Marketing is a diverse field with multiple challenges and barriers that many students will have to face. The industry is ever evolving and has a great sense of creativity mixed with analytics. When people make decisions based on data and art, it’s a recipe for success. So how exactly can college students make a career in marketing? By following their passion in the field. If you are good at communication and data, you should flourish in a marketing career. In India alone, the Ad industry stands at $8Billion and is going to grow at 11% for the next 3-4 years. As smartphones are everywhere, the demand for marketing increases subsequently.
Many organizations and industries engage in marketing efforts to sell products and services. A clothing company might want to launch a new ad campaign, or a consulting firm might want to gain leads from followers. Whatever the motivation may be, marketing taps into that inner need of the customers so that they can make the best decision for their desire. Marketers are needed in bulk, and you can be anything from a PR associate to a junior ad copywriter when you first start out. It all depends upon your ability to work hard and focus on the task given to you.
The right education
Getting educated is the first step to obtaining a leg up above the competition. Pursuing a Bachelors in Commerce isn’t enough for young students these days. They need to have a degree in higher learning and a specialization in their field of Marketing. When you receive your MBA, your chances of landing a great job go up as well as your pay. The degree teaches you all about what the industry needs and how you can take advantage of key trends in research, strategy and execution that can help organizations excel in marketing.
Trend analysis
The social media revolution of 2012 hit India, only because universities were training students to track trends in 2010. This ability to see where the market is moving, and take advantage of key macro trends is an important skill as a marketer. There are a variety of fields that marketers have access to via their educational background and technology is one of them. You can become stronger in the tech domain and understand how blockchain, big data and cloud can impact marketing in a significant way. Analyzing trends is important when it comes to planning for a marketing career.
Internships
Many internships opportunities will be limited to coffees and low-end work. You want to avoid those as you don’t want to waste your time. Rather, reach out to the companies you want to work with on LinkedIn, email, or face-to-face. Don’t be shy about booking a meeting with an HR representative or with an industry leader. They admire resilience and courage when it comes to approaching a career in marketing. Because everything is so fast-paced and swift-moving, you should showcase your quick-thinking abilities during the internship. You can apply early, right after you finish your first year, and apply to as many offices as you can. Finding quality work should be your objective.
Learning from mentors
Find a mentor in your organization. This is very important when it comes to first starting off in your career. You want to look at how your organization and industry is shaped and find out where you want to be in the next 4-5 years. After you’ve determined your future in the company, you should start with creating a path for yourself in the job. This is done most effectively by talking to mentors and company heads. Booking 20 minutes with them, shows that you are passionate about your career and want to excel in the field that you’ve chosen. Being outgoing in this manner shows that you are ready to become successful at a young age, and sets you up for a lifelong prosperous marketing career.
