We asked W. P. Carey Alumni: What Can Help Jumpstart a Career in Marketing?
Here are 7 ways they shared:
- Start With the End in Mind
- Demonstrate Your Curiosity Early
- Be Hungry to Learn
- Take Control of Your Learning
- Build Meaningful Connections with Like-minded People
- Always Ask for One More Connection
- Never Stop Networking
Start With the End in Mind
In marketing, we always try to define a goal before we get started on building our plan. The same rings true for your career. Identify a few job titles or roles on LinkedIn that are 2-3 spots ahead of where you are in your career. Check out the work and professional experience those people have, and that will give you a perfect roadmap of the skills, jobs, and connections you need to get to your ideal career.
Ryan Burch, MBA Marketing ‘10, Tobie Group
Demonstrate Your Curiosity Early
I jump-started my marketing career in Phoenix with an internship. Today, I am seeing some standout talent doing cool things before they even get their first job or internship. This sort of curiosity shows your drive and genuine interest to have a meaningful impact in your chosen area(s) of expertise. Love performance media? Work towards relevant Google certifications. Passionate about Social and Influencer? Help a nonprofit improve its social presence. Across all, play with data and analytics that measure success.
Christy Cole, BS Marketing ‘07, August United
Be Hungry to Learn
While it is a major accomplishment to receive your marketing degree, remember you still have a lot to learn. You have the marketing concepts and strategies that make for a solid foundation, and now is time to see how these translate in the business world. Be sure to show a potential employer that you have a strong understanding of marketing, while showing an eagerness to collaborate, learn, observe, and grow. You do not know it all…yet.
Kelle Steinecke, BS Global Business Management (Marketing emphasis) ‘03, ADMANITY
Take Control of Your Learning
What is so great about starting out in marketing is that you can take learning into your own hands, even before you land that first job. How do you take control of your learning (outside of school)? You can do so through marketing certifications, online training programs and staying up on the latest trends. For example, you can dive into website analytics by pursuing the Google Analytics Individual Qualification certificate (it’s free) or take courses through the American Marketing Association Professional Certified Marketer program to dive deeper into content marketing or marketing management.
These types of certificates and programs are great for your resume and show initiative. Plus, if you want to stand out as a potential job candidate and employee, stay up-to-date by reading industry publications on a daily basis, such as The Drum, AdAge, Adweek and more.
Mindy Weinstein, MBA ’05, Market MindShift
Build Meaningful Connections With Like-minded People
The fastest way to jumpstart your marketing career would be to make valuable connections inside your field. Network, volunteer, make friends — whatever you need to do, put your name in their brain. Make sure they know what you are doing and where you want to be next. Volunteer for projects they may have, send them relevant, well-written blogs you have created, and make sure they know where to find your online portfolio. Then, when opportunities come up, they will think of you.
Angelina Allsop, Global Business (Financial Management Emphasis) ‘09, Angelina Freelances LLC
Always Ask for One More Connection
As I was working to start my career shortly after graduating, I was able to secure a number of informational interviews. The connections I made through those interviews were key that job search as well as my future career. Looking back, the most impactful advice I received during that time was from an HR executive who I met with. She told me to never leave an informational interview without asking the interviewer to connect me to someone in their network who could provide advice. She reminded me that everyone I would speak to had been in my position in the past, and that it is human nature to want to help people — some people just need a bit of a nudge. So, I took her advice, which ended up being very fruitful and led to my first job after A.S.U. Now, this is the main piece of advice I share with anyone I meet who is starting out in their career.
Steve Koch, BS Marketing ‘96, MacroScope Studios
Never Stop Networking
The single most important tip that I discovered when trying to jumpstart my marketing career in Phoenix was to network. There are countless professional groups, seminars, and workshops to learn from. These events also give you the opportunity to connect with experts in the marketing field that have spent years building their careers in the Valley of the Sun. Placing yourself in rooms with the goal to network and learn something new can only benefit you in the long run. You can never have too many connections or know every detail of the “marketing rule book.” There’s always more to learn, more people to meet, and more experience that you can add to your tool belt.
Amanda Wade, MS Digital Audience Strategy ‘21 & Business Corporate Communications ‘20,Cents
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