Marketing New Grad: Build Portfolio & Secure First Entry-Level Role

This user is a 24-year-old new graduate with a Business degree and Marketing minor, seeking realistic first steps to enter the marketing field, having prior experience in retail and bartending. This is a prime opportunity to guide them towards their first professional marketing role by leveraging their education and building practical skills.

Recommendations:

• Skill Development & Certifications: Prioritize learning practical digital marketing skills, which are highly sought after. Google offers free certifications (Google Ads, Google Analytics, Digital Marketing Fundamentals). HubSpot Academy also has excellent free courses for content marketing, social media marketing, and inbound marketing. These demonstrate proactive learning and current knowledge.
• Portfolio Building: Since their work experience isn't directly marketing-related, they need a robust portfolio. This can include:
  • Personal Projects: Create and manage a blog, social media channels for a specific niche, or run a small, low-budget ad campaign for a fictional product or a local non-profit (volunteer/pro bono). Document the process and results.
  • Course Projects: Showcase any relevant projects from their degree that demonstrate marketing strategy, market research, or campaign planning.
  • Volunteer Work/Internships: Seek out short-term volunteer opportunities or internships with small businesses or non-profits to gain hands-on experience and build references.
• Leverage Transferable Skills: Frame their retail and bartending experience to highlight customer service, sales, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, ability to work in a fast-paced environment, and understanding customer needs. These are valuable soft skills for any marketing role.
• Entry-Level Roles: Target roles like Marketing Coordinator, Digital Marketing Assistant, Social Media Assistant, SEO Specialist (junior), Content Marketing Intern/Associate. Emphasize their willingness to learn and contribute.
• Networking: Attend marketing meetups (online or in-person), connect with professionals on LinkedIn, and explore informational interviews to learn about different marketing paths and potential openings.