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Where to start when you’re starting out in Marketing

Where to start when you’re starting out in Marketing

Now that you’ve made a decision to pursue a career in Marketing, you’re probably wondering where to start.

When I was a fresh grad, I was applying for all the entry-level Marketing positions I could find! Most never bothered replying, let alone offering feedback. But the ones that did reply wanted someone with Marketing experience.

Yes, for an entry-level job.

This was maddening. How could I possibly get any marketing experience without a marketing job!

Read on to discover some great insights from Marketing experts and industry leaders that helped me kick-start my career. 

Whether you’re a fresh grad looking for the right opportunity or a professional hoping to start your own agency, it’s important to be an expert in your field to have any chance of success. It not only gives you an edge when you know what you’re talking about, but it also instills a sense of confidence in your capabilities and helps you sell yourself (and/or services) better.

First, ask yourself what kind of Marketing job you want

If you’re new to marketing, start with trying everything and then narrow it down to the things you enjoy doing the most, and focus on developing that skill. Digital Marketing is a massive field with different areas to specialize in. Trying to find your area of focus could be overwhelming at first but the great news is – there really is something for everyone in the digital space. For example: If you enjoy writing to express yourself, content marketing is a great in-demand skill in the job market. If you’re a more visual person, you can explore graphic design, video and film creation, or even UX design. If you’re more analytical and result-focused, you could look into market research, consumer behavior, or growth marketing.

Make sure to also ask yourself what an ideal work day would look like so you don’t end up jumping into an environment you dislike. Do you like being part of a team, or do you prefer working alone? Do you want to rise up the ranks at an agency or do you want to start your own firm in the near future?

Do your research

As you begin your search, you will probably be bombarded with recommendations from people about what to focus on, where to apply, what to do, and what not to do. While these suggestions can be helpful, there’s no one way to the top. What works for other people, may not work for you and the only way to know is to experience it on your own. Sign up for seminars, agency tours and internships, and start forming an image of what success would look like to you.

Start your research by following market leaders’ blogs and social media accounts. They usually have some great insights to share and what you’re going to want to do is develop a good understanding of the industry. It will also help you keep up with trends, best practices, and even inspire you to create great content!

Some of my favorites are:

  • Neil Patel
  • SemRush
  • Dain Walker
  • Hubspot blogs
  • Brian Balfour
  • Moz
  • Hootsuite
  • Rand Fishkin
  • Gary Vaynerchuk

Develop your marketing skills

You don’t have to get a marketing degree to develop marketing skills. You can start by practicing writing. Communication skills are paramount for any Marketing professional. You have to be able to clearly communicate your message, ideas and concepts not just to your clients or audience, but to your internal team. There are also plenty of great certificates and courses that you can take online. Google, HubSpot, LinkedIn, and Udemy have some of the best digital marketing courses online.

Some of my favorites are:

  • The complete digital marketing course – Udemy
  • The fundamentals of digital marketing – Google
  • Google analytics certification – Google
  • AdWords certification – Google
  • Inbound marketing – HubSpot
  • Social media marketing foundations – LinkedIn

Of course, there are several others that you can take but you should definitely spend some time learning about analytics, how they work, and how to use them. This will help you track the success of a campaign, growth, engagement and other metrics that indicate areas of improvement, making it a great skill to add to your resume and help you stand out in a crowd of digital marketers who may be experienced, but definitely not certified.

Gain some experience

The only way to really get your career going is by gaining experience. You will probably have to intern, do some freelancing, or even take up some unpaid jobs, but it is definitely a worthwhile investment. Help a friend or a community organization with some Marketing projects to rack up that experience so that you can draw on them when you start applying for full-time jobs.

I’ve found that even internships and other part-time work may still be hard to find if you’re just starting out.

A great way to get around that is by creating your own content.

While creating your own content isn’t quite as good as actual Marketing experience with an organization, it shows initiative and helps you develop practical marketing skills. This will help build your portfolio.

You could create your own blog, and social media accounts to show them what you’re capable of. And the best part is – you can write about whatever you want! Then use the skills you learnt in those online courses to market your blog. Some of the things you’ll learn are: SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, analytics, and ads (if you decide to run some).

If you’re not too keen on the written content, you could use the same approach and start a YouTube channel or your own podcast! The goal is to show that you’re capable of applying the skills you’ve learned to achieve goals and see real results.

If you’re drawn to design, you could start working with Photoshop. Pixlr and Canva are also good starting points.

Create an online presence

Employers today are going to look up applicants online to learn more about them. If they can’t find you, they’re going to just move on to the next applicant that has a curated image – you might as well not exist without an online presence.

 You should also be weary on your social media profiles. Even relatively benign comments can determine whether you land the job or not. A Monster survey found that 84% of employers check social media accounts as part of their recruitment process. Posting inappropriate photos or videos were also among the main reasons applicants weren’t hired.  

But it’s not all bad news, social media can be a great way to create an impressive and professional online presence that illustrates your personality and skill-set. And don’t worry about being active on every social media platform. Just be sure you’re showing the best version of yourself on the ones that you do choose.

Be sure to create a dynamic resume that highlights your marketing skills and always write a personalized cover letter before you start applying for jobs. You can find great resume examples for marketing professionals online – use them to tailor yours.

Life tip: always go into an interview prepared. Create a plan for the company that outlines areas in need of improvement and propose an actionable plan that you would implement, if they were to hire you.

Conclusion

Where do you start when you’re starting out in Marketing? First ask yourself what kind of Marketing job you want. Marketing is such a broad and dynamic industry. While it is advisable to try everything at first, being a jack of all trades may keep you from developing real expertise in your field. Do your research and follow market leaders’ blogs and social media accounts to gain valuable insights, trends, and best practices. Then develop your marketing skills by taking courses, getting certifications, and gaining some experience. Start creating your own content and implement what you’ve learned. Create a great online presence that showcases your talent and personality in a professional way.

And if you feel under-qualified jumping into this world, remember that even some of the world’s most successful people suffer from imposter syndrome. So shake it off, stay focused on getting your skills where they need to be, and let the results do the talking.

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