6 Ways to Start a Career in Marketing

Looking to start a career in Marketing? Marketing is often an appealing role to many job-seekers because of the constant growth and development both personally and professionally. A marketing career offers numerous opportunities for people looking to step into a diverse, challenging career whether it’s analytical, creative or communicative. Plus, many marketing opportunities offer a competitive starting salary. There are multiple ways to start a career in marketing, especially digitally, and the industry is widely open to those who don’t have higher academic achievements.

There are different levels and roles in marketing available such as Branding/Advertising, Telemarketing, Product Marketing, Corporate communications and Executive roles. If you are unsure about how to successfully start a career in Marketing, check out these 6 key ways to help you kick-start your career.

Apprenticeships and Work Experience

One of the many ways you can begin your Career in Marketing is to begin doing Apprenticeships and finding relevant work experience to gain in depth experience of working in a role, organisation or industry sector. This can help you decide if you want to follow a specific career before you fully dedicate all your time to it and it may help you gain experience that heightens your long-term career prospects. Apprenticeships are usually common with the younger generation such as School and College leavers who are unsure about going into further education but instead want to start a career much sooner.  
 

Internships

Internships are a great way to familiarize yourself in a professional working environment so it’s important to take advantage of the opportunity and don’t take the experience lightly. Asking questions is one key to learning in an internship and keeping yourself flexible throughout the internship can open many doors. These roles tend to be popular with graduates who are just starting out a Marketing career. Once you have gained enough experience, you can then progress to the more advanced field jobs such as a Marketing Manager or Business Development Manager.
 

Online Courses and Workshops 

Consider taking digital marketing courses online or attend local workshops to help you develop a critical appreciation of key areas in marketing, while giving you the chance to hone your skills in a specific area. Having a relevant certificate could be a good way of demonstrating to employers that you’re committed to the industry, as well as strengthening your own understanding of how digital marketing works. If you discover enjoyment in a certain aspect of marketing, build on it and develop your skills in that area. Those from a creative background may find a role in copywriting, while those from a business background may be well suited to SEO.
 

Networking and Building Communities

Effective networking and building relationships are key parts of developing your marketing career. Stay active across multiple social media, especially LinkedIn and try to connect with as many relevant people as you can. It is important to participate, communicate and build different opinions on current trends in digital marketing to reach out to numerous people and businesses with the chance that employers notice you. Blogging is a great starter point because you can discuss your own achievements and discuss what is constantly evolving in the industry. This will show you are a passionate and dedicated individual. You could also produce Vlogs and think about starting a Portfolio of work to include on your CV. Vlogs are becoming increasingly popular in most industries because they are effortless for your viewers. People want information quickly and watching a video is always going to be quicker than reading text.
 

Become familiar with popular Software

Try to master the common software and applications you would most likely to use in a Marketing sector such as MailChimp, Canva, Adobe, Hootsuite and Marketo. Learning the basics and eventually mastering short cuts puts you in a solid position potentially impressing the interviewer/manager of the company because it shows your dedication and commitment in the Marketing industry and your willingness to learn.
 

Don’t give up

Despite your absolute best efforts, the results may not show at times. Try to take rejection in your stride because it shows your persistence and willingness for success. After all, rejection is normal and all too common. Try turning a negative into a positive and always find strategies to reinvent yourself and make yourself unique. Strive to create something different that competitors can’t copy because they don’t have your creative outlook. Always begin on a positive note and have a thirst for knowledge as this will eventually lead to success. 

To find out more about how to start your career in marketing here in Stockport – from understanding the local labour market to finding out about entry requirements – visit our Career Guides.

View Marketing Career Guide

You can also look for free local training courses in Digital Skills with our Training Resource or use the National Careers Service Course Finder to search for upcoming opportunities.