I read this article on HubSpot and found it helpful for any college student pursuing a career in marketing. Having trouble getting started? Don’t worry, here is some information and steps you can take today to begin your career exploration process.
Step 1: Find your marketing career path
Here are types of career paths in the marketing industry and a brief description of each one:
- Digital Marketing:
- Use of digital channels like search engines, websites, email, & mobile apps (extremely important right now in the digital age we are living in)
- Content Marketing:
- Use of long-form content, websites, blogs, and even audio and video content (both visual & auditory based)
- Product Marketing:
- Advertising that revolves around the product being sold & how companies make it appeal to the audience (story telling)
- Brand Marketing:
- This advertising revolves around the brand as a whole rather than the individual product; consumers tend to buy from brands they deem reputable
- Event Marketing:
- Promotion of a product or company via interactive mechanisms (community-building)
- Niche Marketing:
- Use of promotional efforts on small defined segments; useful for targeting a specific, small sector of an audience
- Marketing Analysis:
- Process of studying & interpreting data findings and marketing trends
- Marketing Strategy:
- The process of developing these findings into plans on how to improve business performance & increase sales
Step 2: Find your job
There are many job opportunities to consider, but for the purposes of this guide, I have chosen to use Public Relations Manager and will elaborate on this process more in Step 3.
Public Relations (PR) Manager
Career Path: Brand Marketing
Tasks:
- Create + maintain public image of a company
- Establish strong relationships with clientele & interest groups
- Write press releases
- Develop consistent messaging throughout company
- Market campaigning
Skills:
- Teamwork
- Showmanship
- Verbal + written communication
- Social media marketing
- Leadership
- Crisis management
Step 3: How to get there
Figure out what type of career path you want to follow. Review these descriptions from Step 1 and figure out which type of marketing interests you the most. Do you want to do digital marketing? Product marketing? Brand marketing?
I will show you my process as an example. The career path from Step 1 I am interested in is brand marketing.
Figure out what role you want. Go deeper here. First, before applying online for jobs, make a list of everything you want to do and everything you are good at. Then, once you begin your online job search, review the positions from Step 2 and determine which ones align with your premade list of skills and interests. For example, if you write on your list “I am good at writing and enjoy sharing stories with others” you might want to consider a position in product marketing, brand marketing, or PR. If you write, “I am organized and enjoy working with numbers and data,” you’ll want to lean towards a SEO/SEM specialist position or market analysis. And as for areas that you have less knowledge or experience with, you can strengthen them by observing and learning from other members on your team who have different skills from yours.
Continuing with my example, here is a list of my best skills:
- Writing
- Editing
- Organization
- Story telling
- Persuasion
- Leadership
- Social media
- Verbal communication
- Public performance
- Problem-solving
Here is a list of my career interests:
- Sharing the stories of companies
- Social media content creation
- Data analytics & strategy implementation
- Innovative problem solving
- Writing newsletters and press releases
- Representing the face of the organization
Now, I am looking at jobs in the brand marketing section. Based on my two lists, my skills and interests align best with the tasks of a Public Relations (PR) manager.
Step 4: Market yourself.
In addition to polishing your resume, cover letter, and interview skills, make sure you have a well-developed social media presence and outward image. Make sure your online persona is consistent with yourself in real life.
If you have any more questions about how to navigate this process, please use Handshake to schedule an appointment with the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration. For any interest in marketing, please visit the Marketing, Sales, and Communication Career Community. We look forward to meeting you and guiding you towards exciting, fulfilling career opportunities.
