If you are in your final year of University, graduation might seem like it’s miles away, but in reality, it’s just around the corner. That means the dreaded question lingers: ‘have you found a job yet?’.
Your thoughts can become overwhelming wondering ‘what now?’ and ‘where to next?’ especially as there’s no curriculum to choose from, no advisor to chat to and no student loan to rely on.
Nine months ago, I was applying for hundreds of jobs, getting interviews from time to time, but receiving a lot of rejection emails.
However, it’s not all doom-and-gloom. One of the main reasons why it’s so competitive is because, well, marketing is a great career path. You get to work with incredible brands, create exciting campaigns, and there’s clear career progression.
Regardless of what stage you’re at right now, it’s never too late to find ways to make yourself more employable. Below are some of my top tips to land a role in marketing.
Take it from me, these helped me stand out from the crowd and they could help you too!
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social media platforms when it comes to job hunting, especially in digital marketing.
By setting up a profile, you are already massively increasing your chances of being employed. Every second, 101 job applications are submitted through LinkedIn, and out of those applicants, six are hired every minute.
When creating a profile, it’s extremely important to provide all the relevant information about you, your education, work experience, etc. Reflecting on the skills and experience that you have in your field so far whether that be something you have gained from a prior job or university.
However, my number one tip is to get posting! Yes, posting on Linkedin can be daunting. The platform requires a level of professionalism that isn’t seen on other social networking sites. However, whether it be a university achievement, a grade, or your thoughts towards an area of marketing, stick it up on LinkedIn.
Employers love an active Linkedin applicant. It shows they’re confident, open to discussion, and likely knowledgeable in marketing. In the long run, this could be the difference between getting hired or not…
Get posting!
One of the most effective ways to land a digital marketing job is through hands-on experience, even unpaid work as an intern.
For the fortunate few, some university courses will provide students with work experience as a mandatory module; but unfortunately, the majority don’t get this opportunity, leaving it up to you to source and attain these internships. LinkedIn, Instagram, and networking are essential tools to help you on your way to landing your dream job.
My advice is to delegate some time each week to following local marketing agencies, brands, and employees and reading their content. Doing this will allow you to be exposed to different aspects of marketing, helping build your network, knowledge, and understanding of the industry.
It is super important to be confident and to reach out to the connections you make across social media, being straight to the point in what it is you want, showing enthusiasm towards digital marketing and the company itself, whilst also voicing your expertise, skills and what you can bring to the internship role.
Attaching a copy of your CV, portfolio, or anything skill related is also a necessity, as this gives the employer a better idea of your level, skill set and where to place you if you land the internship. It can also show that you are assertive and keen, which is a fantastic quality that employers love to see.
Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know?’ Well, this is also applicable to the job market!
I have heard some instances where graduates have obtained jobs based on the people they meet throughout their journey, whether that be on placement, at an event, or through university.
Attend professional fairs and workshops, even if it’s a brief chat with a graduate recruitment agency or a university career advisor can massively help with your prospects of landing your dream job! They may not have anything for you today, but they could have something for you tomorrow.
Keep them close by connecting on LinkedIn. They’ll likely post any job opportunities on there first!
We sit-down with our very own Senior Digital Marketing Executive, Jess Hughes, to discover the best course-of-action to start your career in Social Media Marketing.
She’s not only worked in the industry for multiple (successful) years but has also helped lead numerous hiring processes for new starts, meaning she understands what businesses and agencies will be looking for when considering new talent at the start of their career.
Throughout this article, we’ll touch on a range of elements to consider, such as practicing content creation, staying up to date with current trends, learning from experts within the field, and internships.
The general rule for most digital careers is to spend time improving and expanding your skillset. By doing this, it not only makes you more employable, but it also shows any future employer that you’re dedicated to self-improvement and succeeding in your chosen field.
Social Media Marketing is no exception. Unlike some other digital careers, there is very little barriers-to-entry for self-improvement. There is no cost to creating a new social media account, utilising free versions of tools commonly used within the industry, and working to build an audience for your personal brand.
Our resident Social Media expert, Jess, has said:
“Anyone can create a social media account from scratch, so get practising content, keep an eye on other brands/influencers/anyone to spot trends and how others are building their business or personal brand - this really is the best way to learn. I would say it’s important to practice what TYPE of content works for different companies, you never want to see a piece of content and think “Why has this brand done that?“ - the aim is to be wowed, so it’s important to know what works where to get the best outcome.
Along with this, practice makes perfect. Practice making Reels with your own content (you can even post this on a private IG account if you don’t want anyone to see!), make graphics, and create engaging content.
There is SO much free software, platforms, and tools you can access that are used by the industry’s best - so get playing around! Some examples are IG Reel templates on the Instagram App, Canva for creating graphics and CapCut for creating videos.”
If you want a lot of great personal experience to include in your next Cover Letter, you now know where to start!
Social Media Marketing is one of the few careers in which every piece of work is public and available for free. The vast majority of people in the UK spend hours of their days scrolling through Social Media – reading, liking, commenting, and posting – but how many of them actually take the time to consider why they chose to like that post, why they left that comment and why that post received 200% more engagement than their previous ones?
If your goal is to enter into the world of Social Media Marketing, you need to shift your mindset when interacting with your chosen platforms.
Analyse your favourite influencer’s accounts, consider how they’ve managed to build an audience and try to mimic their strategies and techniques.
On top of analysing successful influencers, you can spend time reading informative articles (like this one!) and listening to industry experts on podcasts to find out how they’ve found success as a Social Media marketers.
Jess had this to say:
“This one’s important in terms of growing your personal brand & networking, while also gaining knowledge in the industry. This could be individuals who own their own brand, for example, Grace Beverley, who utilises her LinkedIn to promote her podcast while also offering free industry knowledge and advice! Or you can follow/interact with companies who are offering advice for those starting out in the marketing industry.
Listen to podcasts and read blogs relevant to marketing or Social Media Marketing. These are hugely important to gain insight, knowledge and keeping up with trends! I’ve found later.com to be really informative and help to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the marketing world. Their content is also very digestible and easy to read, which always helps and motivates me to read the blog from their email marketing.”
Like any industry, it’s important to be aware of how people are succeeding. Follow Jess’ advice and you’ll be on the right track to landing that dream job!
We all know how competitive the current job market is, and Social Media Marketing is no different. Employers expect much more than just a University Degree, they want experience. Trust us, starting your career in marketing will require experience… but how?
Internships are a great way to learn on the job. University is great, but there’s no better way to improve in Social Media Marketing than to get a bit of real-life experience under your belt.
Jess spent four months working as an intern before landing her first job in marketing. This is what she had to say about internships:
“Another good tip is to try and get an internship during University. It’s worth having a list of companies you’d like to work with (potentially who are well-known for their Social Media presence) and work towards getting the chance to intern for them.
Your University degree may even offer a placement or a semester to gain an internship. This is truly invaluable experience having real workplace experience especially in a Social Media role. Make sure to be following these companies across LinkedIn as this is where a lot of the roles will be posted. It also looks great on your CV and can position you higher than other candidates from the get-go.”
Most employers look for some level of experience before hiring. We highly recommend using Jess’ advice and finding an internship that best suits you and your goals.
Entering the industry after education can be daunting, and I’d be lying if I said it’s all rainbows and daisies. It’s pretty inevitable that you’ll experience some hurdles before wins.
Trying to land your first job will be competitive, time consuming and difficult, but if you correctly showcase your skillset, and you’re clever in how you market yourself to employers and companies, following the above tips will set you in the right direction.
Good luck!
