Getting a job in Marketing
Whether you’re just starting out on your Marketing career journey or you’re about to embark on a complete career change, there are lots of things that you ought to consider. We’ve put together some basic tips that should help if getting a job in Marketing is on your agenda.
Time for a reality check
Firstly, it’s important to remember that marketing is tough. In fact, it can be one of the most competitive roles to get into. You have to therefore be able to fully demonstrate your interest and ability to any prospective employer, tech startup or recruiter. If you don’t have a relevant degree or work experience in a marketing role, then you will have to prove to an employer that you have a genuine interest in this area and provide evidence of it. If you have work experience in other areas, perhaps consider what transferable skills you may have acquired which would be most relevant for a marketing post.
Put a portfolio of your writing together
If you’re a recent graduate, or if you’ve been working in a completely different area, you may not necessarily have lots of examples of your writing that you could immediately show to potential tech employers. So, you’ll need to get a little creative and no, you can’t use your university essays or your dissertation... you have to work harder than this! It would be best however to start putting together a portfolio of any writing that you actually have undertaken.
You could, for example, create an online portfolio to showcase your writing skills on a platform like Clippings.me or Writers Residence. By having a dedicated online portfolio you will be able to show your work, your style of writing and of course your professionalism. After all, it’s likely that for any job you apply for, you will most probably be competing against other candidates who have a degree in Marketing, or an MSc in Marketing or who perhaps have a year’s relevant industry experience in a Marketing role. Therefore, if you can demonstrate your skills without having gone down the route that other candidates may have, all the better. The good news is that it is possible!
Start writing a blog
The best way of being able to demonstrate your writing ability to any prospective tech startup, scaleup or established business is by starting a blog. You can pick a topic that you’re passionate about, a hobby, an interest or perhaps even a topic on a business-related subject. If you’re embarking on a career change, you could perhaps write about the sector you’ve been working in or any recent developments in that area. No matter what topic you choose to write about, you can launch your own blog easily on a website such as WordPress or Blogger or if you’d prefer, you can simply start to write posts on LinkedIn.
It’s important to make sure that your posts are well-written and are grammatically correct. Get someone to double-check if you’re unsure. After all, attention to detail is important in any marketing role, so accuracy in spelling and grammar is a must. No matter what subject area that you choose to write about, make sure that it is a sensible topic and one that would appeal to any prospective employer or recruiter that reads it.
Where can you get blog writing experience?
It’s time to think creatively about where you can get writing experience so that you can build up your writing portfolio. Look out for opportunities from within your existing contacts where you could write blogs. This could include writing blogs for your university careers department or course faculty or opinion pieces or reviews for your university magazine.
Your old secondary school might have some opportunities for you to write for their newsletter or website. It would also be worthwhile to explore any writing opportunities that may exist within local community groups or sports clubs - from local initiatives and community interest stories through to match reports or competition news. And speaking of news, don’t forget your local newspaper - they may just welcome the opportunity to publish one of your articles - whether in their print copy or online. Simply remember that people are always desperate for new content so will most likely appreciate your submissions - and you’ll benefit too!
Develop your online presence
In order to further highlight your skills, it would be best to set up a separate Instagram and Twitter account on your chosen topic and start to write relevant social media copy. You’ll then be able to demonstrate your skills in both copywriting and image selection to any prospective employer, tech startup or recruiter. You could also perhaps set up a website on Squarespace where you could showcase your skills for a little extra evidence that you’re really keen.
Gain new skills
In addition to honing your writing skills, you should undertake some online courses to further develop your knowledge. After all, there are additional skills that everyone in a Marketing role absolutely must know. Therefore, it’s absolutely essential that you develop your skills and knowledge of these. You should ideally become certified if you’re going to be considered a serious candidate by employers, tech startups and recruiters. The skills you should develop include:
Google digital garage certificate
Update your CV and LinkedIn
Once you have completed the courses outlined above, you’ll need to update your CV, updating anything from your CV profile to your key skills and hobbies. After all, by having these on your CV, you will be clearly demonstrating to tech employers and recruiters that you’ve invested time in gaining new skills and that you are really keen for a role in marketing.
It would be best also to have a look at your LinkedIn profile and ensure that you have included the new skills you have learnt. You should also ensure that it states that you want a role in Marketing in your subtitles and that you include a link to your online portfolio.
When that’s all completed, it’s time to embark on your search for that coveted job in Marketing!
Who we are
Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK and Europe.
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