The American Marketing Association is a club at Baruch that aims to connect students who have an interest in marketing and create a community for those students to take part in.

AMA is a nationally recognized organization, with Baruch being one of the 370 collegiate chapters, according to club President John Shin. Students who want to join as first-time, general members can do so with or without becoming a national member.

Once they have joined, general members decide which of the club’s committees they would like to work with and then work on tasks related to the major club projects.

Members of the club get to attend speaker panels, office visits, professional development workshops, and networking events, in addition to Thursday Hangouts and General Interest Meetings.

“Since AMA is a nationally recognized organization, I joined AMA to build my resume and leadership experience,” said Shin. “I became an Executive Treasurer of AMA for my full junior year and has been committed as a President from a Senior year until now – in a total of two years and half. AMA used to be like a small start-up with a few active members when I first joined two years ago. As I discovered the potential growth of AMA, I provided my commitment and passion for our bright future.” 

According to Shin, students who join AMA at the national level join the ranks of some 37,000 marketing professionals, which jumpstarts members’ careers and introduces them to professionals in the field.

Additionally, students in the club this year will have the opportunity to participate in the 41st American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference, which entails over forty competitions, case studies by the sponsors, and regional conferences. 

At all club events, Baruch students are given exposure to realistic marketing experiences and are able to form connections both with their peers and professionals in the field. This allows students to begin to make a name for themselves in the marketing industry, as Vice President John Timmins said. 

However, another important aspect of the club isn’t even related to marketing but instead are the bonds that students are able to make with their classmates.

“Like many newcomers to Baruch, I was looking to be a part of something, whether that was a club, group, community, etc.,” Timmins said. “I was tired of doing the long commute to school, going to class, and doing the long commute home again. It was monotonous, boring, and honestly a little depressing.  

I’ve always had a great interest in Marketing, and I declared it my major, so I attended the club fair in the Fall of 2017 in hopes to combine my passion for marketing and fill the void that I knew I was missing in Baruch. I came across the AMA table and didn’t look back, they were warm, welcoming, and very accommodating to my various interests and pursuits within marketing.” 

All students with an interest in marketing are welcome to join AMA, regardless of their major or year at Baruch. 

“I think students who take the time to get to know us through our Thursday hangouts, events, and GIM’s will see that we truly are a community,” stated Timmins, who is a senior.  “We pride ourselves on diversity and inclusion and feel that we foster a fun, professional, and informative environment.”

Interested students can join by attending one of the club’s General Interest Meetings or Thursday Hangouts and meet the Executive Board and general members. AMA can be found in room 3-223 of the club suit in the Newman Vertical Campus.