Marketing is fast-paced and innovative field of work. The industry is constantly evolving and many sectors could suit your skillset and interests.
So, that means it can depend on what job role you’re going for as to what academic or professional experience you need. And even then, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other entry points into these professions.
Marketers are constantly changing their techniques to adapt to the changing expectations of the consumer.
A marketing degree gives you a solid understanding of the key principles and core disciplines of marketing.
However, as the landscape is ever-changing you’ll have to stay up to date with the current climate.
You’ll need to continue learning to stay ahead of the curve after you’ve graduated regardless of what you studied.
This is one of the reasons why marketing is such a diverse and exciting field to work in. You could be working on a team where everyone has completely different experiences and skills to you.
You’ll learn new skills as you go and be able to tailor your career in a way that interests you. Whether you choose to be an all-rounder or specialise in a specific area of marketing is down to you.
Read on to learn about the opportunities for employment within marketing and what qualifications could help you get there.
Creative Director
Creative directors work for advertising agencies or in-house marketing teams. They lead a team of creatives to plan and deliver visual content for clients.
Your role is to supervise the entire creative process from the initial idea up until the end result. You will instruct your team of copywriters, graphic designers and artistic directors to utilise their talents to execute your vision.
Creative directors usually have an undergraduate degree in an arts-related subject such as digital media or graphic design.
To get into university to study these subjects you’ll need at least 2 A Levels in a related field as well as a portfolio of your work.
For this role, you’ll also need to develop your skills through work experience by having an extensive career in the arts or marketing.
Content Writer
As a content writer, you’ll be a creative professional that writes copy for various platforms including:
- Blogs
- Social media
- Websites
- eBooks
- Podcasts
- Whitepapers
You’ll need to be an articulate communicator that’s able to adapt to many different styles of writing. This is because your area of work may lead you down many different paths.
As a freelancer or working as part of a marketing agency, you’ll be expected to write content for very different brands and services. You’ll need to be engaging and persuasive in your writing as well as encapsulate the right tone.
Those wishing to become content writers should consider an undergraduate degree in media or English and Creative Writing. By studying media at a high level you’ll explore writing styles for various mediums.
English and Creative Writing will teach you how to structure arguments, write in different styles and draw upon wider themes and influences.
Studying A Level English Language would also be beneficial if you wish to become a content writer.
Behavioural Marketer
Behavioural marketing is a technique used by marketers to analyse consumer behaviour, interests, intentions and other metrics using analytics. By collecting data they can optimise their websites and marketing campaigns for their target demographic.
For example, let’s say you’re working for an e-commerce outdoor clothing brand.
From the data you’ve collected, you can see that a lot of consumers of your brand are also interested in hiking. With this knowledge, you’re able to tailor your ads and emails to target that specific interest making your communications more relevant to your target audience.
Behavioural marketing is linked to psychology and sociology. By studying these subjects at A Level or higher you’re better equipped to understand the human mind. Your studies will cover social variables and genetic factors that all influence the way people behave.
Marketing, for the most part, is trial and error.
Therefore, having a background in a social science like psychology or sociology can benefit your chances of securing a marketing role. You’ll understand how to interpret data and be able to alter variables to get the desired results.
Digital Marketer
The online landscape is ever-changing as new apps and software are constantly being developed.
As a digital marketer, you’ll have to be an all-rounder. You’ll need to analyse data, create and manage websites, manage social media accounts, create online advertising campaigns and understand email marketing.
Digital marketing is now more popular than ever as having an online presence is imperative for most businesses in today’s world.
Because digital marketing is an umbrella term for many skills it means there isn’t a one-size-fits-all way into it. A business or maths background would help in understanding data while an English language or design would benefit you creatively.
Getting back into Education
Although marketing is flexible with what qualifications you have it will still be in your best interest to be qualified. Even without a degree, studying GCSEs, A Levels or Access to HE Diplomas could help you secure a marketing role.
There’s such a broad range of options when considering what to study. So, you’re bound to be able to pair your professional objectives with subjects that you genuinely love.
Not only can you choose the course that’s right for you, but you can also dictate how you study. Online learning providers offer a way to get back into education without impacting your current schedule.
You’re able to expand your horizons professionally without leaving your house. Physical colleges need you to attend classes to progress with your learning which isn’t the case through distance education.
Once enrolled you’re able to start learning right away as all the information is available to you instantly. This means you can set a pace that works for you and enjoy your learning.
Whatever direction you decide to go in learndirect could have the course to help you into that exciting new career.
learndirect is one of the UK’s leading online learning providers. We offer a range of courses from A Levels to Access to Higher Education Diplomas.
Our courses are guided by expert tutors that provide constructive feedback and assistance when needed. We also have flexible payment options to help you spread the cost.
To learn more about how to prepare for your online learning experience read our blog here.
If you’re ready to get started contact a member of our sales to enrol now or browse our courses below.
