It took Daniel Richard more than three years of college before he decided to major in marketing, but once he made the switch, he never looked back.
Enrolling at the ѻƵ at Lafayette in 2015 with a love for math and science, Richard spent his first several semesters as a chemical engineering major. But as he settled into college life, his career goals began to shift.
“I joined GLASS — Giving Love, Acceptance, Safety & Support — on campus early on in college and found that I really enjoyed everything that goes into running a student organization,” he says. “So, I decided that engineering just wasn’t for me anymore.”
After transferring to the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, Richard took classes in a range of subjects, including marketing, accounting, management, and economics.
“One of my favorite things about being in the College of Business was that even though I had a specific major, I had to take classes from all the majors,” he explains. “It gave me a good taste of what I liked and what I didn’t like.”
Finding his passion for marketing through coursework in consumer behavior, market research, and more, Richard graduated well-prepared for the thriving career ahead of him.
Completing the Curriculum
After Richard switched his major to marketing and began progressing through the curriculum, he knew he had made the right choice.
His favorite classes, MKTG 355: Consumer Behavior and MKTG 375: Marketing Research, offered the opportunity to put theory into practice through class projects and assignments.
For one project, he conducted market research to explore consumer attitudes toward electric scooter rentals. For another, he studied how to market to marathon runners, a subculture of hundreds of thousands of individuals across the United States.
Group projects, in particular, helped him build lasting professional relationships.
“The connections you make in school don’t have to end when you graduate,” he says. “I’ve had former group project partners who work in marketing who I’ve texted just to get advice from or to talk.”
He also found meaningful support and mentorship from faculty. As an Honors Program student, he often worked with his marketing instructors to complete additional projects for honors credit.
“Dr. Lucy Henke, professor of marketing, had the biggest impact on me,” he says. “I’d take her class with 50 other students, but I still felt like I knew her because of how personable she was. She really wanted to see us produce good work and understand the material.”
“When I worked with her to get honors credit for her class, she was so receptive. Even after I finished the project, she continued to give me feedback on how I could improve so that I could apply what I learned during school and in my career.”
Making It in Marketing
Since earning his bachelor’s degree in marketing, Richard has wasted no time gaining professional experience in a range of roles.
His resume includes titles like brand ambassador, account manager, and digital marketing strategist. Currently, he works in community relations for a credit union.
“I love the industry I’m in,” he says. “Credit unions are incredibly people-focused, and I love getting to go out in my community and connect with members.”
His experience at UL Lafayette has prepared him well for building connections. He points to courses like MKTG 357: Professional Sales as particularly beneficial.
“I’ve never worked in a sales role, but the class helped me become a better communicator,” he explains. “I’m a lot more comfortable meeting with people and having conversations in a business setting because of what I learned.”
“Nobody wants to be marketed to. The marketing program helped me understand how to connect with people and start conversations in the real world without just being like, ‘Hey, would you like to try our product or service today?’”
As Richard reflects on the first few years of his career and looks ahead to the remainder of it, he’s grateful for his time as a marketing student at UL Lafayette.
“All the classes I took have really helped me set up for success to move quickly through the early stages of my career,” he says. “I’ve already been invited to interview for positions like vice president of marketing, and I definitely see myself moving up into more senior roles over the next couple of years.”
His advice to marketing students? Don’t be afraid of opportunities as they present themselves.
“People will treat you differently if they perceive you to be younger or less experienced,” he says. “But if you just carry yourself with confidence, people will trust you. Whatever job offers you get, you’re getting them for a reason.”
Prepare for your future in business with an AACSB-accredited B.S.B.A. in Marketing.