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Marketing is a lucrative field. It attracts people who are interested in making money and having a career with good opportunities for advancement. In addition, marketing is important for just about every business on the planet. Even the most innovative products and services can’t do well without a good advertising strategy. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in marketing, you might be wondering what you should study at university or what sort of experience you need. You might also be wondering if it’s really the right field for you. Lucky for everyone who’s interested in marketing, it’s a diverse field with opportunities for many different types of people. Whether you’re a creative type, good with numbers, or a born salesperson, you can find a job in marketing. So long as you have valuable skills, such as effective communication, creativity, and perseverance, you’re sure to be a valuable asset to any marketing company. 

If You’re a People Person, Marketing is For You 

If you love socializing and talking with people, working in marketing is one of the best careers for you. Marketing is all about getting a message out to as many relevant people as possible. Effective communication is one of the most important skills you need to succeed in marketing. You need to know how to get along with clients, what a target audience’s interests are, and how people will respond to content. Unless you can put yourself in another person’s shoes and see the world from their perspective, you’ll have a hard time working in marketing. Furthermore, marketing usually involves working with other people. As we mentioned earlier, most marketing companies hire people with a diverse skillsets to do a variety of tasks. You’ll need to work well with other people on your team in order to create successful marketing campaigns. 

Creative Jobs in Marketing 

Even if working in a traditional career path doesn’t seem like something you want to do, marketing may be the right field for you. Marketing is a field with a wide variety of roles. For instance, creative people who are drawn to doing jobs like graphic design can have a career in the marketing field. In addition, marketing companies need writers who can come up with witty tag-lines, write content, and create social media posts. Photographers and artists who can showcase products in their best light are also vital to the marketing industry. Even if you don’t end up designing graphics, creating content, or writing tag-lines, marketing is a field that requires a lot of imagination and innovation. If you can’t think of new ways to get your message across, your target audience will lose interest and go to competitors. Marketing is perfect for you if you’re constantly coming up with new ideas and want a job that isn’t boring. 

What to Study at University 

Many universities offer marketing majors, but you can study many other things and work in marketing after you graduate. A marketing degree is good, but if that’s not what you want to study at university, it’s okay! Many marketing companies will train you once you’re hired, so you don’t need to know everything about the field. Rather, you should focus on gaining skills that are transferable across fields. Acquiring such skills will make you an asset no matter what kind of job you apply to. Majors like communications, English, computer science, linguistics, and many others will give you the skills you need to succeed in marketing. Marketing companies need people who have different skillsets to do a variety of tasks. For instance, people with web design and coding skills are needed to maintain client websites, while creatives are needed to write content and make graphics. Even though a degree is valuable, it’s sometimes possible to get a job in marketing without one (although this is a bit harder in Japan and you’ll definitely need relevant experience). Instead of worrying about taking certain courses or majoring in a specific subject, put your energy into developing skills and gaining experience while you’re at university. 

Getting Experience

Many companies value practical experience just as much as (or perhaps even more than) education. While studying at university and getting a degree is important, it’s crucial that you get some sort of hands on experience before applying for your first job in marketing. You can start small when you’re first starting to gain experience. For example, you could volunteer as a social media or communications officer for a university club you’re part of. Once you have a bit of experience, try applying for bigger opportunities. Emphasize the skills you’ve developed and how you’ll be an asset to the company or organisation you’re hoping to work with. And don’t get discouraged if you face rejections! Keep trying and making connections, and you’ll get closer to achieving your career goals. 

Small Marketing Companies vs. Large Ones

When applying for marketing internships and jobs, you might wonder whether it’s better to apply to work at a small or large company. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. It can be easier to find a job at smaller companies, as you’ll typically face less competition during the hiring process. Moreover, executives will be more available to provide early career mentoring to you. At bigger companies, it’s common for an entry level employee or intern to never even meet the CEO! On the other hand, larger companies are better known. Working at a well known company can help you find other opportunities in the future. In addition, there might be more chances for career advancement at larger companies. Smaller ones may not have the budget for larger salary increases or a large enough staff hierarchy for significant career advancement.