New business studies courses are being developed each year, and many include a strong marketing element, with the possibility of specializing in advertising, marketing design or public relations. Further details of these are provided. However, as there are more of these than ever before, there are more candidates with similar academic qualifications, and employers are, as ever, looking for work experience as well as paper qualifications and enthusiasm.
At a time when many companies have cut down on the number of new staff they recruit, you may find it easier to get some work experience if you can afford to work for nothing for a while. Write off to companies you have highlighted as being of interest (perhaps they have advertised in the press for other types of vacancy), and offer your services free in an administrative capacity for a few weeks. Make sure you have a skill to offer good typing, word processing and desktop publishing skills are the norm nowadays.
Job Advertisements
Several of the major national papers feature media and marketing recruitment pages on certain days each week, and some of these are junior openings. The Guardian on Mondays is the most extensive of these. It is also worth reading the specialist marketing press, such as Campaign, Marking Week, Media Week and Marketing. These carry recruitment advertising, usually for more senior positions, and they also offer an excellent insight into movements in the industries: who is working on which accounts, which agencies are successful, who is moving where and so on. These should all be available in a good local reference library.
In a similar vein, there are handbooks, yearbooks and directories used by these industries which offer details of companies for sending speculative letters and CV's.
Speculative Applications
It may be worth researching the top 30 companies you would most like to work for and writing to them. Make sure you select a mixture of large and small companies, as you may be more likely to get an interview from a smaller organization.
Trainee ship
Some companies operate trainee schemes. While places for these are heavily oversubscribed and preference is often shown to graduates, it is well worth finding out who offers what. Consult the relevant association to find out if they have up to the minute details, or, again, write to your top 30 asking if they run any sort of scheme. The annual Directory of Graduate Opportunities, GO, published by New point Ltd, lists employers offering training schemes to graduates in all areas of industry. This should be available from your local careers service, which may also be able to help you apply. You will also be able to consult Graduate Post there, which carries advertising for jobs and government sponsored training programs for graduates. Don't just consider major cities: it is just as likely that a local company or agency may be able to offer a place. Once in, you will need to work hard, and demonstrate your willingness to learn, your abilities and your understanding of the way the organization works.
Moving On or Across
A popular way of getting into a company is to begin at the very bottom and work your way up. This still depends on the availability of such jobs, and at the moment many companies do not even have vacancies at these levels.
One area which seems ever popular is advertising sales. This involves a great deal of telephone work, trying to persuade people to advertise in a particular publication. It can be tough work, often for a low basic salary with the possibility of earning commission for sales you make. Be careful about jobs which are commission only: it might be weeks before you get a sale, and you may not be able to afford to live on that basis. Nevertheless, it can get you into the media environment, particularly if you are working in a large organization. You can show your willingness to learn about how the editorial side of the publication runs, and you will be learning a little about marketing, from the other side. Use this work to sharpen your communication skills, and to learn about advertising and audience research from the clients you book and the data you use to convince them to place their advertisements with you.
Making your Application
Make sure that your curriculum vitae and covering letter are error free and that they read well, as one of the skills demanded in most of these industries is good writing skills and an attention to detail and presentation. A good book on this subject is Preparing Your Own CV, by Rebecca Cornfield, published by Cogan Page.
Above all, make yourself aware of the work the company is doing before you write and especially if you are invited to interview. They are likely to ask you what you thought of some of their recent work, and to ask you to comment on some work you have admired from some other companies or agencies. You must be aware of the industry's activity, and be prepared to comment on it.
If you have already done some copy writing or press work, send in a selected few good samples. Above all, get the balance right between essential information and too much detail. If you can, ask somebody working in a similar field to look at your CV and letter first, to give you an expert's view. It still amazes me that I receive letters of application with my name, or the name of my company, incorrectly spelt or without the pieces of information specifically requested in the advertisement!.
