Misael Ortiz

Where are you working currently, and what do you do there?

I am currently working as an Account Associate at Other, a performance marketing agency that uses a proprietary growth methodology to scale search, social, and programmatic advertising.

Previously, I worked as an Associate for the search team at Reprise Digital — a performance marketing agency, which is part of IPG Mediabrands.

Can you tell us more about what your typical day looks like as an Account Associate?

I work in a team that supports different clients from very diverse verticals, including finance, e-commerce, home utility services, to name just a few. In a nutshell, my work is a balanced hybrid of account relationship, project management and digital marketing strategy.

Why did you pursue digital skills training at BrainStation?

Similar to the challenges that millions of people went through in 2020, I lost my job right at the start of the pandemic. I was in a place where I didn't really know what to do or where to go. Instead of panicking, I decided that it was the moment for me to take a step back, and just start over.

Changing careers was something that had been in my mind for some time before the pandemic as I felt that I had accomplished the most I could in my previous work. I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but my layoff turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I first joined BrainStation for a digital marketing certificate. I started with the certificate course because I didn't really know exactly what possible career outcomes would come from this field, so this first exposure would give me a general idea of what to expect.

At the end of the certificate course, I was ready to dive deep into digital marketing, so I pursued the full Digital Marketing Bootcamp right after.

What was the highlight of your learning experience?

There were so many, but I have to say that the two that stayed with me the most were the Educators and my classmates.

Coming from a completely traditional educational background, it was very refreshing and unique the way that my classmates and I connected during the program.

We may have come from different backgrounds, but we all had the shared goal of transforming our careers.

It was probably the most intense three months of my life. At the same time, it was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Can you describe the impact your Educators had on your learning experience?

I felt like their relatability was what made the whole bootcamp special. Their passion for digital marketing was something that was noticeable at every stage of the program.

Our Educators went above and beyond their roles and became mentors to us — not just during the program, but even after graduation. Going through the whole career transformation process can be a little bit overwhelming, but it truly felt like our Educators went through the experience with us, step by step.

Did you participate in BrainStation’s 4D event? If so, what was it like collaborating with students from other bootcamps?

BrainStation 4D was an intimidating and exhilarating experience at the same time.

The company partner for this event was SkipTheDishes, which challenged us to disrupt the food delivery industry. My team consisted of one Web Developer, one Data Scientist, three UX Designers, and myself from digital marketing. In just 24 hours, each of us contributed our expertise.

Ultimately, we discovered that concern for the environment weighed heavily in people’s minds when ordering food. So we created Green Fork, a food delivery app that would allow sustainability-minded users to limit food waste, to filter restaurant menu items to in-season ingredients, and to reduce their “foodprint.”

The event put us into a real-life industry scenario that would be similar to those we would encounter in our careers.

To me, it was an invaluable experience — not to mention the fact that we had bragging rights as the winners of the challenge!

What was your Demo Day experience like?

I saw the Demo Day experience as the culmination of my BrainStation experience, so there was a great deal of pride going into it. I think every member of my cohort was genuinely excited to share with the world what we had been working toward for the last three months.

How has your BrainStation experience impacted your career?

It’s given me a sense of direction and stability. The fast-paced nature of the program mimics what real life is like in the digital marketing environment.

Since class projects are pulled from real industry scenarios, when it came time for me to put into practice what I learned, I was that much farther ahead and primed for success in my career.

What advice would you give to professionals considering a BrainStation course or program?

Research, reach out, and surrender to the experience.

Reach out to BrainStation’s Learning Advisors. Take the time to ask them questions. Reach out to some graduates (myself included) and ask them questions about their experiences. There is a genuine and honest sense of community amongst the alumni so please don’t hesitate to explore that.

Finally, if you decide to do it, just surrender and immerse yourself in the experience. Be present every day, enjoy every lecture, and ask questions. Personally, I think there aren’t that many opportunities in life to actually invest in ourselves, so embrace this experience to the fullest.