Discover how Maria Lin’s professional journey is a pursuit of pure marketing passion and legal drive that’s lead her to study abroad in Canada. She’s shattering misconceptions of international students and is eager to showcase her skills in a professional role that aligns with her values.
My interests include traveling to experience different cultures, playing musical instruments, speech arts, analyzing legal issues, and of course, marketing! What drew me into marketing is its flexibility and the role it plays in different industries. I can think outside the box and be creative with the content and graphics I create. What I love about marketing is the freedom I get to express with my ideas in all creative and unique ways and to promote awareness of events, initiatives, and organizations. As a long-time international student in Canada in my seventh year, I am currently the marketing director of the Rotman Commerce Law Association (RCLA).
I would say my greatest achievement thus far is reshaping people’s perspective on international students. Being an international student has a connotation associated with not being able to communicate in English and withdrawing from Canadian society. People often do not believe I am an international student since I speak English fluently with little accent.
Furthermore, I am very involved in my community since secondary school. During my years in Vancouver, I worked with the Attorney General of British Columbia David Eby and Member of Parliament Joyce Murray, volunteered for over 500 hours, performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. In university, other than being involved in the Rotman Commerce student group, I am also involved in University College Residence life, Ascend, Women in Capital Markets, and Munk One Program.
To be completely honest, the more I grow up the less I know about what the title of my dream job is. However, I can certainly describe it; my dream job will be a job that I truly enjoy and care about, in which the environment is collaborative and supportive. I am thinking of going into either marketing or consulting at this moment in time, and my goal down the road is to go to law school and work in the legal field.
I am interested in a few trends in marketing, including cause marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, and search engine optimization. Nowadays, corporate social responsibility is becoming an important part of a consumer’s purchasing choice as people are becoming more aware of social issues and everyone is a supporter of at least one social movement. Cause marketing is becoming very effective among the consumer body, and as someone who cares deeply about social issues, it is a trend that I am closely following.
Social media marketing has allowed many people to become influencers and create businesses with support through their online following. These businesses have become strong competitors in many industries such as beauty and fashion. The world we live in today has changed drastically compared to just a few years ago with social media becoming more than a platform for communication and rather a part of a lot of people’s daily routine.
These marketing trends are on the rise, and I think they are very interesting to keep up with.
Teenage Maria inspires me the most because I did not simply survive a year of many devastating obstacles but thrived in all aspects of my life. Whenever I feel unmotivated or discouraged, I think of the young Maria then and tell myself, “If you could live through all those experiences at such a young age so well, there’s nothing you cannot accomplish.” One of the main challenges I am facing is the ability to stand out and score an interview in such a competitive industry. I am taking the time to continue shaping and preparing myself to become a stronger candidate in the application pool by believing in myself and trying my best to move forward. 
