Kyle Harada '04
Hickam Federal Credit Union/Director of Marketing
Kyle graduated with the PCHS class of 2004, and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from Hawaii Pacific University. He currently resides in Pearl City and serves as the Director of Marketing for Pearl City-based Hickam Federal Credit Union.
What type of training/education is appropriate for this position?
Marketing is a diverse field with many different disciplines. While you could certainly get away with obtaining certifications and experience, it is highly recommended that you obtain a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Marketing, Communications, or General Business. A formal college education helps to give you a different perspective, will provide you with more knowledge, and will show employers that you are serious about your career.
What is one piece of advice you would give to current high school students?
Life will seldom go the way you planned. Make the most of what life throws at you, and enjoy the ride. Keep your head up, work hard, be kind to others, and be patient; everything will be ok.
What is one thing you wished you knew about your career while you were still in high school?
While marketing is a very diverse field, the type of work you do and your ability to move around within the field greatly depend on where you choose to work. For example, smaller organizations often require you to be a generalist, meaning you'll have to develop strategies, create content, conduct data analysis, etc. However, larger organizations will want you to focus on a single aspect of marketing - data analysis, digital marketing, social media, etc. Different industries also have different practices, regulatory requirements, and communication styles. Finally, it's essential to consider if you want to do agency work or in-house marketing. Agencies have far more variability, but the work is more intense, and you often have no set schedule. In-house work is more consistent and often comes with more traditional work hours.
Other Advice/Information
Only you know what's best for you. Don't base your career decisions on what other people think you should do. Ultimately, you have to live your life, and you'll be far happier if you do what you enjoy. That said, it's ok not to know what you want to do. Try different things and see what you like. I changed majors twice before settling on my chosen path.
