[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]When I first started my professional work life and career in marketing I didn’t have a complete picture of what I am going to do. Fresh out of college I had high hopes for the future. With zero idea of what I wanted to become, I thought business and marketing is as good as any other field.
As much as I would like to, I’m not going to spill my whole story here.. yet. This is for another time. I’m putting this post together to give some practical and useful tips to you young (or not so young) people who are getting into marketing.
I started with marketing around 2008. At the time I think I just turned 20. I returned to my home country Estonia from studies abroad and I started to figure out how to make some additional income from my bedroom.
Long story short, after 6 months of trying different things like affiliate marketing, Google Adsense, writing blogs and also spending hundreds on different internet marketing products that ended up being a scam I finally made my first cents.
I knew I could make this work and it excited me, probably more than it should excite a normal person.
Either way, I have been testing and learning ever since. While developing my marketing knowledge, which by the way is mostly self-taught (although I went to business school), I also worked with several start-ups, and built some of them my own.
Looking back and talking from my own experience there are things you should know before starting a career in marketing.
Before we head into the steps required to become a marketer, I want you to know this – it’s never too late to change a career.
Yes, starting a new career at 30 or starting a new career at 40 or 50 and above is all possible. Now, if you’re in a rush and how specific questions about starting a career in marketing, scroll down on this article and skim the FAQ section.
If you plan on spending some time reading through one of my most-read articles of all time, here are steps to become a marketer and start a career in marketing.
How to Launch Your Marketing Career A Roadmap for New Grads and Career Changers
So you want to break into the exciting world of marketing, but don’t know where to begin? You’re not alone.
With so many different marketing roles and specialities out there, the field can seem overwhelming for newcomers. Whether you’re a recent college grad or looking to change careers, marketing can provide a stimulating mix of creativity and analytics. However, positioning yourself for that first job takes strategy and effort.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll provide tips and advice to help you start a successful marketing career step-by-step.
Define Your Marketing Goals
First, reflect on why marketing appeals to you and what your long-term aspirations are. Do you love coming up with big ideas and campaigns? Are you obsessed with data and analytics? Do you want to eventually oversee an entire marketing department?
Outlining your interests will help steer you towards appropriate entry-level roles. For instance, if you’re visually creative, a job in graphic design could be a good fit. If you geek out over spreadsheets, look for data analyst roles.
While it’s fine to start generalist, having some sense of where you want to go will help you choose opportunities strategically.
Earn a Relevant Degree (or Supplement Your Current One)
There are many paths into marketing, and a marketing or communications degree is not required. However, having an educational background in the field can provide fundamental knowledge and give you a leg up. Common relevant majors include:
- Marketing
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Communications
- Business with a marketing focus
- Graphic design
- Data analytics/statistics
If you majored in something different, look into taking marketing classes, getting a certificate, or enrolling in an immersive training program like General Assembly. This will help you gain hard skills to complement your existing degree.
For example, if you have a psychology degree, take digital marketing courses to position yourself as a social media coordinator. Combine art school with some marketing fundamentals to be a graphic designer. Having diverse but complementary education shows adaptability.
Get Some Experience Under Your Belt
Nothing boosts your marketing cred like real-world experience. There are abundant ways to start gaining this while still in school or making a career change.
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Do marketing internships every summer and semester. Network with your campus career center to find opportunities.
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Get a part-time job or freelance gig at a marketing firm, ad agency, or company marketing department.
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Volunteer to help market a charity, nonprofit, or campus organization.
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Create your own blogs, social media pages, or videos to build a portfolio.
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Complete online certifications in digital marketing skills like Google Analytics, SEO, and social media.
Treat any small opportunity as a chance to learn. Over time, these projects, internships, classes, and certifications add valuable experience to your resume.
Make Connections in the Industry
Marketing is a relationship-driven industry. Starting to build your network early allows you to:
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Ask insiders about day-to-day responsibilities to find roles you may enjoy.
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Learn insider tips on breaking in for people starting from your same background.
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Discover unposted opportunities and get endorsed as a candidate when you do apply.
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Establish mentor relationships who can give ongoing career advice.
Ways to connect include:
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Attend local marketing association meetings and conferences for students and young professionals. Introduce yourself to attendees and follow up after.
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Reach out to alumni from your college program now working in marketing. Many enjoy helping students start out.
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Follow marketers and agencies you admire on social media. Comment thoughtfully on their content when possible.
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Ask professors and internship managers to connect you with their professional contacts for informational interviews.
Leverage LinkedIn to find and engage with marketing pros in your geographic area. Relationship-building takes time but pays dividends.
Choose Roles With Growth Opportunities
When evaluating entry-level marketing jobs, look for:
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Small companies where you can get broad experience covering many marketing channels and tasks.
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Large companies with formal corporate training programs to help you gain well-rounded skills.
