Written by WOM member, Samantha Iodice
As a digital marketing veteran, Jennifer Bradley is a self-driven SEO powerhouse. Currently the global SEO strategy lead for Hewlett Packard Enterprises, over the last 12 years, Jennifer has risen through the ranks with a steadfast commitment to continuous learning and perseverance. From her early days at Google to leading SEO strategy for a multinational information-tech company, Jennifer’s values and her position as a leader in her field are testaments to her career journey.
Jennifer got her start in digital marketing by landing a position with Google right after college. “After an extensive screening process, including multiple tests, interviews and technical knowledge evaluations, I was able to start in the quality rater program to better help the search engine algorithms understand user intent behind search queries entered.”
Commit To Never Stop Learning
Since graduating college, Jennifer learned that to grow professionally she would need to extend her efforts beyond formal education. Jennifer embraced the value and impact that self-education, research and access to evolving positions within companies would have on her ability to stretch her knowledge. This mindset of “always learning” brought Jennifer to where she is today.
Jennifer recommends that other women working in martech follow a similar approach, stating, “One of the best pieces of advice I can offer other women is, don’t be afraid to test out new things. One of the best decisions I made earlier in my career was the decision to move forward with learning about online marketing.” Jennifer became known as someone who never stopped learning. By proactively asking for various roles and opportunities, Jennifer gained invaluable hands-on experience that empowered her to test her knowledge in real-world scenarios.
She also strongly recommends trying things out on your own time, such as starting a blog, creating a website or using social media accounts. Jennifer said, “The best way to show that you know what you're doing to potential employers is by showing them what you've been able to grow and create.”
Lessons From Losing A Dream Job
No matter where a woman is in her career, failure can be difficult. Nevertheless, most female leaders agree, it’s what you take from the experience that shows your true capabilities and character. Jennifer shared, “I was let go in a position that I thought was my ‘dream job’ -- I had excellent visibility within the company, I was leading a team and the salary was exceptional.”
Finding opportunity in setbacks can be the most difficult part, but for Jennifer, that approach was crucial to her growth. “During that time I was able to get extremely clear on what I wanted, not what society says I should want, but what really resonated with me and made me excited to go to work every day.” Jennifer stresses the importance of being able to bounce back from a moment you feel your worst. She said, “You have to confidently pivot your position for a wonderful comeback, even if it feels hopeless.” Jennifer notes that preparing for the next big opportunity will make you stronger and will likely be the catalyst for moving your career even further.
Building On Success Through Collaboration
Learning from setbacks is vital to a successful career, but it’s also important to recognize the successes you have and share them. Jennifer shared that one of her greatest professional successes was a result of integrating multiple teams.
“I led the redesign and website integration for a large publicly traded bank in Houston. I worked to combine both the authenticated and unauthenticated spaces to provide a superior digital experience that was seamless and without detection.”
In addition to implementing a new CMS system, fully capable of personalization and user behavior tracking, Jennifer also developed and led a team to ensure that all touchpoints were integrated -- from IT security to infrastructure support and programmers to graphic designers. Removing the silos and working on seamless collaborative effort allowed her team to develop an industry-leading website. Jennifer proudly shared, “The project launched before schedule and under budget, and immediately began generating revenue for the company as well as enhanced customer contact.”
Eyes On Machine Learning & Voice Search
With Jennifer’s keen eye always on learning, she definitely has some views on how martech will evolve. “Machine learning will provide new opportunities for businesses to connect with customers. Voice search and automation will also become a prevalent component of an effective marketing strategy.” Jennifer predicted that there will be more of a convergence of digital and that we should expect expanded opportunities to combine data, analytics and marketing effectively.
Written by WOM member, Samantha Iodice
