Meet Carla Harris, Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Carla was recently nominated as a rising star in media and advertising at the 6th Annual Standard Bank Rising Star Awards. She shares her love for the marketing and advertising industry.

Carla is a Marketing and Sales Coordinator for a telecommunications company in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was nominated among this year’s rising star finalists under the media and advertising category at the 6th Annual Standard Bank Rising Star Awards. Carla shared a little about her career journey in the media and advertising industry.

Before becoming a marketer, Carla was in performing arts working as a professional actress and touring the continent. During her travels, Carla realised that she wanted to establish herself in South Africa. “I realised that if I wanted to stay in South Africa, I would need to find a more stable career path,” she explains. Carla decided to venture into a career based off the things she was good at doing and that she loved about performing. “I love communicating ideas, being creative and connecting with people,” she elaborates.

I thought what kind of job would allow me to do these things?”

Carla decided to pursue a career in marketing. “Marketing is a field that allows you to speak and connect with an audience and it allows you to really make a difference in their lives by providing them with solutions and services that make their lives better,” Carla says.

A Sales and Marketing Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing marketing and advertising campaigns, tracking sales data, maintaining promotional materials inventory and planning meetings, maintaining databases and preparing reports.

I love knowing that in marketing, all experiences and knowledge is useful to your career. For instance, watching a movie can give you insight into creative ideas. Seeing art could show you what people are concerned with in their daily lives.

Marketing lets you learn from life,” says Carla.

carla harris

We asked Carla what advice she would give to people who would like to follow a career in marketing, and this is what she had to say: “First, remember that although it’s creative, marketing needs to be about its effect. You need to help solve a customer’s problem and connect with them.” That’s what makes a great marketer, Carla says.

Second, listen to your peers, your customers, and society in general. We work in a very complicated space where you can be a protector/keeper and influencer of public opinion.

You need to be able to wield it wisely.”

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