How to kick-start your career in marketing and communication

Want to kick-start your career in marketing but not sure how? While marketing has plenty of career growth, it’s an industry that requires you to continuously develop your skills, build your knowledge and be comfortable when it comes to working with other people.

Marketing and communication is a popular career path amongst Australians with a younger demographic, as the average age for a marketing professional in Australia is 34 years old. Furthermore, marketing has a strong job market with a growing demand for businesses needing highly skilled professionals who have knowledge in digital marketing, social media and content.

This means that if you were to pursue a rewarding career in marketing, you’ll have job security, professional development and a chance to be mentored by highly-skilled professionals in the industry.

If you’re wondering how you can break into the marketing industry or you simply desire a career change, here are some steps worth following to help you secure the marketing job you want:

How to kick-start your career in marketing and communication

1. Study a relevant course.
2. Do an internship and find a mentor.
3. Read Upskilled’s marketing and communication ebook.
4. Find a role that suits your interests.

1. Study a relevant course.

Marketing is an industry where keeping an updated skillset is a must. With emerging technologies and applications, ongoing training is encouraged. Not only does it help you develop your current skills, it will help you meet certain objectives required in your job.

With marketing being such a dynamic industry, further study can help you reach your career goals even faster with a qualification under you belt. It will also lead you to job opportunities you never thought would be possible.

Depending on your interests, you may want to explore a specific type of marketing or do a course that aligns with your current skill set that you’re keen to further develop.

Upskilled offers the following courses suited for those wanting to enter a rewarding career in marketing:

• BSB42415 - Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication: This is a great course for those wanting to get into entry-level work in the marketing industry and want to learn about the fundamentals of marketing. This will suit those who wish to pursue coordinator and assistant-level jobs. The course can be completed within 12 months and ideally those wishing to study the course will have at least graduated from Year 12 or studied a Certificate II or III in a similar discipline.
• BSB52415 - Diploma of Marketing and Communication: This is an excellent course for those wanting a comprehensive course in marketing. Those who are in existing managerial positions or have considerable experience in the field may want to further develop their skills by adding this qualification to their credentials. The course can be completed within 12 months and suited for those who have completed all the core units in the Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication (BSB42415) or have 1-2 years of experience in marketing or business. 
• 10118NAT - Diploma of Social Media Marketing: For those with an existing interest in social media and are looking into turning that interest into a full-fledged career, this course is best suited for individuals wanting to hone their social media skills even further. This diploma will cover units from planning and implementing social media marketing strategies to measuring the success of a social media campaign. This course suits those holding a Certificate IV or similar qualification, or have at least 1-2 years of experience in a business or marketing role. The diploma can be completed in 12 months.
• Social Media Short Course: This course is suited for those wanting to learn the basic fundamentals of social media marketing. This intensive course runs for a duration of 8 weeks and the units cover planning social media strategies and measuring content success across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. There are no formal entry requirements for this course and best suits those wanting to dabble into social media marketing on an introductory level. 

2. Do an internship and find a mentor.

If you love receiving hands-on work experience and want to apply all the concepts you have learnt from a marketing course to real-work situations, undertaking an internship in concurrent to your studies is a great way to kick-start your career in marketing and communication. 

Not only will it challenge you to apply the theory to practical situations, but it tests the waters of how much you have learnt from your course so far, and how relevant it is in the industry. You will also get the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals who have started in marketing and worked their way up the career ladder.

According to The Good Universities Guide, here are some great reasons why undertaking an internship is beneficial when it comes to your career:

• Boosts your resume credibility: Having work experience in marketing is attractive to employers since you have already gained practical experience utilising different marketing applications such as Facebook Insights, Hootsuite and more. Gaining internship experience can also help you be more reputable when it comes to future companies who are after candidates with an all-rounder skill set.
• Connecting with industry contacts: While marketing has plenty of job opportunities available, connecting with people in the industry early on is encouraged. Internships are a great pathway if you want to learn from professionals who have built a long-term career path in marketing. This also gives you a chance to work closely with some of them and be mentored. Most internships run for 3-6 months and can even lead to entry-level marketing positions. Networking is important in marketing since you will be working with different people, so having great communication skills will help you make meaningful industry contacts, which can provide value in your career during the long-term.
• It will narrow down your career choices: Marketing has varied roles across social media, digital and content marketing. However, the only way to gauge your interest on what type of role you want in the future is to get some work experience. One of the great benefits of doing an internship is that you get to dabble in different areas of marketing. It’s also an opportunity for you to learn about the specific responsibilities each person in the marketing team have. Internships not only narrow down your career choices, but it helps you decide what role is a perfect match as well.

3. Read Upskilled’s marketing and communication ebook.

One of the great benefits of working in the marketing industry is that you’ll never stop learning. Since it is always changing in accordance to new technologies and applications, there is a strong demand for businesses wanting to boost their marketing, especially in the digital space. While traditional marketing is slowly becoming the less preferred method of reaching out to customers, society has embraced the digital approach it has taken on.

If you want to learn more about the career opportunities, future trends and the value of online marketing courses, download and read Upskilled’s FREE marketing ebook ‘Careers in Marketing and Communication’. This is a valuable resource for those with an interest in developing their careers in the field and want to learn specific facts and figures on why there is a demand for marketing professionals.

A great way to kick-start your marketing career is to learn more about the industry’s role and how it impacts society and its individuals. This ebook will enable you to really hone your interest in the marketing field and see the immense benefits of why studying a qualification will help you with your career.

  Download Upskilled’s ebook ‘Careers in Marketing and Communication'

4. Find a role that suits your interests.

There are many reasons why you should get into a career in marketing, and it’s ideal to find a role that suits your interests and aligns with your career goals. No matter what they are, you should explore a job role that develops your current skills and talents, and is an area you enjoy. 

You may have a strong interest in content marketing because you love writing and the impact it has on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). If you’re results-oriented and love to see the impact of social and digital ads, you may want to work your magic in digital marketing. It’s worthwhile tapping into what skills and experience you need for the role of your dreams. Luckily, there is a valuable resource you can explore that will make your research easier.

Upskilled has a dedicated ‘Your Career’ section that can help you explore job roles that may interest you, particularly in the marketing field. As you explore the different positions, you will be introduced to an industry insights page. To read more about the growth of the marketing sector and its salary information, read more here.

Here is a list of marketing jobs you may wish to pursue:

• Content Strategist
• Digital Marketing Strategist
• Marketing Manager
• Marketing Officer
• Social Media Manager
• Social Media Specialist 

Are you ready to accomplish your goals in marketing?

Whether you’re interested in taking your marketing career to the next level or are simply looking into starting your journey in the field, Upskilled is an online course provider you can trust when it comes to obtaining a qualification which is Nationally Recognised in marketing.

Most Upskilled courses can be completed within 12 months and can be balanced with your current job and personal commitments. If you prefer a flexible approach when it comes to your studies, be sure to contact one of Upskilled’s dedicated education consultants about how an online marketing qualification can help you when it comes to your career goals.