You don’t need a degree in marketing to get a marketing job — but it certainly does help. When employers see a job applicant with a marketing degree on their resume, they know that candidate has been trained in all the skills and knowledge they need to execute marketing tasks effectively. If you want a career in marketing, you should probably invest in a bachelor’s degree in the field, at least.
However, a marketing degree alone is not enough to guarantee yourself outrageous career success. A long and lucrative marketing career is made not merely of the credential you receive but of the extra steps you take to improve your knowledge and skill during and after your education. While you earn your bachelor’s degree in marketing, you should utilize the following tips and tricks to establish a foundation for future success in your marketing career.
Stay Organized
Organization can be useful in any career path, but in marketing, where you are expected to balance so many different projects and objectives at once, organization is essential. If you begin experimenting with organization in undergrad, you will be able to identify an organizational system that works for you and build organizational skills that will benefit you throughout your career. You might try different forms of calendars, progress trackers, time management solutions and more.
Track Trends
What was big in marketing 10 years ago is now passe, and it is more than likely that current trends governing marketing behaviors will be outdated not long into your marketing career. Therefore, you need to know how to research current and upcoming trends to ensure that your marketing strategies will continue to bring clients success.
You can begin researching trends during your undergraduate program, taking advantage of any tools available through your college to access the latest reports about consumer behavior. You might try to diversify your research by looking into different fields, which will help you deliver results to clients regardless of their industry or target audience.
Read Beyond Readings
Many students read only the texts they are assigned by their professors. While this might ensure that they pass their exams, it severely limits the knowledge and skill they can accrue during their degree program. You should use your extra time to read more about the subjects you are studying in class.
You can ask your teachers to guide you toward more sources of information, or you can utilize your school’s library to deliver related texts. It might be useful to keep your readings as up-to-date as possible, though gaining an overview of marketing through the ages might also offer valuable insights.
Enroll in Data Courses
Data is everything. Almost all businesses are taking advantage of data collection and analysis to drive strategy, and marketing in particular is coming to rely on Big Data to ensure effectiveness of campaigns. Though data courses are not always required in marketing programs, you should use some of your electives to deepen your understanding of data science. Even rudimentary experience in data could give you incredible advantages in your marketing career, as many marketers neglect to invest in such a technical skill.
Practice Writing
In marketing, excellent writing skills can improve your communications with clients, coworkers, contractors and more. Many people assume that you either have skill in writing or you don’t, but the truth is that anyone can become a proficient writer with enough practice. You can put more effort into honing your writing abilities in your undergrad program by taking writing courses, utilizing writing tutoring and simply writing more often. You might keep a journal to encourage you to write every day, and you should ask your professors for more feedback on your writing to sharpen your skills.
Pursue Useful Certs
A marketing degree shows your commitment and general knowledge within the industry. However, certifications can demonstrate that you have specialized skill in certain key fields. You can find various free and inexpensive certifications that highlight your proficiency in important aspects of marketing, like search engine optimization or social media. Earning these certifications should take less than a weekend, and including them on your resume will radically improve your chances of being hired by the best marketing firms.
A marketing degree alone might secure you an entry-level job, but going above and beyond during your degree program could set you up for outrageous career success.
