If you are not a marketing major but have a passion for it, should I apply for a marketing job?

Absolutely! I have a degree in history and Spanish literature. It was a little tough at first because during interviews, people wanted to know what experience I had if I didn't have marketing as a major. I learned there were some folks who couldn't see past that, so I had to develop a bit of a tough skin. But it also helped me focus my search on what I really cared about. When you can speak passionately and demonstrate how you think, the smart employers will take notice. Tell them about the skills you have, what you're interested in, and how you can help them. Also, you might consider an internship.

Definitely.
1. If you are passionate about marketing, prove it. It doesn't have to be in the marketing field but you market yourself every day. Highlight that.
2. Understand competencies of marketing. They could be: Quantitative skills, Project Management, Strategic agility, Business management, Financial acumen etc. People with these background or skills constantly get into marketing and excel too. If you have any of these skills from another domain, bring it to the table. All you have to do is look for opportunities for interviews.
3. Talk to some marketers and do a SWOT analysis. Understand where you fall, focus on your strength, address your weakness and realize your opportunities and threats.
4. What goes into your journey are: 1. Passion, 2. Skill, 3. Academic credentials / Knowledge. Show your dedication by supplementing your passion with education. Look for Online courses (there are a lot of sites that give you learning and also certifications from top universities: edx.org, courseera.com etc).

I am typing this answer with my colleagues who have their undergrad degree in "Geography", "Engineering", "Electronics" and we are all digital marketers.

Yes, most of my colleagues and I don't have marketing majors. In fact, many universities don't even offer a marketing major. At Google, the goal of marketing was to, "know the customer, know the magic of the product, and connect the two." If you can do that, you'll be a great marketer.

Kelsey,

You should absolutely pursue your passion as suggested also by the great answers you also have above. As an engineer with a major in computer science , I started my career in technical related jobs, gradually growing and progressing into leadership responsibilities which led me to pursue my MBA , and I eventually I was offered a marketing role to develop and launch from scratch a service offering that required technical knowledge, which I absolutely loved and which prompted my love for marketing. I've spend the last few years of my career in marketing roles, continuing to learn and evolve as a marketer both with my day to day experience and external training. At this point where marketing is undergoing such a profound transformation for both B2B and B2C companies as a result of major IT trends such as cloud, social, mobile and big data / analytics, what a couple of years ago was named "Digital Marketing" soon will become just "Marketing", as the vast majority of marketing's future will be digital. One of the best books to read to understand this transformation is "The rise of the Platform Marketer" by Wiley. Hope you enjoy it, and this info helps ! https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Platform-Marketer-Performance-High-Growth/dp/1119059720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482243336&sr=8-1&keywords=platform+marketer

Good luck, always pursue your passion, and work will always feel like play .

R.

You should try to do whatever you have passion for, if you like it, go for it, the easiest way if you dont have experience is to go for an internship. There are many courses you can get for free to learn more about the area, your major shouldnt be a roadblock, however you will have to try harder since you will compete with people that has been studying this for years. There are companies were they dont care about your major but about what you can do for them, ive seen chemical engineers, teachers and others working in finance, purchases and marketing so definitely go for it if its your passion

If you've developed a passion for Marketing then apply for it! I would utilize any skills you've developed in communication and projects.

Marketing Agencies are a great place to get entry level marketing jobs. They often hire individuals based on their people skills or ability to analyze data and you can get great marketing exposure there. For some agencies your music background would be of particular interest.

Yes ,,,,agree, having passion for a subject is great, and you should follow your passion........many people are in marketing that took degrees in different subjects, degrees also indicate your ability to learn not just having knowledge about a particular topic
Marketing covers lots of topics and is key to business, marketing should be working hand in hand with sales, so opportunities to move into other areas of the business can also be found in marketing.

Having never gained a major / higher education degree I have found my passion is marketing - I would always encourage anyone to follow their passion/career no matter what.
Your passion for your career could encourage you to be more creative, innovative and develop yourself.

Absolutely. A good gateway into marketing is starting in a sales position first. That way you get to understand the customer set and product portfolio. You can then mentor with colleagues in the marketing department, form a network and find a marketing position that you love!

Definitely, go for it! Passion counts double. Employers much prefer hiring passionate people than people who have a right major and are not really engaged. Plus, having a business major will help you dive in into the marketing field, you can even try to apply for internships and experience what is like to work in marketing department.
I myself been a computer science major which is miles away from Marketing. But that’s what I have been passionate and that didn’t stop me from pursuing marketing internships in tech companies, enrolling in marketing courses and developing the skills needed to success in that function. That definitely helped me see the big picture and understand what working in marketing really entails. You also have so many marketing sub-fields (market research, data analytics, consumer behavior, to name a few) that each has a world of its own – So, I would definitely give it a try if I were you and I believe you will absolutely have fun exploring the one you lean on most.