independently as a consultant in my field near the end of the career.
HC McGill: What drew you to this degree?
TB: Marketing is all about people and I have always been fascinated by what motivates people to do what they do, what makes them tick. I have always been drawn to the fields of psychology and business, and I believe that marketing is the perfect blend of the two. Honestly, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
HC McGill: Has growing up in Montreal influenced your passion for fashion?
TB: Definitely, to some extent! As you know, Montreal has extremely variable weather and, from a young age, I had the chance to experiment with different styles as the seasons passed. However, what probably influenced my interest in fashion above all was my maternal grandmother’s incredible sense of style. Until she passed away, she lived five houses down from me and I had the chance to see her multiple times a week. She was always dressed in the most flamboyant dresses, classy jumpsuits and topped everything with a designer scarf and impeccable jewelry. I genuinely believe that her close proximity fueled my passion for fashion.
HC McGill: What was Entertainment Management Conference (EMC) 2017 and what was your position? Will you be involved in organizing it again?
TB: EMC is a conference put on by Desautels Faculty of Management where students come and participate in events that pertain to entertainment and management positions. There are a lot of high-profile speakers that attend as well as those who speak on behalf of various positions in their respective fields. My position at EMC 2017 was as the Brand Ambassador Coordinator. I was in charge of putting together a promotional team in schools throughout Montreal and managed the volunteers at the conference itself. It was a first-year position and had somewhat limited responsibility, although it truly gave me insight into what it takes to run a conference and hold a leadership position. Unfortunately, no, I won’t have the chance to be on the 2018 EMC executive team. I will be on exchange at the University of Edinburgh in Winter 2018 and the conference is usually in later January. However, I have applied for other positions within my faculty and will be sure to get involved in the fall.
HC McGill: What’s your favourite hobby?
TB: Writing has, and always will be, a huge part of my life. Blogging is an outlet for my creativity, even though I am not the most active on my current blog. I didn’t like the direction it was going in and was extremely unmotivated to post. However, I am currently working on relaunching L’Assortie with the ultimate goal of helping girls just like me find their personal brand, which I’m definitely super excited about. I genuinely believe that fashion plays a huge role in the way people perceive their peers, and thus I see it as an integral part of building one’s personal brand. This is sort of the message I want to convey, along with useful tips on how to use social media effectively and how to slay that upcoming interview.
HC McGill: What are three adjectives your friends would use to describe you and why?
TB: My friends would probably describe me as hard-working, ambitious and… well, stressed. I know what I want and I definitely work as hard as I can towards the goals I set. However, this does tend to leave me super stressed, sleep-deprived and hooked on coffee. Nonetheless, I know that these are harmful habits and try to exercise 3-4 times a week, engage in meditation when my stress levels are high and let loose when I really need it.
Images provided by interviewee.