The Chicago Interactive Marketing Association Mentorship Program Sponsored by Gamut Kicks Off Its 3rd Year
CHICAGO and NEW YORK – The Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (CIMA) kicks off the third year of their mentorship program sponsored by Gamut and Talentfoot to give back to the community by assisting recent marketing upper classmen and graduates navigate their career journey. The CIMA Mentorship Program is a unique opportunity for mentees to grow their network, work on achieving goals and develop critical professional skills as they embark on their careers in the marketing and communications industry.
The 3-month Mentorship Program is designed to promote the growth and development of young professionals through a one-on-one, nurturing, mutually stimulating and confidential environment. The program has grown each year and now supports over 50 students from Northwestern, Lake Forest College, DePaul, Loyola, UIC, Columbia Chicago, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin, University of Notre Dame, and Southern New Hampshire University.
“We are grateful to the seasoned marketing professionals from major brands direct, agencies and media partners that have generously donated their time and talents to mentor the next generation of our industry,” stated Karla Wagner, Senior Account Director at Gamut and CIMA Mentorship Program Director.
To aid in the recruitment and matching process for participants, CIMA has partnered with Amanda Kelly from Talentfoot, a prestigious executive search firm. Talentfoot will be providing invaluable advice related to job searching, interview tips and more throughout the program.
Each CIMA participant has been paired with a mentor from a leading marketing, media, or advertising company including: Kelly Scott Madison, Mindshare, Starcom, Engine Group, Meta, Amylu Foods, Neiman Marcus Group, iProspect, Talentfoot, Aldi, Hearst, TikTok, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Jockey, YellowKite Marketing, AbbVie, Aparium Hotel Group, Oracle, L2TMedia, CarSaver, Critical Mass, Freshly, Kinsa Health and more.
When asked about CIMA Mentorship Program’s impact, Jackie Kuehl, Executive Director of the Digital Marketing Concentration at DePaul University, said, “The key to the success of the mentorship program for students is to be open to the advice and suggestions provided by their mentor. I’ve watched past mentees soar with the experience provided by their business mentor. You get out what you give, as is life.”
Participants have experienced the stresses of learning through Covid, and the CIMA Mentorship Program is an opportunity for mentees to grow their network, learn of job or internship opportunities and develop important professional skills as they enter and grow their careers. Barb Stahl, Team Lead and Co-Founder of the program stated, “The mentees have flourished and the mentors find it to be a very rewarding experience. The program has attracted many international and first-generation students, building a more diverse community of advertisers and marketers in Chicago.”
ABOUT THE CHICAGO INTERACTIVE MARKETING ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1997, the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (CIMA) is a dedicated group of digital and interactive marketing professionals working to provide the Chicago interactive marketing community with opportunities to network, learn, and share expertise.
ABOUT GAMUT
Gamut is a solutions-based advertising organization focused on connecting brands to their most relevant consumers and communities, across all platforms. Gamut empowers advertisers through guaranteed premium inventory, advanced fraud-free options and performance that exceeds industry and client standards. Gamut’s exceptional ability to deliver effective advertising campaigns starts with knowledge and experience gained over 20 years in the digital space and founded on a century of success. Gamut aligns with industry-leading sister company CoxReps to provide advertisers with a holistic approach to reaching key audiences.
For more information, visit www.gamut.media.
For media inquiries regarding CIMA
Karla Wagner
CIMA Mentorship Program Director
(224) 508-8010
kwagner@chicagoima.org
For media inquiries regarding Gamut
contact@gamut.media