Developing with Dell Technologies: Personal Growth, De`Vonte Reflects on his Two Years with the MDP

De`Vonte P. | Content Hub Lead | Analyst, MDP | Ithaca, NY

Originally Published: January 12, 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.

De`Vonte, a current second year Marketing Development Program Member entering his last rotation, reflects on his journey throughout the program. His first role was with the Global Customer Engagement Team working with Sales Content & Customer Engagement, and he is currently the Content Hub Lead on the Employer Brand Marketing team. Read more about his time with the program and how it has helped shape his career:

My journey with Dell Technologies and the Marketing Development Program has been an interesting one to say the least. I still remember about 3 years ago when I received the acceptance letter for the Marketing Internship Program; I couldn’t believe it, I was so ecstatic. Being the first to go to college in my family, to being offered a position with one of the top multinational technology companies in the world was unbelievable. I had no idea what to expect, I was nervous and excited all at the same time. My first two years of college were spent taking courses that weren’t always aligned with Marketing. As the summer approached and the internship grew closer, I used that last semester to take as many marketing classes as possible to better prepare myself for Dell Technologies.

My very first role with Dell Technologies was as a Commercial Product Marketing Specialist, and I was so nervous to start. I felt like a little fish entering an ocean full of sharks. However, I would soon realize that this place was perfect for me, and all my worries were for nothing! Over the next two months of my internship, I worked with experience design groups and product messaging teams, I created asset plans, and even had the opportunity to gain real life advertising agency experience. I allowed my creativity to flow, and it was fulfilling to see my work create an impact for the team. This is where I began to make myself comfortable, and luckily, I was invited back following my junior year.

During the summer following my junior year in college, I returned to Dell Technologies to participate in the Marketing Internship Program for the second time. That summer, I worked with the Brand Marketing and Global Sponsorship teams. It was thrilling and beneficial to be able to experience a variety of teams within those two months, and once again, I was able to make an impact as an intern. The projects I worked on were significant.

After graduating college, I was blessed with the opportunity to join Dell Technologies as a member of their Marketing Development Program. Because I had my previous internship experiences, I was thrilled and ready to get started. Being able to work on a team for more than two months meant more time to learn about marketing within Dell and grow with the company. My first rotation was with the Global Customer Engagement team, working on Sales Content & Campaign Integration. During this year, I collaborated with the Program Management and Sales team to bring more customer engagement opportunities through creative amplification approaches. I also designed and launched a new SharePoint site for the team, and that was so much fun!

Currently, I work with the Employer Brand Marketing team as the Content Hub Lead. In this role, I develop content hub pages for jobs.dell.com by proofreading pieces from Regional Leads and interviewing employees from across regions and different teams. Usually, I’m the one publishing the stories about our employees that you see on our career site, now I’m on the other side of things talking about myself. It has been an astounding experience learning so much about our unique and diverse employees at Dell.

Overall, the Marketing Development Program has exceeded my expectations! This is a unique opportunity that I am so lucky to have. I’m able to rotate between a variety of teams over two years, gaining full exposure to numerous opportunities within Dell and the different avenues of marketing. I’ve learned so much about marketing and myself; and I wouldn’t have known my interests or dislikes without this experience. As a member of this program, it is like I’m able to test drive the car before driving it out of the lot. Because of the program, I am better prepared about where I want to venture to next in my career path.

With the Marketing Development Program, I’ve been able to meet and network with so many individuals across the company and make connections that have helped me grow professionally and personally. We participate in different workshops and trainings to help us further succeed when we graduate from the program. This is a one-of-a-kind experience, and I would highly recommend this program to other graduates. I have evolved so much from when I first started, and I am so excited to see where Dell Technologies takes me next.

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