Chloe Narain
Studying Marketing and Management deepened Chloe’s confidence, intellectual curiosity, and entrepreneurial drive.
I felt quite lost at the end of high school and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had always excelled in subjects like Economics and Accounting, and Ioved getting involved in activities such as Young Enterprise. Choosing Commerce was more of a practical choice, but I wanted to keep my degree broad to give myself plenty of options. Marketing stood out to me as the most creative option as it felt like the heart and soul of a business. I was intrigued by companies that had built reputable, loved, and iconic brands through the power of storytelling. I then chose Management as a second major because I liked the subject’s breadth and versatility. Ultimately, I knew these subjects would give me the foundational business skills I needed to try many different things.
The interactive parts of my degree are what I value the most now. At the time, I dreaded speaking up in tutorials or presenting in front of a lecture hall, but those moments that pushed me out of my comfort zone turned out to be the most rewarding. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the Management side of my degree. What started as an “add-on” to my Marketing major quickly became a standout. The lectures were broad and practical, covering topics like what motivates people, gender inequality, and what makes leaders impactful. Management made me more curious and aware of the world around me.
On reflection, the major you pick within a Commerce degree is a very personal decision. If you're a people person and you're interested in what makes companies great, marketing is a practical choice. Marketing is not "brand" or "advertising" — it's the most strategic customer-oriented function of a business. So, if you're someone who pays attention to how the world and consumer preferences are changing, you care about communications, and you want to have the runway to be creative in your career, I think marketing will be a magical choice. If you are aiming to be a decision-maker in your career, try studying Management to give you both skills and perspective.
After I finished my studies, I was lucky to land a summer Research Scholarship through the School of Marketing. This gave me practical experience for my CV, while giving me more time to decide which direction I wanted to take in my career. I had applied for a corporate role running marketing for a mid-sized engineering firm, but after I was offered the role, I realised I was not feeling excited about it. Meanwhile, through networking, I ended up meeting someone looking to start a company. He inspired me with a vision to disrupt the way companies run B2B (business to business) marketing. He wanted to build some software and test whether his assumptions around the problem and solution were correct. Initially, he could only offer me a three-month contract, yet I ended up being there for over four years!
I love my current role as Head of Marketing at Creative HQ, New Zealand’s leading innovation and startup hub. It’s exciting to not only market our incredible team and their cutting-edge work, but also promote the ambitious, resilient startup founders in our programmes - they inspire me every day.
Amid challenging economic times, where many Kiwis are leaving and the outlook can feel bleak, I’m proud to work with people and companies investing in the future of our economy. While the news can seem grim, my workplace gives me hope and connects me with those striving to make New Zealand and the world a better place.