Jennifer's Journey as the MDP Program Manager at Dell Technologies

Jennifer B. | Senior Manager, Project/Program Management | Dallas, Texas

Originally Published: March 23, 2023

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and describe your current role? I am the Program Manager for the Marketing Development Program and I love my job! I’ve been at Dell Technologies for almost 15 years, and it has been a wild ride. I started at Dell when I was single and now I’m married with three kids, one of whom is a teenager! My passion is Learning and Development, and this program allows me to help jump-start the careers of our recent grad talent and the leaders of tomorrow. Why did you decide to join Dell Technologies, and what experiences in your career path led you to your current role as the Program Manager of the Marketing Development Program (MDP)? I moved to Texas to join Perot Systems, but Dell acquired us within a couple of years. Since those first moments, I’ve loved Dell’s culture of casual attire, leading from the front, and our people-first mentality. I’ve worked in four different departments over my Dell career and each one taught me something new and developed my skills in different ways, however, I’ve always been focused on training. I have experience training on our tools, training our customer service representatives, training on our products, and training our customers, and this focus has led me to understand what it takes to change behavior and improve outcomes. I have honed this skill over the years, and it was a primary reason I was chosen to lead the Marketing Development Program.

How has Dell Technologies contributed to your success?

When I was job searching after I earned my MBA, I realized I still didn’t have a career. I knew a lot about business but had no direction on what “my business” should be. However, five years into my role at Dell, through a combination of great leaders, growth opportunities, and my desire to learn, I realized that I turned my job into a career. Dell gave me direction and focus, and I have loved how much I have accomplished and enjoyed throughout my career. I am now what I call “a Dell Lifer.” I’ll be here another couple of decades continuing my journey and making more great memories along the way!

What is your favorite part of working at Dell? My favorite part of working at Dell is the people. As I mentioned, I’ve had great leaders, but I’ve also had great teams, great customers, and great stakeholders. Dell’s culture has a focus on relationships, and they highly encourage networking, mentoring, and coaching. Dell is a FUN place to work!

How does MDP work, and what does a typical rotation look like for a member of the program?

The Marketing Development Program consists of four unique, six-month global marketing organizational rotations for recent graduates, supplemented by a structured curriculum centered around marketing, communications, and business operations.

There are two sides to being in MDP: The rotations and the curriculum. The rotations provide real, hands-on, on-the-job training allowing for learning four different parts of the Dell Marketing organization, networking and collaborating with different teams, and growing true Marketing skills along the way. The MDP curriculum provides a safe environment to learn core marketing skills and leadership soft skills as participants engage in a variety of stimulating and challenging assignments, MBA-type coursework, conferences, mentorship, performance feedback, and career planning.

Both sides of MDP contribute to the corporate success of our MDP Participants, but what contributes most to the longevity of our participants at Dell and low attrition is the bond they create with each other as they learn and grow together in their cohorts and their careers.

What are some of the benefits of joining the MDP?

The MDP provides a comprehensive understanding of Dell and the Global Marketing Organization and offers a wide breadth of career experiences in a short period of time. Personal and professional growth are key to the program including opportunities to enhance core marketing skills and soft skills, experience extensive professional career development, and opportunities to demonstrate and build leadership capabilities.

How do you support the ongoing development and career paths of MDP members after they graduate the program? After a fun and exciting graduation, MDP participants become MDP Alumni. MDP Alumni continue to grow their leadership skills by participating in targeted MDP events as leaders, advisors, and mentors. MDP Alumni are also invited to quarterly MDP networking, social, and community service events. We just beginning to expand our MDP Alumni Development focus with sessions specifically designed for MDP Alumni to continue growing their skills and careers post-MDP.

What advice would you give potential candidates who are interested in applying for the MDP?

My advice would be to have a great attitude - be humble and kind, but also be confident with a can-do attitude. As a recent grad and our future talent, you have a lot to offer so don't hesitate to bring your best self to the table. Also, have a learning mindset, be flexible and adaptable, and be ready to learn from any situation. These are character traits that should already be present in candidates, and with these traits, we will grow your marketing and leadership skills, so you are ready for a successful career at Dell!

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