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Agencies where you work with clients across multiple industries.
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Roles focused on emerging areas like social media, SEO, and digital marketing to build in-demand expertise.
Avoid niche roles without ability to expand your skills. For example, while executing email campaigns for 2 years teaches valuable tactical abilities, you may miss out on big picture strategy.
Likewise, avoid companies where marketing is an afterthought and growth possibilities are slim. Marketing experience is marketing experience – but a role with cross-channel knowledge and upward mobility accelerates your career much faster.
Show Passion and Enthusiasm
Hiring managers seek candidates who live and breathe marketing. Ways to demonstrate this include:
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Researching the company’s marketing objectives and how you can contribute.
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Asking thoughtful questions about their current campaigns and targets.
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Sharing relevant marketing articles, trends, and insights you find interesting.
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Conveying natural curiosity and excitement about the industry.
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Explaining how your existing skills, education, and experience equip you for this role and future growth.
Avoid seeming entitled or expecting rapid promotion. Be eager to roll up your sleeves, work hard, and soak up all the learning opportunities possible. Passion plus humility is very appealing.
Continually Sharpen Your Skills
Marketing changes rapidly. Ongoing education outside of work keeps you relevant in this dynamic industry.
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Take more in-depth classes once employed to expand your skillset – many companies offer tuition reimbursement.
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Attend marketing conferences and workshops. Follow thought leaders.
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Get Google Analytics certified and keep up with the latest algorithm changes.
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Seek internal transfers and cross-departmental assignments to gain new perspectives.
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Work toward a Digital Marketing Certificate or Master’s Degree.
Never stagnate. Great marketers have insatiable curiosity to keep learning, change with the times, and innovate.
The world of marketing holds something for every interest and personality-type. By following this roadmap, you’ll gain the knowledge, experience, connections, and passion needed to kickstart a successful and rewarding career.
It won’t happen overnight. But approaching your marketing job search strategically establishes momentum that only grows with each subsequent role and accomplishment.
Stay focused on your long-term aspirations, be willing to start small, and work hard to maximize every opportunity that comes your way. Before you know it, you’ll establish yourself as an invaluable marketing professional with your pick of career paths ahead.
The marketing world needs fresh perspectives and new talent. Bring your energy, creativity, analytical abilities, and passion for resonating with audiences. You’ve got this!
Research job requirements
You want to do some research on companies and what skills specifically are required for certain marketing positions. The thing is, that headhunters and HR managers can have quite a different understanding of the position, job title and the skills and tasks associated with it.
Moreover, each company might actually need different skills for their business.
My suggestion would be to dig through their list and make a spreadsheet for yourself.
List down all the required skills and experience requirements stated.
What I see usually is that the more complex and the more skills are required the smaller the company and the more hardcore multitalent they are looking for. This doesn’t mean that the salary is that great. Usually isn’t.
If you chose your field and you’re committed on that, then find job posts that are to the point and doesn’t require things that doesn’t seem like should be your responsibilities.
For example and SEO specialists hardly should design graphics for the content (he/she might, but shouldn’t). On the other hand a copywriter or social media manager should have some base understanding of designing graphics.
Click Here to download a PDF showing you how to get hired in 2 weeks!
Attend networking events
To become a successful marketer you need to grow your contact base.
What does someone in marketing do? Well, among other things, they attend networking events. They share experiences, show off their successes and just socialize.
One way would be to attend local get-together events. If you are just starting out and do not feel comfortable meeting with other peers, then try starting it slow.
Go to the event and just decide not to talk with anyone. Just hang around, have a drink, listen to what they are talking about (not in a creepy way) and take it easy. The conversation and socializing will happen organically the next time.
Just go to the event!
Remember, many great people have once been shy and reserved.
START A CAREER IN MARKETING with PROVEN tips from marketing leaders
How do I start a career in digital marketing?
Kickstart your career in digital marketing in these seven steps: 1. Create your own website While you may not need any certifications to get a job in digital marketing, it doesn’t mean companies will just hire you for a position right off the bat. You’ll need to first: Demonstrate that you possess those skills.
What can you do with a marketing degree?
A marketing career offers many options, with a host of specializations from content marketing and digital marketing, to advertising. With multiple pathways to enter the profession, it’s common to start in a junior or entry-level position to gain experience and transition to a more senior role.
How do I get a marketing job?
First, you’ll need to complete an undergraduate program or bootcamp. Second, you should gain entry-level experience before considering a master’s degree and landing your ideal marketing job. Third, you can also consider continuing your education or earning a specialization.
Can anyone start a career in marketing?
This means that it’s a lot easier to get started using your own resources (thank goodness for the internet) and you won’t have to settle for some “marketing” job that’s really just a sales job in a fancy costume. So yes, anyone, anywhere, can start a career in marketing.
