Marketing is a great career path for creatives, analytical thinkers, and entrepreneurs alike. As the profession is so versatile and has many different niches, it can be difficult for aspiring marketers to know where to start in their career planning, regardless of whether they’re beginning their career, enhancing their existing skill set, or changing career direction. Here, we offer some tips on how to successfully break into a career in marketing, with some industry insights from our MSc Marketing Tutor, Gabriella Kereszturi.
By Elena Carruthers. Published 26 April 2023. Last updated 14 August 2023.
Career options in Marketing
Content marketing
Those with a flair for all-things content might wish to pursue a career in content marketing. Content marketing consists of creating and promoting content for a particular audience. Content marketers must keep up with the constant new online trends within media and have a good eye for predicting future ones, generally working across multimedia content making them experts in social media, writing, and video.
SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to a website’s ranking on Google and other search engines and is a crucial tool for boosting a website’s exposure and subsequent traffic. Many jobs in SEO will specifically look for marketing or business graduates so that candidates will come ready with a strategic mindset and a vision for driving engagement.
Social media
Social media is becoming an increasingly vital marketing tool in today’s digital world, holding the power to going viral and gaining significant exposure, and increasing general brand awareness. Social media professionals must possess both creativity and a solid understanding of analytics and data. Perhaps most importantly, social media requires a keen eye for spotting new trends and making the most of them.
Copywriter
Strong written content is an essential marketing tool, having the ability to inspire others and reflect the company’s tone of voice. The short of it is that all strong marketing professionals possess the ability to communicate effectively through writing, making them excellent candidates for copywriting positions.
How to get into Marketing
Know the industry
To kickstart a successful career in marketing, it’s essential to have knowledge of the industry and the types of skills you are required to have. You can build these skills and knowledge through obtaining work experience or doing a course in marketing such as an MSc. It is not essential to have a specific degree to work in the field but doing so can make you stand out from other candidates through having a deeper industry knowledge and a proven passion for the field.
Utilise connections
Highlighting the importance of utilising industry connections, Gabriella explained to us how our MSc Marketing students have the opportunity to meet guest speakers from the industry and start their networking journey. Additionally, students will collaborate with one another through module work, building on the type of communication and networking skills that will help you to succeed in a marketing career.
Marketing students can utilise the university’s Employment Service while undertaking their course and have the opportunity to form connections with companies of interest, as well as getting practice in building a strong CV and covering letter.
Get real-world experience
Gabriella told us how MSc Marketing not only provides students with networking opportunities, but the chance to work on real-life projects. This real-world experience provides a solid transition from university to professional life, helping you to be prepared and confident when it comes to interviewing. Our MSc also has an optional placement year for students eager to jump into gaining hands-on experience.
Speaking on how the course prepares students for employment, Gabriella said: “The MSc Marketing will prepare you for a career in marketing by helping you stand out from the crowd in future job applications. It gives you a qualification and a core set of knowledge and skills that are highly desirable from the employer’s perspective, and transferable into the workplace.”
Interested in pursuing a career in Marketing? Kickstart your future and learn more about our MSc Marketing.
