Between selling a business and starting a career at LinkedIn, BYU Marriott marketing alum Chase Evans has been busy since he graduated in 2018. However, keeping busy is nothing new for Evans, who founded a leather-products company while he was a student in the marketing program, served as the vice president of the BYU Marriott Marketing Association, and still found the time to network with his fellow students, professors, and alumni.
While he was still a student in the marketing program, Evans decided to pursue a career at LinkedIn. To do this, Evans requested a referral from Luke Mocke. As a sophomore, Evans had met Mocke, who was serving as the BYU Marriott Marketing Association president. When Evans reached out to him, Mocke was currently working at LinkedIn in the same business leadership program Evans was applying to. Since Evans had already formed a relationship with the alum, he felt comfortable reaching out to him for help with LinkedIn’s application process.
“I told him I was going to give it my all,” says Evans. “I told him I was going to dedicate the hours necessary to prepare for the interview, get my résumé cleaned up, and learn all I could in my classes to best set myself up for success. I showed him I was serious, so he was willing to dedicate the time to coach me through those interviews, comb through my résumé, and be my personal champion inside LinkedIn.”
In his current position as a cross-functional partner at LinkedIn, Evans manages relationships between LinkedIn’s customers and their account executives during the sales process. For example, Evans is currently working with the product team to drive acquisition and add new features to LinkedIn's enterprise solutions—software solutions for large organizations.
BYU Marriott’s marketing program helped prepare Evans to succeed in his current career. “The marketing program prepared me with a lot of practical skills,” says Evans. “For example, while I was in the marketing program, the program prepared me to onboard new team members and help them be successful in the long run. The marketing program does a great job of preparing its students for the working world.”
Another aspect of the marketing program that Evans admires is the program’s faculty. As a student, Evans took the time to get to know the marketing department’s faculty members. “I would not have gotten the job at LinkedIn if it hadn't been for faculty that coached me at various interview stages, whether it be through case interviews or behavioral interviews,” says Evans.
Evans has three suggestions that can enable effective networking. First, Evans suggests students take advantage of opportunities to build relationships with their fellow students while they are at BYU Marriott. “Make sure that you are helping others throughout the entire process of going to school because your classmates will be some of your best friends and people you look up to,” says Evans.
Evans also recommends that students step outside of their comfort zone to pursue their goals. “Get out of your comfort zone, try new things, and be adventurous,” Evans continues. “Students are blessed at BYU Marriott to have companies come directly to them—companies such as Google, LinkedIn, Apple, and Facebook want to hire BYU students. With a little more initiative and a lot of preparation, students can earn a position at those companies if that's something they want to do.”
Finally, Evans suggests that students take advantage of BYU Marriott’s alumni network. “Our alumni love to give back, and they’re looking for opportunities to give back. Take advantage of the network because BYU Marriott’s alumni network is unlike any other.”
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Writer: Natalia Green
