Celena Baggio

Where are you working currently, and what do you do there?

I’m a Product Marketing Manager at Google UK. I create insight-led content and narratives for B2B marketers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa across a number of our priority products.

Can you tell us a bit about your education and career background?

I went to Western University in Canada where I studied media and digital communications. My summer internships varied from digital marketing to more traditional marketing roles. In my senior year, I did a semester abroad in Australia which was a complete game changer. From then on I knew I wanted to have an international career and this experience gave me a good taste of what it would be like to live (and work) abroad.

Before Google I worked at Loblaw Digital where I developed acquisition campaigns for the company’s emerging online grocery service. From there, I was accepted into the Associate Product Marketing Manager (APMM) Program at Google Canada. This rotational program is often described as a “marketing bootcamp” for recent grads. Right out of the gate, I was given the opportunity to lead high-impact marketing programs end-to-end. I spent my first year and a half in the program working on Think with Google, our thought-leadership platform, where I had the chance to develop a deep expertise for content marketing.

Before graduating from the APMM Program, I moved around the world to Google UK where I took on a new role on a new team and in a completely new region — five months before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this wasn’t the best time for a global move, I have zero regrets. I have learned more this past year (both personally and professionally) than I ever have before.

What motivated you to undertake digital skills training with BrainStation?

Brainstation has always stood out to me as a leader in digital skills training. The course curriculum is future-focused, always evolving, and created by instructors with real-world experience. At the time, this was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to move into tech and get closer to product marketing but felt I had more to learn.

To start, I took two back-to-back workshops on Digital Marketing and Product Management. Although I had some practical experience in both of these areas, this deep-dive allowed me to gain additional insight I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It also gave me the opportunity to take a step back from my current role and really think about what I wanted to do next. From there, I went all in. I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. This experience helped get me to where I am today — working in tech as a Product Marketing Manager.

What advice would you give to professionals considering a BrainStation course?

When thinking about my own career, I always remember the wise words of one of my mentors. She advised: “Skate to where the puck is going.” Despite this being the most Canadian analogy of all time, it’s such an important point. Now more than ever, that puck is digital — and it’s moving fast.

Over the past year, we’ve seen COVID-19 act as a catalyst for digital transformation across so many different areas. This isn’t going away and in fact, it will continue to accelerate. To keep pace, digital skills will be essential — along with a mindset of continuous learning. For me, digital skills training is something that will be always-on, especially in an industry like ours that is constantly changing and evolving.

My advice: Don’t leave learning to chance. Treat your own career with unbridled curiosity and deliberately invest in your development. Be intentional about this and think about what you need to learn today to be ready for tomorrow. And take incremental steps (whether they are big or small) each day to get there.