8 Ways to Kick-start a Career in Marketing

The job market is flush with degrees in marketing, advertising, PR and communications. With so much young talent competing for the same positions, new marketers need to hit the ground running.

1. Get a Broad Base

Unless you are certain there’s a specific area of marketing you want to go into, starting in a generalist capacity allows you to learn a little about all types of marketing. This will serve you well as you determine where your strengths and weaknesses lie and what you are truly passionate about. It will also make you more marketable as you advance your career.

2. Become a Fanatic

Find brands you love. They don’t need to be in your industry or even relevant to what you do (sometimes it’s better when they aren’t). Follow them on social, subscribe to their blog, read their PR. Once you’ve identified what you admire about them, take the elements you like and apply them to your business. Not only will this make you better at your job, it will also enable you to bring new ideas to the table and innovate faster.

3. Branch Out

Make an effort to get to know co-workers outside of your immediate team. Not only will this make work more enjoyable, but you will improve at your role. If you’re not sure where to start, target the sales, product development or HR teams. These relationships will be instrumental to your growth. Having someone in your corner from these groups will ensure you understand their lingo and viewpoint and ensure the product or service is marketed the way it should be.