A Marketer’s Career Path – From Junior to Senior
For the longest time, marketing has been considered an industry where quick career is nothing unusual. Contemporary business constantly needs specialists to create brands, to communicate products and services well, and to influence purchase decisions. This means that treading the entire career path from junior to senior doesn’t take that much time.
This is because this industry is now evolving faster than ever. Therefore the number of areas and specialties where you can distinguish yourself, as long as you constantly improve and gain new skills, is growing. What’s important, you don’t really need an marketing and administration degree to work as a marketer. The graduates of linguistics, culture studies or psychology all fare rather well here. Being book-smart is sometimes useful, but the knowledge of Kotler surprisingly is not.
When to start your career?
The best ones begin while still at university, most commonly as interns. At this stage it is a good idea to analyze which of the most well known companies truly let the beginners help in realization of the most ambitious tasks of the marketing department, and which just use them to make coffee and scan documents. One way or another, curious, perceptive and inquisitive people are preferred. Other useful skills are ease of making new acquaintances, perseverance and the ability to work in a team.
Eagles and chicks of marketing
In an ideal world, the most gifted ones stay at the company and continue their careers as marketing assistants after their internships ends. This position name is the most common, but there are many others of course. In the coming months they will have ample opportunities to show their creativity and energy expected from beginners. Most often they will learn from their mistakes, and the ability to draw conclusions from them will be a determining factor in their future careers.
Read also: 5 Spotify playlists perfect for work
“Starting blocks” for young marketers
Even at this early stage, those less resilient and those who value work-life balance and peace of mind are likely to drop out. There is no hiding the fact that at the beginning of the professional path of a marketer, each day looks like an action movie. The only difference is that it is much harder to know which characters will survive till the credits. Change is the only constant, ASAP is an approved work method, and you hardly ever finish at five o’clock.
Ability to work under time pressure
After roughly two years of such mad race, you can expect the position of a marketing coordinator or specialist. At this stage, you are experienced enough to avoid most errors, you can work under the constant time pressure and you begin to take pride in what you do. Your bosses usually fail to notice your accomplishments, but that doesn’t bother you.
You may also be interested in: Effective learning techniques – the key to building knowledge
Contacts, experience and meditations
The following career rungs have prettier and prettier names. Key account manager? Brand manager, or “brand handler” (they usually handle more than a dozen different brands). Digital marketing coordinator – “online ambassador for the company”? At this stage, apart from sizable experience and four digit contact list in your smartphone, you gain one other thing that is priceless – distance. Conscious marketers occupying these positions begin to notice that the crazy chase after targets might have robbed them of something. They mature to adopt more methodical approach towards their duties. Which doesn’t change the fact that they still love their job.
Managerie
Those most creative and organized reach the position of marketing managers (alternatively senior brand managers) before turning thirty. They share their experience with the younger ones and quite often they coordinate the work of over a dozen project teams at once. If they managed to start families, now they can finally make some time to spend with them. If they focused on their careers, they may have a shot at the seat of a marketing director.
Why is it worth to work in this industry? Because it’s an ideal environment for those who love diversity, creativity, strategic thinking and constant improvement. People who value making new contacts with interesting people from various industries and countries, and those who like teamwork will surely find fulfillment working as marketers.
Are you looking for comfortable office space? Click here and check out Solutions.Rent offices.
