How marketing qualifications can set you up to work for yourself as a marketing consultant, marketing trainer or marketing coach

In this series of new blog posts from MMC Learning, we’re exploring the main desires that drive career development in the marketing profession.

In this post, we’re looking at how marketing qualifications help scores of professionals enter self-employment and make a respectable living as professional marketing consultants, trainers and coaches.

The global uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic made many marketers realise that an employed career for life may not be most attractive career strategy.

And the technological developments that have been magnified during that period have demonstrated that there is a huge opportunity for those able to take advantage to forge their own career in their niche.

Historically, taking the leap into self-employment has always been seen as risky, but with most of the developed world working at home for an extended period, any remaining stigma has been removed.

Smart businesses are recognising the value in outsourcing to experienced professionals in critical areas when needed, rather than employing at high cost.

Whether you’re already working for yourself or looking to go self-employed in the marketing field, we’ve considered six ways adding a professional marketing qualification to your CV, like one of the many CIM courses delivered by accredited study centre MMC Learning, will support and improve your self-employment prospects.

1. Enhance credibility

We’ve spoken in other posts about how studying for and attaining a professional marketing qualification can add real credibility to your CV. This becomes increasingly important when you are selling yourself, your experience and your expertise.

Companies looking for support, particularly in areas like marketing are looking for relatable experience, and evidence of professional discipline. There are lots of options and it is a relatively easy profession to enter with the barest of experience.

So, having a professional qualification demonstrates you’re serious, you’ve taken the time, invested the money and done the work to mark yourself out from other less professional, jobbing marketers.

2. Improve marketing knowledge

Studying a professional marketing course means immersing yourself in new and industry leading knowledge as well as time served best practise. Courses of study like the CIM courses offered by MMC learning are specifically designed to impart theoretical and strategic concepts in a way that they can be practically applied by students.

This means what you learn you can use in the real world.

And if you’re working for yourself providing marketing counsel to your own clients, this is a significant advantage over many in the industry.

3. Understand and apply proven methodologies

Gaining a professional marketing qualification shows would-be clients that you can add value to their business through application of best practise models and processes.

When you study different models and critique them, you learn more about why some become best practise and how best to apply them.

Many of the most popular marketing frameworks from SWOT to PEST to BCG to Ansoff to Porter and more are broken down in professional marketing courses of study so students can understand them more deeply and use them with greater confidence and clarity.

4. Gain from application and feedback

The application of learning to real world situations and learning from the process of implementation is a powerful part of modern marketing study. With an increasing role for applying sound marketing principles to actual marketing planning and campaigns, students get a greater opportunity to test concepts where it matters.

And securing crucial feedback from tutors and trainers and other expert voices involved in the creation and dissemination of course content, is another powerful advantage of undertaking a learning experience.

When it comes to then applying directly to your own client’s businesses, you’ll have more confidence in your decision making, than solely by using your gut.

5. Start to attract the right clients

Working towards or having a professional marketing qualification can help you position to attract more of the right type of clients. Qualifications, when matched with experience, demonstrate your commitment to your profession.

And in many sectors which themselves uphold the importance of professional qualifications, you will be more respected.

Always keep in mind that the marketing industry is a very competitive sector and there are new people entering all the time – some with specialised experience, others more general.

Being able to talk strategically, to offer insights, to provide a structured process and clear thinking and to be able to implement decisively; these are the essential requirements of a modern marketing consultant and all of them can be learned and developed through of course of study.

6. Charge a fee relevant to your experience

Of course, the most important aspect of working for yourself as a marketing consultant, trainer or coach is that your practice is commercially viable. This means you need to make enough money.

As we’ve indicated above, when you have the credibility and can apply both the knowledge and proven methodologies you’ll learn about in a professional course of study, you will be quickly able to escalate the growth of your business in the market you have a passion for.

Professional qualifications become part of your brand and your offer which means you’ll be able to charge a fee relevant to the value that you bring.

To find out more about how MMC Learning can help you improve your career prospects with CIM qualification, contact our team today.

Call 0161 826 4644 or click the book a discovery link below.

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Certificate in Professional Marketing.

Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing

Diploma in Professional Marketing

Diploma in Professional Digital Marketing