By: Emma J. Walsh, Staff Writer
The American Marketing Association (AMA) is a national organization with over 300 chapters at universities across the United States. USM and UMaine Orono are the only collegiate chapters in Maine. The USM AMA chapter is relatively new, as this is their first full academic year.
According to AMA Member Maddie Stevens, a USM Senior, the AMA is, “committed to community engagement and involvement, as well as providing real-world business experiences.” They are also focused on professional development.
Stevens says that although the AMA specializes in marketing, the group is open to any major.
“I met with Student Affairs and did Involvement Coaching, a service that they offer,” Stevens said. “They set me up with faculty and a few other students and we started the Student Marketing Association in 2018. It wasn’t until 2019 that we rebranded and became affiliated with the American Marketing Association.”
Being a member of the AMA provides opportunities for students to help build their careers.
“With varying general meeting topics, our student organization provides a great resume booster,” Stevens said.
The USM chapter of AMA hosts biweekly meetings where they discuss topics such as digital marketing, pitches, social media, and personal branding. “We always have opportunities for students to get more involved on our executive board if wanted,” Stevens said.
“Involvement is something that employers look for in future candidates,” Stevens said. “And with a nationally recognized name, we have many different opportunities,”
Along with the Professional Networking Dinner, more events that we are doing this semester include connecting with AMA alumni to work on our perfect pitch and having an informative MBA panel.”
One event AMA put on last year was the Professional Networking Dinner. This event won USM’s Event of the Year Award.
The USM AMA reached out to another career resource, the USM Career and Employment Hub, and partnered with them to co-host the dinner.
“The Professional Networking Dinner is a dinner with over 80 students and 25 employers. The dinner includes a mocktail networking session, dinner where you sit, eat and network with employers and a panel,” Stevens said. She said the USM AMA is in the process of planning the next Networking Dinner, which will be on Thursday, March 26 on the Gorham campus. Students can visit the USM Career and Employment Hub website for more information about the event.
The USM AMA is a growing organization that provides opportunities for all students. They meet biweekly on Tuesdays from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm in the Talbot Lecture Hall in Luther Bonney on the Portland Campus. All students and majors are welcome to attend.