GIS Career Pathways: Marketing
My Professional Journey
My name is Nadine Hernandez, and I am a young professional working as a Senior Industry Marketing Manager at Esri. Often people think "Senior" and assume seasoned, so when people meet me, the question I usually get asked from students and professionals is, "How did you get to the place you are now?"
Oh, my goodness, I love this question.
It is important for me to share a bit of my background as it contributes to the professional I am today.
I am a first-generation Mexican-American. Growing up, my mom and grandma encouraged me to work hard and allowed me to dream. I was allowed to be curious, to ask why, to be creative, and most importantly, I learned that when I failed there would always be another path forward.
I was raised with resilience instilled in me and to never accept "you are not welcome in this space" or "you will never make it." Resilience is key in any career path you decide to take.
When it came time to decide my college major, I chose to double major in communications and public relations at California Baptist University. I did that intentionally to allow myself to be marketable in communications, public relations, and marketing roles. Plus, I found myself enjoying those three different industries. I also worked as a journalist for my college newspaper and yearbook and was a board member of the student public relations association. Having this mix of coursework, experiences, and skillsets provided me with tools, principles, and theories that I still use to this day.
A Journey in Finding My Passion
Another key driver early in my career were the internships I chose to apply for. I completed internships with three different companies and roles. I chose those three different internship opportunities so I could learn different skillsets and make myself more marketable. Additionally, I gave myself the opportunity to understand what type of job I wanted in the long run.
One internship stood out to me the most, and that was a corporate communications internship at Esri. My manager and mentor at the time met my curiosity and passion, giving me an opportunity to integrate myself into Esri and work on real projects that had meaning. Their leadership style and mentorship contributed greatly to who I am today.
At the end of the internship, I knew Esri was a company I wanted to work for full-time. I still had a year of school left, so I returned to school, graduated, and spent a month in Europe alone discovering the world.
After graduation, I pivoted quickly into a full-time role at a tech start-up as a customer service coordinator. It was a role that taught me crucial skills like interpersonal communication and efficient solution finding.
While I excelled during my time at the tech start-up and was promoted into a new role supporting sales and marketing within six months, I knew I wanted to pivot my professional career to marketing.
Creating a Career in Marketing
I kept in contact with managers at Esri and would check in every few months to see if there were any job opportunities. After a year of check-ins, a role had opened for a marketing coordinator position, and in January 2019, I started as a marketing coordinator at Esri supporting state and local government transportation agencies.
As a coordinator, I learned how to manage trade events, write customer case studies, run email campaigns, oversee webinars, execute advertising campaigns, organize summits, and work with different Esri partners. Throughout the years, I was also brought into cross-team initiatives to support my team's success in content production and was tasked with finding new ways to amplify or create new marketing activities. Alongside my team, I learned how to create key foundational strategy documents to keep marketing activities aligned and accessible across the company.
A key factor in my success was leaning into the continued learning aspect of my role. I did not come from a government background, so it was important for me to immerse myself in the industry so I could lead with more effective marketing. The learning eventually led to a passion for government. I had great mentors and subject matter experts who took the time to teach me about government agencies. They gave my curiosity and passion a chance and made room for me to succeed.
From Marketing Coordinator to Senior Marketing Manager
Now I am a Senior Marketing Manager, marketing GIS to emergency management, humanitarian, and sustainable development organizations. I went from having no background in government and GIS to now being able to contribute to key conversations and guide thoughtful strategic messaging that truly makes sense to the industries I support. I was even nominated to represent Esri in the Big City Emergency Management professional association's 2024-2025 emerging leader program.
Aside from my day-to-day role, I support Esri Young Professionals Network’s Redlands Chapter as an Ambassador which means I collaborate with other Esri staff like Tamira Sabbath, an Esri YPN Ambassador, and Raquel Perez, Esri YPN founder, to create events for young professionals in the Redlands surrounding area. We work together to create events that cultivate learning and networking spaces. I get to use my marketing and communication skills to reach this audience in new ways.
Recommendations for Starting or Pivoting to a Marketing Career
If you are looking to start or pivot to a career in marketing, here are a few recommendations:
Lead with Authenticity: Authenticity supersedes inauthentic experiences.
Take Advantage of Every Opportunity to Grow and Learn: Do not be afraid to take on new opportunities that you want, and always advocate for yourself.
Create Your Network: Your network is everything. Do not be afraid to create new relationships with professionals in all stages of their career.
Be a Lifelong Learner: Everything in life, both professionally and personally, will provide you with a learning opportunity. Examine any good and challenging moments to find places of truth.
If you would like to connect with me, feel free to add me on LinkedIn and meet me at the 2025 Esri YPN Fall Meet Up - Redlands.
