In the UK, around 197,000 people work in advertising and marketing. The industry is popular for several reasons—no two days are the same, it’s fast-growing, and it involves plenty of collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders. So if you’re looking to get into marketing, you should know that roles are competitive—but don’t lose hope. Even if you do not have a marketing qualification, you might still be able to get a job in the industry. For example, marketing professionals at Brick Digital, a Digital Marketing Agency Hertfordshire, say that applicants impress them much more if they have a likeable personality and are driven to learn and progress, over someone with a qualification without these key traits.
What Do Marketers Do?
Marketers get the word out about a brand’s products or services, and, as a result, their job descriptions are multifaceted. A marketer will do anything from creating social media posts, writing blog posts, formulating press releases, building email campaigns, running and optimising digital ads and much more. Marketers will typically choose a specialism, such as digital marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, or product marketing.
To get a job in marketing, there are five things you must know/possess:
Creativity
First, to get a job in marketing, you need to be creative. You must be able to tap into the wants, needs and motivations of target audiences in a unique way to create impactful marketing campaigns. Creativity will help you create content that is original and impactful, which results in high-quality leads and, by extension, sales.
In a saturated market, businesses need to hire individuals that will mastermind creative campaigns that make the brand stand out from the crowd. So if you can demonstrate in a job application and an interview that you think creatively, you’ll stand out from other applicants.
Interpersonal Skills
Another vital skill that you need if you want to get a job in marketing is strong communication and interpersonal skills. You need to be able to communicate ideas and concepts to others in your organisation, as well as in marketing campaigns aimed and consumers.
One of the best ways to improve your interpersonal skills in a marketing environment is to do an internship or apprenticeship. During your training, you’ll not only learn all there is to know about marketing, but you’ll also refine your interpersonal skills, ready for when you apply for a full-time marketing role.
Commercial Awareness
As a marketer, you need to have a strong sense of commercial awareness. Understanding how the brand you work for operates and how it needs to appeal to its target audience will help you work towards company-wide goals. For example, marketing roles involve knowing who brand competitors are and pinpointing aspects of their marketing strategies that contribute to their success.
To increase your commercial awareness, you should keep up to date with developments in your industry by reading articles produced by industry-specific news outlets. If you can demonstrate commercial awareness during an interview for a marketing role, we promise that the interviewers will be impressed!
Flexibility
A role in marketing requires flexibility. The industry is fast-paced, so you need to be able to adapt to changing circumstances quickly. While every marketer dreams of a content calendar that is well-organised and set in stone, in reality, it simply doesn’t work out that way. Your marketing plans will not be stationary—unexpected industry changes, global developments, and PR hiccups (to name a few) will disrupt your plans at some point. For this reason, you must be ready to adapt campaigns if necessary to ensure your brand messaging is on point.
Flexibility is particularly important in a marketing role because the industry is becoming more reliant on technology. To thrive in a marketing role, you must be able to use new platforms and tools to optimise campaigns, such as email marketing platforms, social monitoring and listening tools, scheduling software and more.
Writing
The need for individuals with strong writing skills in marketing is not new, but with each day that passes, it becomes more vital. Digital marketing is heavily focused on written content creation, and without a capable writer, campaigns will simply fall flat. Marketers must be able to convey ideas clearly, breaking down features or benefits of a product or service into terms that are easy for the target audience to understand. Furthermore, as video content continues to grow in popularity, marketers will be expected to write compelling scripts to keep audiences hooked.
Final Thoughts
Securing a job in marketing may take some time—the industry is highly competitive. However, you’re more likely to be chosen for a role if you can show an employer that you are creative, have interpersonal skills, possess commercial awareness, have a flair for writing and can adapt to new situations and circumstances.
Article written by HR Future Staff Member.
