Stepping into your first marketing role can feel as daunting as it does exciting. The dynamic nature of the industry often means that two days are never the same, which means plenty of opportunities and plenty of learning. Whether you’re a seasoned corporate veteran changing careers, or a complete newbie with a passion for the industry, an open mind and endless curiosity is the foundation of any successful marketing career.

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, staying current with changes in the industry is crucial. But how do you do that if you’re just starting out?

Embracing the art of self-teaching

The beauty of our industry is how much information is available to us at our fingertips. Where your first role in marketing should be supported by learning and development within the walls of your 9 to 5, sometimes taking matters into your own hands can be an incredible tool and there are loads of ways you can do this, even when you’re just starting out.

Networking events

The seemingly most-scary part of the corporate world, having to head into a room full of strangers to talk about yourself! But many networking events now are tailored to specific groups of people, including those in their first few years in marketing, so remember, most attendees will be in your position. Try exploring events within your demographic that have an additional focus, like a panel discussion or guest lecture, where you can learn from others, whilst not feeling too pressured to start a conversation.

LinkedIn

This can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how you use it. Remember: you are what you consume. Fill your LinkedIn feed with people you look up to, industry leaders, those talking about their journey as a young marketer. Many people in our industry use the platform to share campaigns they’ve been inspired by, talk about their own journey in marketing, or even just to share relatable stories.

Connecting with peers

Starting a new job or new career can be hard, but there are others in that same boat. Sometimes there’s nothing better than someone going through the same thing to help guide and advise you. Try reaching out to peers or maybe other new starters within your business, that can be a friendly face for you to speak to about your shared experiences.

DIY

Testing out your skills, tactics, and ideas may be limited in your first role, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking matters into your own hands. Whether it’s setting up a social media channel to practice your content creation skills or creating a portfolio website to practice using a CMS, there are ways to put those skills to the test in a risk-free environment.

It’s not just about marketing

As marketers, we’re marketing-obsessed, right? Whilst that may be true; to be successful in your first role (and any future endeavours) you must look outside of the department too. Marketing isn’t standalone within a business, it impacts and requires engagement from most, if not all, business functions. Imagine you’re running a campaign to increase sales of a certain product. If you don’t inform all the relevant stakeholders, for example, the fulfilment team, how will they know they might need extra staff and extra capacity to process the increased number of orders. Having clear communication channels and an understanding of how the wider business works together will elevate the success of both your campaigns, and your career.

Finding your mentor

A mentor can be such a valuable resource within the early stages of your career. They can act as a sounding board for any ideas and questions you have, or even if you have some concerns you’d like to address. Mentors can also help point you in the right directions for important industry events, people, news and more. In some larger companies, there may be a formal mentoring scheme to help partner new employees with more senior members. If you prefer an external mentor, there are many different ways to find one, including dedicated organisations (like CIM), asking friends, family and colleagues if they can recommend someone, and even asking on a platform like LinkedIn.

Final thoughts

Everyone starts their marketing career from scratch, even the people you may be inspired by. It may be easy to see those shiny job titles and exciting careers and feel like you may be a million miles away. By advancing your learning and development, whether formally or informally, you can set yourself up for success as your career progresses. 

If you’re looking to upskill and take on a new challenge to support your career journey, a CIM training course could be for you. With flexible learning styles and options covering all marketing disciplines, there is always a CIM course to suit your needs and provide you with the skills and confidence you need to advance your career.

View all CIM training courses here