Get a Job in Marketing Without Experience in 2024

Many people without any experience in marketing want to become marketing professionals, but they simply do not know how to get a job in marketing without any experience. Marketing is one of the most exciting fields around and while it may seem daunting, it is not impossible to get into.

There are numerous marketing job openings at firms all over the Internet screaming for applicants, but if you have no experience in the field you may be wondering how to get a job. This article will provide information on how to get into marketing without any experience.

Can I get into marketing without a degree?

Yes, whilst some larger organisations may prefer a degree there are plenty of businesses that will accept candidates without a degree.

A degree in marketing is valuable but employers are also looking for enthusiasm, creativity, passion and individual skills such as copywriting or SEO.

Marketing is all about getting your brand or product in front of as many people as possible. In order to do that, you need to learn how to pitch your ideas effectively, how to talk about your brand like it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread and how to sell yourself so that people want to work with you. These skills can be developed on your own at home, you don’t need to sit in a classroom to learn them.

Instead of worrying about how to get a job in marketing without a college degree, focus on developing these skills and learning new ones that will make you more employable than people with degrees who don’t have them.

There are a range of free and paid for marketing courses available online to anyone:

• Grow with Google
• Udemy
• HubSpot Academy
• Coursera
• YouTube

How to get an entry-level marketing job with no experience

Entry-level marketing jobs are great ways to get into marketing for people with no experience. Entry-level jobs will often provide training and mentorship to allow you to learn the skills you need to succeed within marketing. 

If you have formal qualifications in marketing you are in a strong position to begin applying for entry-level jobs in marketing and with the right resume should be successful in receiving job interview offers.

For those without any formal marketing qualifications, consider researching accredited online courses in marketing such as those found on the Google Digital Garage. You might not have a college/university degree but you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge and skills of specific areas within the field of marketing.

However, for those both with and without formal marketing qualifications, there is still some way to go in convincing a hiring manager of your skills and knowledge within marketing. A basic knowledge of marketing, marketing concepts and marketing strategies will be expected and these are all things that can be learned from a variety of free and paid-for resources on the internet, which we will touch on later in the article.

Alongside the requirement of basic marketing knowledge will be the need to demonstrate a clear interest and passion for marketing in your job application. When applying for entry-level marketing jobs, really sell yourself as a committed and creative individual.

Our articles 13 Top Job Interview Tips – The Definitive Guide and The Ultimate Guide On How To Prepare For A Job Interview will give you some solid pointers on how to prepare for and perform in a job interview.

Find a mentor to guide you into the world of marketing

There is a lot of practical stuff involved in marketing that you just can’t learn from a book and one of the best ways to learn is to talk to people who are already doing it and people who potentially themselves have learnt how to get a job in marketing without any experience.

Finding a mentor to help you learn more about marketing can be very useful. Asking for advice from a more experienced marketer will help you understand how you can improve your practice and what to avoid. 

However, it’s important to find the right mentor for the type of help you need, are you looking to focus on all aspects of marketing or specialise in a particular area like social media? A good mentor should be able to share their own experiences of what it is actually like to work in marketing, point you in the right direction of learning resources as well as point out what you’re doing right and areas where you can improve.

How to Find a Marketing Mentor

A marketing mentor could be a friend, family member or mutual acquaintance, as long as it’s somebody with the relevant experience. They don’t need to be an expert but have enough experience to support you in taking your first steps into marketing.

If nobody comes to mind ask around your social or professional circle and ask if anyone could recommend someone who might be up for helping.

If your own personal network is unsuccessful in finding someone you could use professional networking websites such as LinkedIn to find someone in your local area who works in marketing. A polite message to them might put you on the path to mentorship.

Determine which areas of marketing interest you

Marketing is a huge field, but exposing yourself to as many areas as possible is a great way to learn the very basics of marketing and begin to get a feel for which areas you like the most.

When you’re just getting started, start with the basics; try to get your feet wet without going overboard. If social media interests you, for example, look at a range of businesses across all social media platforms and decide what you think is good or bad about the content they are sharing. Think about what kind of things you would share if you worked for them and then go away and look at how you can learn the skills that were needed to do this.

