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Alex Dreams of Taco Bell
Alex Martens (MASD ‘21) is a self-titled “gate-keeper to all Taco Bell Menu hacks.”
“I love Taco Bell,” claims Martens “and I’d always wanted to work for corporate Taco Bell. It’s in my family bloodline.”
That claim might not be too far from the truth. Marten’s family has a long-standing relationship to the brand. Her father works for an independent Taco-Bell franchise and her parents even met at one of the restaurants! Having grown up in a devout Taco Bell family, one might even assume she was raised with a Doritos Locos Taco in her hand.
Whatever the case, Martens received the opportunity to continue her family legacy with Taco Bell after being offered a position as an advertising coordinator with the company prior to her graduation from Furman’s MASD program.
“Taco Bell is in my blood.” boasts Alex “But, the degree is what got me the role. I remember at 16 asking my dad, ‘Can you get me a job at corporate Taco Bell?’ He was like, ‘No, I can’t, I do not know anybody there.’ Okay, fine. So eight years later, from that point, I’m now working at corporate Taco Bell with… I don’t want to say NO help from my dad because obviously he taught me a lot, but no help from my dad. Thanks a lot!”
While it may be debatable whether or not nacho cheese sauce is pumping through her veins, it is clear that Alex earned her position with the company.
“I’m the kind of person that, when I want something, I’m gonna get it. It’s just who I am. If I want it, I’ll do whatever it takes. I don’t care if I don’t get it. I understand that it wasn’t meant to be. But if I get it, I know I deserve it and earned it.”
Martens used that determination to land an intern position in Taco Bell’s marketing department in order to work towards her lifelong aspirations.
“I interned my second to last quarter of this program at Taco Bell, and I got that internship solely by applying via LinkedIn. I was a social media intern, which sounds just like what it was; I ran the content calendar for the Taco Bell national Instagram and other social media pages, Tiktok, everything like that. That was really awesome.”
With an internship under her belt and a new network of professional connections at Taco Bell, an opportunity to work at corporate finally presented itself.
“I landed a job as an advertising coordinator. It is under the marketing and advertising team, same as social media, but it’s on a separate side. I’m doing everything that an art director does: creative management, project management, budget management, and even leadership. It’s a lot of taking everything in learning the business behind advertising and learning the company as a whole in what they do. I’m still learning a lot and still taking everything in, but I’ve heavily enjoyed what I’ve done for the last three months.”
While Martens was able to bring an amazing drive and eye for the craft to the table, Furman University’s strategic design program played a significant role in preparing her for a career in advertising.
“The thing that this master’s degree did for me was give me the experience to get the job because this master’s program was working in an agency, right? We do hands-on projects with agency leaders, listen to speakers and mentors, and learn about what’s going on currently in the creative world. It’s more than just a great degree, it’s learning real world experience while earning that degree.”
Martens’ story is a testament to the advantage of the real world experience provided by the MASD program which prides itself on producing well-rounded creatives. Martens’ adaptability proves she is valuable in her new position at Taco Bell.
Check out these Taco Bell Instagram posts featuring Alex Martens: