There are many career options out there, but if you’re someone who loves a challenge and wants the chance to indulge your creative side, marketing could be an excellent match for you. While there is a lot of analysis that comes with marketing, all of the information that you gain from your research is what will help you come up with clever and creative campaigns to promote brands, products, and services all over the globe. It’s a fast-paced career with a lot of room for growth, as well as the opportunity to earn a more than comfortable salary. If this is something that sounds appealing to you, here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to start your career in marketing.
Do Your Research
When it comes to choosing a career, doing your research is important. A lot of people might go for a role and think it sounds like their dream job, only to find out that it isn’t the right fit after all. While there is always the opportunity to switch career paths later on in your life, it’s still a good idea to be certain that the road you’re about to embark on is right for you to save yourself time in the long run. Research is a big part of marketing, so you should practice these skills by looking into the industry as a whole and the various roles within it to see if it is something that you believe you’ll be passionate about and thrive in.
Education
A lot of important lessons you will learn on the job, but if you want to give yourself a head start and the best chance of securing an entry-level role, you should consider getting a degree in marketing. This is a great way to introduce yourself to the marketing industry and develop your skills, as well as providing you with the opportunity to meet other budding marketing professionals and make connections. If you’re worried about going to college full-time, there are other options available to you such as enrolling in an online course instead. You’ll still learn everything you need to that will help launch your marketing career, but you can fit your studies around work or other commitments you might have in your life. A good example of the kind of marketing courses you can study online is this master’s in digital marketing analytics, which you could do after achieving your undergraduate degree to boost your knowledge and make your resume more impressive.
Experience
Another great way to get into marketing is by getting that all-important work experience. If you are doing a degree in marketing at college, there might be some opportunities that your tutors can arrange for you, or it might be offered as part of the course. If not, get in touch with marketing agencies in your area and volunteer to work for them a couple of days a week or do some freelance work for them. There might also be internship opportunities available that you can apply for, some of which might be paid, that are worth taking advantage of. Not only will this hands-on experience give you some practical skills, but it’s also the opportunity to make connections and see first-hand what you can expect when you start your marketing career after graduation.
Build a Portfolio
Having a portfolio to showcase your talent and skills is also something you need to work on if you want to secure interviews and get offered a job. If you are going to do a course in marketing, some of the work you can do for your assignments can be used in your portfolio. You might also want to start a blog or YouTube channel where you can share your ideas for campaigns, whether they are mock campaigns or samples of work you have previously done for clients. Having a strong presence on social media and a good following could also work in your favor, especially as social media marketing is a big part of how brands promote themselves these days, so showing that you understand how to cultivate a following and engage people on these platforms will be key.
Networking Opportunities
Anyone will benefit from networking when it comes to moving up the career ladder, and if you want to have a successful marketing career you will need to take advantage of these opportunities as well. You can search for networking events near you via dedicated websites. Social media is another great place to discover what’s going on near you, and even using professional platforms such a LinkedIn to connect with other marketing professionals in your city, country, and even in other parts of the world.
Track Those Trends
If you want to succeed in marketing then you are going to have to keep on top of the latest trends, and perhaps even get good at predicting what might be coming next. This is how you will be able to create engaging content when it comes to developing marketing campaigns and even potentially help clients with rebranding if this is something they need assistance with. Staying up to date with current affairs and understanding consumer behavior based on this will be a skill that is required of you in a marketing role, so set your phone to get news updates and use analytics software to keep on top of what’s trending.
Find a Mentor
Whether you ask a manager at your first job or reach out to another marketing professional that you have connected with at a networking event, finding a mentor can help you to improve your performance and learn a few new tips and tricks of the trade. It could also help you when it comes to asking for references when applying for promotions or other roles, as your mentor could write one for you. There are also organized mentorship programs that you can get involved with if no one you know at work can spare the time to commit to it.
If you want to get started with your marketing career, consider the tips above and see how they can help you with this journey and achieve your goals.
