Marketing has evolved from simple, smiley messages about tubes of toothpaste and the like into a multidimensional, interactive process that invites the individual to be a participant in a product, rather than simply a consumer. Simply put, the consumer now has a greater say in the sale of the product. As an offshoot of this, companies are finding it necessary to change the way they market products and are looking to hire young professionals and graduates with the necessary know-how for this new marketing dynamic at their fingertips.
Savvy consumers are no longer content to be merely passive viewers of marketing media, especially of advertisements such as television commercials, newspaper ads, banner ads, and the like. Instead, studies have found that they respond much more strongly to a “relationship,” however real or abstract, with a product or brand. When looking for a job in marketing, then, it is important to be doubly aware of people as both consumers and individuals.
Take word of mouth, for instance. No amount of banging a message into the consumer's head will do in a hundred years what a good word from a trusted peer will do for a person, product, or service. This is why many companies and service providers find that an interactive platform, such as a blog or product forum, is a great way to build consumer confidence and credibility.
When applying for a job in marketing, whether field or mobile, keep in mind that there are several avenues open to you, whether in sales itself, in copywriting, or even just in administrative support. In a field marketing company itself, there will be much more hands-on experience regarding both the selling process and market research. Mobile marketing refers to marketing via both mobile phones and in moving objects, such as traveling demonstrations or movable billboards. There are a whole host of different guidelines that apply to all types of mobile marketing jobs, and you must be sure you fully understand them if you're looking for a job in this field.
You are most likely to get an entry-level marketing job right after graduation. These include positions like junior sales rep, marketing assistant, and management associate, among others, and do not offer very lucrative compensation packages. However, they do offer the chance to learn from the bottom up, gain in-depth knowledge about how the business works, and to work your way up a clearly defined professional career ladder.
Recruitment is an ongoing process in any field marketing company, whether for field or office positions. As part of a field staff, you are given on-the-job training and supervision until you are deemed capable enough to handle the marketing process on your own. There are several places to apply for jobs in marketing, the most obvious one being over the Internet. With growing databases of both potential employers and jobs available online, this is the first place to start your search.
The next place you'll want to look is the print media, with magazine advertisement and newspaper classifieds both listing current positions. There are also good job centers and recruitment agencies out there, and if you can get a peer referral from someone you know, that would be the best way to go about searching with a recruitment agency. Finally, many companies have a “tell-a-friend” scheme, which is like a sort of formalized word-of-mouth process. If you know somebody already working in a marketing company that you want to work in as well, then it's often as simple as letting your insider know you'd like to work there. Then, if you turn out to be a good worker, your contact gets a reward. So, they're getting something out of it, too.
Finally, your own personal networking — through family, friends, co-workers, and especially old bosses — is known to be one of the most effective ways of getting a job in a company that really suits you, rewarding you both personally and financially. Marketing jobs are not hard to find, and many field marketing companies have high turnover rates as employees keep moving up the career ladder. Finding the right job for you should not be too difficult as long as you are determined, thorough, and have a natural flair for it.
