Gaining Easy Experience in Marketing

By Jen Mylett

The number of undergraduate marketing majors has risen about 35% in recent years, glutting the workforce with aspiring marketers, therefore it is essential to obtain as much experience as possible early on. The following are examples of what you can do to improve your resume as a future marketer:

1. Apply to be a campus representative for a company

As a rep, or a brand ambassador, the primary goal is to assist with marketing programs on campus, occasionally even throwing events to promote a brand or company. In a typical campus rep job, the company will send you a box their products to disperse to students or wear yourself. Some popular and easy-to-get brands may include Pura Vida Bracelets, Serengee Tees, Pink, and thousands more.

2. Make sure to have experience in sales

Even though you may be marketing major, it can be deemed nearly impossible to find marketing jobs without sales experience. Adding on to that try to work yourself into positions where meeting people and showing enthusiasm is required. So, maybe that high school job working at an ice cream store or Forever 21 wasn’t so pointless after all because it shows that you can appeal to customers to buy that company’s products.

3. Internships

 I know firsthand that it can be extremely frustrating and time consuming to apply for countless internship positions and not hear back because you don’t have the experience that you’re obviously trying to obtain. But unfortunately you sometimes have to start somewhere, so even though a job or internship may not pay well (or even pay at all) it may be the right idea to just take an offer if its handed to you.

One final way to improve your odds of an early move into marketing is to demonstrate your willingness to adapt to company needs. Taking classes or accepting jobs that may not have a direct correlation to your major is okay at times! It shows that you’re able and willing to open up your horizons and adapt, which is probably the most important skill to have.

Lee, Tony. "The Myth of Marketing Careers." CareerCast.com. CareerCast.com, 09 Mar. 2017. 02 Apr. 2017. http://www.careercast.com/career-news/myth-marketing-careers.