If email marketing takes your interest, sign up for a variety of business and blog newsletters and assess the good points and bad points of what you receive. As an exercise, you could then go away and learn the basic skills needed to be an email marketer and sign up for a free account with someone like MailChimp and begin creating your own emails and sending them to your friends, family and mentor to seek feedback.

By starting in small increments like this, you’ll build your confidence while learning each new area of marketing as you go along. 

Having a clearer idea of what areas you like the most is a great way to start but unless you are completely convinced of your passion those specific areas, it is a good idea to keep your mind open until you have found work in marketing and you have had the opportunity to work in these areas for an amount of time. 

Many marketing jobs will give you the opportunity to experience different areas and from here you can decide where your strengths are, what you enjoy the most and where you see your future career path.

Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

Digital marketing allows businesses to reach a global audience through platforms like social media, search engines, and email. It offers precise targeting based on demographics, behavior, and interests. Digital campaigns can be more cost-effective compared to traditional methods. Online advertising often has lower entry costs and provides measurable return on investment through analytics.

Digital marketing is a super popular career in 2024, but traditional marketing skills are in still in demand and might be of more interest to some versus digital forms. Traditional marketing, including print advertising and event organizing, creates a physical presence that can be memorable. Physical materials like brochures and billboards can leave a lasting impression.

Traditional marketing can effectively target local audiences. Print ads in local newspapers or community events can reach specific geographic areas directly.

Both modern digital marketing and traditional marketing techniques have unique advantages. Digital marketing excels in reach, cost-effectiveness, engagement, and data-driven strategies. Traditional marketing, on the other hand, offers tangible presence, local targeting, personal interaction, and credibility. The best marketing strategies often integrate both digital and traditional methods to maximize impact and reach diverse audiences.

Finding the right place to start

Once you know the area of marketing you’re interested in pursuing, the next step is to find the right employer to give you your first job in marketing. Look online and see if there are any local companies of any size that have an entry-level position available that would be perfect for someone just starting out in their career in marketing.

When you’re just starting out, it’s important to pick the right company to work for. You want a company that’s going to offer opportunities for growth and development, but you also want a company that will be supportive and give you opportunities to try new things.

If a company is focused on growing its employees, they’ll be more likely to invest in your future. Take a look through the job description and the company’s website to try and find information regarding what it’s like to work for them. 

If you cannot find any information do not be put off from applying, should you be fortunate enough to be offered a job interview, this is a great talking point for the interview which will show them your commitment to growth and making a success of your career in marketing.

Essential Marketing Tools and Software

In today’s competitive job market, familiarizing yourself with essential marketing tools and software is crucial for aspiring marketers. Proficiency in these tools not only enhances your efficiency and effectiveness but also makes you a more attractive candidate to potential employers. Whether it’s analyzing data, managing social media, crafting email campaigns, or designing marketing materials, the right tools can significantly boost your capabilities and confidence in executing marketing strategies.

Google Analytics – Google Analytics is a powerful tool for tracking and analyzing website traffic. It helps marketers understand user behavior, track conversions, and measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Familiarity with Google Analytics can make you more attractive to employers by demonstrating your ability to make data-driven decisions.

Hootsuite – Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows users to schedule posts, monitor social media activity, and analyze performance across multiple channels. Proficiency in Hootsuite shows that you can effectively manage and optimize social media campaigns.

Mailchimp – Mailchimp is an email marketing service that enables users to create and manage email campaigns, track open rates, and analyze subscriber engagement. Knowing how to use Mailchimp indicates that you can design and execute effective email marketing strategies.

Canva – Canva is a graphic design tool that simplifies creating visually appealing marketing materials, such as social media graphics, presentations, and posters. Familiarity with Canva showcases your ability to produce professional-quality visuals that enhance marketing efforts.

By mastering these essential marketing tools and ones like it, you can demonstrate a broad skill set that is highly valuable to employers, making you a more competitive candidate in the job market.

Hands-On Experience Through Freelancing

Freelance projects are an excellent way to gain practical marketing experience and build a portfolio. Websites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer offer numerous opportunities to work on real marketing projects, from social media management to SEO optimization and content creation. These platforms allow you to choose projects that match your skills and interests, providing hands-on experience that can be showcased to potential employers.

