My Advice for Starting a Marketing Career
I have had a lot of inquiries about how I got started in my marketing career. I know everyone’s path may be different, but I am always happy to share my experiences if it will help someone else achieve their goals.
Working with a few recent or upcoming graduates, there are a lot of similarities in their questions – how did you get started, what materials would you recommend, how do I land a job in the field?
Today I am going to share my top tips to get started in a marketing career.
How to Get Started In A Marketing Career
The tips I share can be applied to any field or industry, but my background is in marketing and these are the things that have worked for me and my clients. Your results may vary.
Research Your Ideal Jobs/Positions
You can’t know where you are going without a map, and job postings are the best map you can get. Now, I know, job postings have a bad rep of asking for too much or having unrealistic expectations for some companies and positions. But, you can definitely use them to your benefit to seek trends. What common skills are sought after for certain positions? Are they looking for specific certifications or credentials? What should your resume say if you were aiming to land a similar role?
For my career coaching clients, this is the first thing I tell them to do before we move forward. I want to get a clear idea of where they want to be. Plus, looking at job postings can also help you weed out the things you don’t want to do or the positions you don’t want.
Update Your Resume and Linkedin
In today’s world, this recommendation should be second nature to anyone climbing the career ladder. For those that are brand new and only have school experience, this is critical. Your resume tells who you are but also helps gives the recruiters an idea of where you want to be. Your Linkedin profile is your digital resume. Both should be up to date, accurate, and authentic. Don’t over fluff or try to stuff keywords. Speak the language of the industry, naturally.
Cool Tip: Linkedin has a cool feature that will notify recruiters if you are open to new opportunities and positions. So you can showcase all your experience, and let recruiters find you!
Read: Let Recruiters Know You’re Open to Opportunities
Increase Your Network
Start connecting with people in the industry, that work at your dream company, or hold positions that you aspire to be in in the future. Ask that they mentor you, or provide any recommendations or tips. Show them that you are willing to learn and build a long-term relationship – not just asking them for a job or hand out. A good start would be sending them your resume and asking for feedback, or any suggestions on skills you can acquire to heighten your chances of landing your dream job!