What is the best way to get into marketing?

Hi Prathik!

Great question. It is my belief that the best way to get into marketing is to first and foremost - figure out what kinds of companies you'd want to help market! I recommend doing this for two important reasons: If you're passionate about the mission of the company you work for you will inevitably be better at your job and, quite simply, you will be happier in your career.

You can be a marketer in nearly every field, for any company. My advice is to really think about what you have a passion for (e.g. helping people, animals, sports, fashion, technology, etc.) and then pick a company you really like within that industry (e.g. CareerVillage.org, PetFinder, Red Sox, Urban Outfitters, EMC, etc.). From there, take a look at all the career options there are in marketing within that company. Once you have a good sense of what they do, try hard in college to get as much relevant experience that you can. You'll need to major in marketing of course, but aside from that, do things like volunteer for an organization (similar to the one you'd like to get a job with out of school!) to help out with their marketing, attend marketing Meetups, etc. Doing these things will also help to expand your professional network, which you'll need when you graduate and are looking for a job! Keep in mind that everyone you meet from here on out could potentially help you get to where you want to be in the future if of course, you've left a positive, hard working impression on them.

In the meantime, read up on all things marketing - the lingo, what's new/trending, what campaigns have worked and which have not. Doing research now will only help you to succeed in the future.

If you do these things, lining up a job in marketing upon graduation shouldn't be too difficult, and could even land you a role with more responsibility than an average entry-level position.

Let me know if you have any follow up questions or comments!

Find an internship in the field you think you may want to work in. If you change your mind along the way, or it leads you to a different industry, thats okay. Broad marketing experience is good. But an internship is your best way to get your foot in the door and gain experience before you enter the job market. Internship experience can be a huge deciding factor in hiring recent graduates because you have real world, real industry experience that some applicants and graduates do not.
Look up different areas or niches of marketing and explore areas that interest you. Make a list. Research internship websites, make a list and apply! If you are still currently in school, and have not yet graduated, inquire with your school's career center for any work study or internship opportunities in the marketing, external affairs, or public relations departments. This will give you an even bigger advantage when looking for that internship upon graduation. Good luck!

Marketing is a vast and varied field, so I'd suggest first thinking about which industries or fields you're most passionate. From there, try narrowing in on which brands you admire most and factor in why. Focusing will help you map out your path toward getting into the right zone.

Then, try finding someone in the marketing group at these brand who will let you shadow them for a couple days, or give you an 'informational interview' (a low pressure way to connect and get smart about the brand and business). Depending on where you are in your career our job search, you could also try to find an internship, where you'll get first hand experience in the company and marketing department, so you can "try them on" while they see if you're a fit too.

Given how vast the marketing arena is, the more effort you put into truly understanding what aspect of the industry you want to work in, and the types of roles you'd ideally want, the better - you'll save yourself endless dead ends and possible false starts.

It's a great industry that will always be a key part of business, so dig in and have fun!

You can start through either:
picking a part time course
talking to a senior marketer or someone with marketing background
search for a course that would give you an opportunity for work experience
there are also full-time courses / trainings
* there's also a lot of information online on the topic (e.g. http://www.hubspot.com/ ...)

Any experience to date and any business acumen developed to date is relevant as well and brings broader scope to the role.
You can links with individuals who might also be involved in a part-time course, they could be business professionals which might open networking opportunity for you to seek out career opportunities in different sectors (IT, finance, etc...).

Market research may require more academic grounding than the role of marketing account executive. Collating information, liaising with agencies and clients, and commissioning research according to the company’s needs will be a significant part of the job. A background in business, economics or the social sciences may be useful, as well a good level of commercial awareness.

Depends on which route you want to take:

if you want a creative and brand marketing, then working for an ad agency is a great route. If you want the real creative marketing agency experience, it will be important to work with a large global enterprise to see their marketing operations. for example, an internship or a graduate marketing program.

If you are more interested in the business development and sales side, many people start in sales and the product management side and transition into a marketing position. This happens a lot on the consumer products like P&G, pharma, telco, retailers as an example.

Good common sense is key, because you need to be analytical and creative and fast paced at the same time.

Look at job descriptions of what you aspire to be and plan your career path to build those skills.

Hi Prathik,

Marketing is a wide net and provides enormous opportunities. I would suggest finding an industry that is interesting to you and then exploring the various types of marketing within that industry. Some broad examples include brand, product, demand, advertising, public relations, field, etc. You can use intern programs or entry level positions to get a foot in the door to begin exploring which area of marketing is the most interesting. The internet can also be a good source to get additional information.

You want to get marketing experience as soon as possible. You can do this by taking on a marketing role in a school organization or volunteer organization. You can approach small businesses in your area and volunteer to manage their websites or social media pages. You can also read and take many courses on the topic of marketing. Good luck!

hi,

make sure you have good communication skills and convincing capacity, fist gett into a sales process, doing business analyst course will also help you, taking up bbm in degree and mba(marketing ) in gp will help you, internship is manadatory

Find a mentor. Use social media to advertise. Read a book or survey a Consumer Behavior course at your local college or university. Today, people have the option of going to school or building the skills by training themselves. However, knowing people in the field that will mentor you is more valuable than schooling. Relationships, skills, and the willingness to learn are essential for a lot of mainstream companies. What I mean by skills is a comprehensive knowledge and a practical (experiential) knowledge.

Questions:

What type of marketing are you interested in?
Is that a viable job in America considering offshoring, nearshoring, and other globalization tactics?

The more knowledge and experience, the more chance you have of getting a job in marketing. Most graduates start off in junior positions (assistants) and work their way up. These entry-level positions are a good way to gain a broad experience of the industry. However, employers will expect you to contribute immediately! You’ll have to be aware of any good opportunities around you and be prepared to take them in order to build your career.
Many large companies offer graduate trainee or assistant schemes. The emphasis is increasingly on integrated skills, so you should be prepared to work in any department and gain an all-round training. Once you have entered the profession, there are numerous opportunities to help you develop your career.
Many marketers working today did not necessarily start out in marketing. Frequently marketers come from other areas of the business such as sales and customer service as these involve transferable skills that fit well in a marketing role. You could find a non-marketing role with a company keen on promoting from within and look to move internally, but don’t expect to make it to the marketing department overnight. Keep on the lookout and make sure you make your transferable skills sellable.
Network, network and network! You never know who could offer you a marketing opportunity so it pays to go to events being held at your university, or socially, where you might be able to gain contacts and meet industry representatives. In fact, as an Affiliate of CIM, you get invited to such regional and national events which are a meeting place for many junior and senior marketers.
Relevant work experience is extremely attractive to prospective employers. If your degree course does not include a work placement in a relevant company or position, you could look for suitable opportunities online or approach local companies for holiday work in marketing functions. Some of the large graduate recruiters (such as Unilever and Mars) offer students paid summer placements in marketing and other departments. Smaller companies are also open to additional resources so we recommend you keep your approach broad.
If you do not have a degree in marketing, then you may want to consider a relevant course or a professional marketing qualification from CIM (The Chartered Institute of Marketing). You may be able to find an employer that will sponsor you to do this if they can see the value it will bring to their company. Our qualifications are driven by the practical needs of marketers and the industries in which they work.