If you have the gift of the gab, a career in marketing is going to ensure that you enjoy your job and make headway for yourself in terms of a career. After all, selling a product is of vital importance when it comes to marketing.
Unlike other professions, marketing jobs are rather individualistic, but because of the dynamic nature of the fields, there is something to do with everyone. I have heard many marketing experts say that a job in marketing is an extension of your personality, and to be honest, it is. Also, marketing is very job specific — what might work for a technological startup company might not necessarily work for a sports company trying to sell cricket bats. The approach has to be different in each case and this is where strategy plays a huge role.
Requirements
Ambition is very important if you want a career in marketing. If climbing the corporate ladder and talking to people appeals to you, perhaps this is your calling. Energy is also a must because if you run out of steam midway, then you cannot keep up with a full-fledged marketing job. Motivation, determination, and courage of conviction are vital if you wish to make it big in this field. Also, one must understand that a marketing job has to match with one’s abilities. A marriage of the two will be a match made in heaven!
Marketing is what is determines whether a company succeeds or fails. While many companies offer marketing jobs straight after graduation (with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or even a medical degree or a social sciences degree) which might suffice for certain companies, many companies will expect you to have a degree from a fantastic business school.
In marketing you will probably be expected to design, implement, and even plan the budget to the last detail. While the pay packet is very enticing, this will require you to work very hard; a little bit of experience in marketing would not hurt you either. For all you know, you could be offered the position of a research analyst or a new product manager or a marketing manager or even intricately plan out marketing strategies for your company. If you think that you can handle all of this, then voila! You have found your calling.
Do you like work that requires analysis, organization, and implementation of projects? Have you ever been called a ''control freak'' by your friends? If so, then marketing may just be the jobs of your dreams! You will make an excellent marketing manager. But as Spiderman once said, ''With great power comes great responsibility,'' and so you need to be responsible for everyone that works under you.
If you’ve just finished college and you’re looking for a job and still contemplating what to do, you have a plethora of opportunities to choose from. Good business sense and shrewd marketing sensibility will distinguish you from the thousands of others that apply for the job. Good tactical sense is an added advantage when it comes to jobs in marketing.
An internship may be a good idea but is not advisable if one is looking to earn money. However, in terms of work experience, it is a fantastic prospect for your resume. If one is not from a very wealthy family, it can prove to be a rather difficult task.
It is important that before plunging into an internship, one has to understand what benefits one may achieve after undergoing the internship. Since one is not going to be paid for one’s services, it is important to think carefully about whether one wants to undergo this period of internship or not. It is important to sit down, discuss opportunities, and work requirements with one’s potential employer (in this case the person under which one will be interning) and be clear about terms and conditions.
Also, be careful with the kind of questions that you are asked. In marketing, there are a lot of trick questions which are asked and these questions are asked deliberately to see if the interviewee can rise up to the challenge and come up with creative concepts. You cannot afford to be shy and withdrawn during your interview. A person with less potential will get the job that you are vying for if you don’t talk. Effusiveness is a virtue if you want to land a job in marketing.
When you are face to face with the interview, make sure you highlight your skills. It is important that you create a good impression because after all, he/she is the person who will be giving you the job. Also, you must be up-to date with current trends. Online marketing strategies and monthly magazines are things that you must start reading. Trade tribunals should accelerate your thought process and help you come up with new ideas. Billboard campaigns that caught your eye should not be dismissed either.
You don’t always have to speak to the customers just because you are doing a job in marketing. Many of the times, you may be brand manager or a company and that will require little or no interaction with your clients. If you are a brand manager, you will be coming up with innovative strategies for tangible products. In doing so, you will realize what your target customer base is and you can learn how to ''kill the competition''. An account manager will be appointed to answer all the client’s queries. This is will ensure that you concentrate solely on marketing and let someone else deal with customers.
Conclusion
With an amalgamation of sincerity, a sense of the market, hard work, confidence and the right set of skills, you are on your way to flourishing in the area of marketing.