If you are just starting out and developing your skills. You could consider offering your services to local small and micro businesses for little to no cost, just to give yourself some experience in a mutually beneficial deal. Failing this, to build your skills, you could create some ficticious scenarios and create marketing content to help your learning and development.

Build a personal brand

Creating and maintaining a personal brand can be a great way for showcasing your skills and passion for marketing. A strong personal brand can differentiate you from other candidates and demonstrate your expertise and enthusiasm to potential employers.

Starting a Personal Blog or Website – A portfolio website is a professional space where you can display your work, including case studies, marketing campaigns, and content you’ve created. Use this platform to highlight your skills, achievements, and any certifications or courses you’ve completed. A well-designed portfolio website can serve as an online resume, making it easy for employers to see your capabilities and creativity.

Utilizing Social Media – Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram can be powerful tools for building your personal brand. Share industry-related content, participate in relevant discussions, and connect with other professionals. Consistently posting insightful content and engaging with your audience can help establish you as a thought leader in the marketing field.

Tips for Getting Started

1. Choose Your Platforms: Decide which social media platforms and content formats best suit your strengths and audience.

2. Consistent Branding: Ensure consistency in your messaging, visual style, and tone across all platforms to create a cohesive personal brand.

3. High-Quality Content: Focus on creating valuable, high-quality content that showcases your expertise and passion for marketing.

4. Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and connect with other professionals to build relationships and expand your network.

5. Showcase Your Work: Use your blog and portfolio website to highlight your best work, providing detailed case studies and results to demonstrate your impact.

Don’t have any work to show? – Create some ficticious scenarios that require marketing material and use these in your portfolio to demonstrate your skills and how you can apply your abilities to the scenario at hand.

Go to the job interview prepared with ideas

Hopefully, after putting in the work to build up your knowledge of marketing and having shown suitable enthusiasm you will begin to be offered job interviews for marketing roles.

Your commitment to learning marketing and your passion has got you to this stage, but the job isn’t over yet, you now need to convince the hiring manager that you are the person for the job.

With your newly developed skills in marketing, it’s now time to put them into practice by coming up with creative ideas you could pitch during your job interview. If the job description for the role you’ve applied for has social media or email marketing listed as key responsibilities of the job role, build some ideas of social media or email marketing campaigns you think would work well for that business. 

If you feel confident enough, bring along some sample work and go through where you can share the thought process on how you came up with the ideas. For newbies in marketing make sure the sample work you bring with you is up to scratch, what might look good to the untrained eye might look poor to someone with years of experience. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting into Marketing [2024 Update]

There is no standard formula for breaking into marketing. However, there are a few basic approaches you can use to put yourself in the best possible position for success. If you have determination, you can succeed in marketing without any experience. Your approach to how you might get a job in marketing without experience might look like this:

Step 1: Understand the Basics

Learn the Fundamentals: Start by understanding the core concepts of marketing, including the 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion).

Recommended Courses: Take introductory courses on platforms like Coursera, Udemy and HubSpot Academy.

Step 2: Gain Digital Marketing Skills

SEO and SEM: Learn about search engine optimization and marketing.

Social Media Marketing: Understand strategies for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Content Marketing: Study how to create and distribute valuable content.

Email Marketing: Learn to design and manage email campaigns.

Recommended Tools: Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Mailchimp, Canva.

Step 3: Take Specialized Courses

Certifications: Obtain certifications from Google Analytics, HubSpot Academy, or Facebook Blueprint.

Practical Projects: Implement what you learn by running your own campaigns or assisting in small projects.

Step 4: Build a Personal Brand

Create a Blog: Share your insights on marketing topics.

Social Media Presence: Engage with the marketing community on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Portfolio Website: Showcase your projects and skills.

Step 5: Gain Experience

Freelance Projects: Use platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer to find projects.

Internships: Apply for internships to gain hands-on experience.

Step 6: Network and Continue Learning

Networking: Attend industry events, join marketing groups, and connect with professionals.

Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest marketing trends through blogs, podcasts, and webinars.

Step 7: Apply for Jobs

Tailor Your Resume: Highlight relevant skills and experiences.

Prepare for Interviews: Practice common marketing interview questions and showcase your portfolio.