Developing with Dell Technologies: Angela Lands Her Dream Role in the Marketing Development Program

Angela F. | Global Executive Briefing Program Strategy | Analyst, MDP | Houston, TX 

Originally Published: February 28, 2023

The Marketing Development Program is designed to attract and retain top talent from Colleges, Universities, Community Colleges, and Vocational Programs, as well as Diversity & Inclusion conferences to build the marketing talent pipeline. Program members experience four 6-month rotations with different marketing teams, gaining valuable hands-on experience and exposure to various marketing disciplines. Members also get access to exclusive trainings, career coaching, executive exposure, and networking opportunities to help accelerate their success at Dell.

Angela is now in her second rotation with the Marketing Development Program. She started as a Dell APEX and Multicloud Social and Amplification Strategy Project Manager, and now she works as a Program Manager for the Executive Briefing Program Customer Experience Strategy and Programs team. Read more about her time with the program and how it has shaped her career.

How did you start your career with Dell Technologies and how did you get involved with the Marketing Development Program?

My journey to Dell Technologies is, in my opinion, a rather funny story. Having grown up in Houston and attended Camp Champions outside of Austin (where I was actually MSD’s nephew’s Sports Counselor), it’s safe to say I was quite familiar with Dell. I knew after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill that I wanted to move back to Texas, so I elected to forego UNC’s standard recruitment season as most jobs were in NYC, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Instead, I took it upon myself to do extensive research on job opportunities that would get me back to Austin. I eventually stumbled upon the Dell Technologies Marketing Intern Program job requisition through UNC’s career website (yes, Handshake actually works). I submitted my resume, and to my surprise, I received an invitation to interview inside our football stadium! Honestly, I thought the invitation was fake at first, but it was indeed legitimate. Well, my whole world was flipped upside down when the pandemic hit, and my Austin-based internship turned into me moving back home with my mom. I ended up loving my work-from-home internship, and that led me to accept a remote offer to return to Dell Technologies full-time after graduation with the Marketing Development Program.

What were your first thoughts about the program? Did you have any doubts?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any doubts about the program at first. Do I really want to do marketing? Will I actually learn anything? Am I going to get paid enough? Will I have work-life balance? At Kenan Flagler Business School, I was "trained" to excel as a Management Consultant. Most, if not all, of my academics and extracurriculars focused on consulting. Dell Technologies was, in fact, the ONLY marketing job I applied for or even considered. All my other applications, interviews, and efforts were for Associate Management Consultant roles. These roles offered a higher salary, but they did not offer the same work-life balance and harmony I desired to pursue both my career in tech and my passion for fitness and nutrition. Dell Technologies Marketing Development Program did!

Please share a bit about your current role and any past roles within the program.

My current role is a dream come true! During my internship with Dell Technologies, Jeff Tsai (my current Senior Director) gave an ‘Executive Speaker Series’ on the Executive Briefing Program (EBP). This was the moment in time when I fell in love with the EBP—who we are, what we do, and the value we provide for the business. Following that call, I frantically networked over the last 2 years with EBP staff to learn as much as I possibly could about the program. I even volunteer as a virtual moderator within the EBP’s Discussion Leader Bureau. Eventually, an EBP MDP role became available for my second rotation. All my networking and demonstrated interest proved to be worth it because I was top-of-mind as an excellent fit for the role!

What is your favorite part about being a member of the Marketing Development Program?

Hands down, my favorite part of being a member of MDP are the people I’ve met. I would consider several people that I’ve met through MDP to be more than a typical work friend. We don’t just meet up at happy hours; we also celebrate birthdays, baby showers, proposals, holidays, and sports games together! I even backpacked Italy with a friend from Dell Technologies last summer!

How has your experience been as a member of the Marketing Development Program?

My experience has certainly been different from what I expected, as the program has changed a ton since I joined, for the better. When I started, I thought I was going to complete two 12-month rotations, but now MDP is four 6-month rotations. In the end, I’ll have completed one 12-month rotation and two 6-month rotations. That means that by the end of the program, I'll have three job experiences under my belt and on my resume, rather than just two. This kind of multi-job experience right out of college is hard to find outside of a development program and will certainly be valuable to my future managers and employers.

What surprised you most about the program and your time with Dell Technologies?

The fact that I can actually work from anywhere. The flexibility MDP and Dell Technologies offer is unmatched. My friends and family are honestly jealous of my remote life. Some days, I work from my home office, treadmill desk, or local coffee shop. Other days, I work from a plane in the sky, an apartment in Spain, or a hostel in Italy! If there’s Wi-Fi and VPN access, anywhere is possible!

How has the program contributed to your success at Dell Technologies?

This program has truly shown me how to turn adversity into opportunity! I was such a rigid, Type-A, by-the-book, and independent student in college. Now I’m a very self-aware, confident, organized, and proactive businesswoman. Through the program, I’ve been able to experience two very different areas of marketing, two very different leadership styles from my managers, and two very different team dynamics. I feel confident in my knowledge of handling adversity and challenges and even spinning them into positive opportunities. I know this type of adversity will contribute to my future success!

Would you recommend the program to other graduates?

I would 101% recommend MDP to other graduates. Upon graduating from college, you may find yourself in a position where you don’t really know exactly what you want to do. You may have an idea that you want to work in marketing but are unsure of what that is. Marketing is a massive piece of the corporate puzzle. MDP provides us an opportunity to try out multiple areas within marketing, experience different leadership styles, figure out our likes and dislikes, and identify our strengths and weaknesses. Then, once you graduate the program, you’re able to make more informed decisions about the career path you want to follow!

To learn more about graduate programs at Dell, visit jobs.dell.com/graduates.