Seven ways to break into marketing and position yourself to secure your first marketing role

Rene Power, MMC Learning Marketing Director writes:

Marketing roles have an implicit glamour that make them an attractive and desirable career.

And more and more businesses are investing in marketing themselves, developing branded solutions that bring tangible balance sheet impact.

Just browsing the recruitment website Indeed, we can see there are currently listings in the UK for over 14,957 open roles. This is dwarfed by the 2.8m people with the word “marketing” in their headline/role on Linkedin. (Search results 21 July 2021).

So, if you’ve set your heart on a career in marketing, how do you make the best possible start?

As we’ve supported over 3,000 marketing professionals at a variety of levels over two decades, here’s a 7-point checklist to help you map out your route.

1. Be clear on what type of marketing role you want

The industry has hugely fragmented as specialisms have emerged. There are comparatively few full mix roles around, although a good understanding of a wide variety of elements will help you later in your career when going for promotions and management roles.

Be clear on where you think you can add some value or have some experience. It may be in one or more of the following areas: Social media, search, paid search, website development, website optimisation, content strategy and creation, copywriting, email marketing, events, brand.

2. Know what marketing recruiters are asking for

Review job specifications for roles you’d like to apply for to identify what you have and what you don’t. It’s important that when you are applying for roles – always better through some kind of personal connection, that you tailor an application to the specific needs of the recruiting company.

Then establish how quickly you can fill the gaps using some of the techniques below.

3. Build your own brand

Whether it is on LinkedIn, running your own YouTube page, doing a podcast or writing a blog, it is important you demonstrate your passion by shining a light on what inspires, interests, even confuses you.

4. Get some work experience on your CV

When hiring account executives for marketing agencies, I often looked beyond qualifications and wanted to see a real passion for marketing.

Candidates that stand out in the interview process and those that go above and beyond.

They might be running a Facebook group, YouTube channel, writing a blog or managing an ecommerce store for a charity or start-up. Experience, in the form of passion for getting into the industry, is a powerful way of showing recruiters you mean business.

5. Connect with industry influencers

Use sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to find, follow and connect with the leading voices in the part of the industry you’re looking to enter.

Drink in their content and get involved in the discussions on their posts and begin to build your profile and visibility off the back of what they’re doing. You’ll be seen by more of the right people.

This is a valid strategy at any stage of your career.