Marco Basile is a LUISS graduate in Business Economics who now works as a director of Key Accounts for the Iberian market of Johnson & Johnson. Having come from Benevento in 1997, he struggled at first to get used to the idea of abandoning his loved ones and friends to move to Rome. "I remember the sacrifices I made at first, the buses I took on Mondays at 4 a.m. to get to class at 8, and the fact that I couldn’t wait for Friday to come so I could go back to my friends."
Only his interest in his studies helped him get over being away from his family. Specifically, his passion for marketing and advertising techniques: "Those years spent studying at LUISS really made me grow up, it opened my mind to an international and culturally vibrant environment, with the possibility not just of going to amazing lectures, but also to be able to count on a direct and personal interaction with many professors. I found myself captivated by the lectures of certain professors, such as Giovanni Fiori, Matteo Caroli and Gabriele Gabrielli, who made me want to learn more and more."
After participating with other classmates in the national finals of an important marketing competition and coming into contact with the big advertising agencies, Marco realized he wanted to become a brand manager. After his degree, however, began a more difficult period for him. For almost a year, he went through an intense period of interviews, liaising with over 40 different agencies. "It was 2003, a terrible year for finding work in Italy, especially in marketing, which was starting to become one of the most desirable sectors among young graduates."
In the end, he decided to keep pursuing his dream, starting at the bottom: "I opened up the phone book and started calling all of the advertising agencies in Rome, even the really small ones." It was during this time that he finally got the chance he had been waiting for: "They called me from Johnson & Johnson for an interview, for a marketing internship." Starting at the massive pharmaceutical multinational was a time of tremendous work stress but also of incredible professional growth: "At first I worked really long hours. I started at 8 and left at 10 at night, to show that I was worthy of having been given that opportunity."
A few years later he was offered a position as a Marketing Manager for Spain and Portugal which required him to move to Madrid. A really big step, which brought up his old fears: "Looking back, now that I am always traveling between Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon, I remember that kid who was scared of going to university in a big city and I think that that shock helped me mature so much and to become the man that I am."
With the wisdom of those who have overcome difficulties and reached personal goals, Marco thinks that there are three things a young graduate must keep in mind when they are looking for work. First of all, "to be clear about what you want and to fight for it, without being afraid of starting from the bottom, even if you have a good CV, because what you learn by getting your hands dirty will be a huge help in the future." At the same time, "after an initial experience to learn the ropes, you need to be very selective when you choose your first real job. Meritocracy exists, but not everywhere." Finally, you should always want to get involved and learn: "You need to be curious. Whatever happens to you, find something new to learn, to improve yourself as a person and as a professional."