Dos and don’ts for Marketing Graduates

Although the amount of graduate job vacancies has increased by 39.6% since 2009, this does not mean that the graduate job hunt will be any easier this year. It’s that time that any graduate dreads as realisation kicks in that the party days are over, and it’s time to think about a career.

For marketing graduates specifically, the competition can be exceptionally fierce. Due to the popularity of this career choice, marketing graduates certainly need to make sure they perform to the best of their ability in order to ensure triumph in the job hunt.

What must graduates do?

Work experience

If graduates want to succeed within this industry, first-hand work experience will definitely score brownie points and impress an employer. A senior consultant from the UK’s leading Graduate Recruitment consultancy, Graduate Recruitment Bureau says: “Work experience is key. Marketing is a very popular choice for graduates so your experience will make you stand out.”

GRB also spoke to the Director of Nylon Communications for her advice on graduate applications and noted that “tenacity, enthusiasm, buckets of confidence and the ability to articulate is crucial, alongside relevant work experience”.

Whether it is 2 months or 2 weeks, work experience is educational, beneficial and extremely useful when it comes to getting ahead in the graduate job market, in any sector of work. Marketing is a broad industry and encompasses a lot of different sectors. Whether it is to go down the creative or analytical route, work experience should be prioritised.

Online self-promotion:

Due to the boom of digital marketing, it is essential that graduates engage with social media as a means of marketing themselves (i.e. LinkedIn & Twitter). Graduates who do this will show employers that they understand the marketing industry. It will show employers that you have an ability to utilise online marketing tools and can promote yourself accordingly.

Research:

It is also fundamental that graduates do their research into the company they are applying for. Thorough preparation is essential. As well as impressing an employer with your dedication and hunger for the job, it will also demonstrate whether the company is fitting with what you want to do. Employers can spot who has done their homework so it is advisable to research the company’s accomplishments, targets and services before a potential interview. By arriving for an interview with no knowledge or understanding of what the company is about, the chances are you won’t have much hope in getting the job.

What should graduates avoid?

As work experience and engagement with online marketing is deemed as principal in the graduate job hunt, there are also factors which graduates need to be aware of that can lead to harming their application.

CV mishaps:

Employers often have the monotonous job of sifting through several hundred graduate job applications and will have little patience when it comes to being fronted with CV mishaps. According to marketing employers, graduates often put their ambition on their CV as “To get into marketing” with no specificity as to what kind of marketing they want to get into. Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB) consultants mention that: “Marketing is a large industry and has lots of different varieties, so it is critical that graduates know what areas they want to work in.” By being explicit in the objective headline of a CV, this will indicate clear understanding of the industry as well as a clear future career plan that will most certainly make an impression and look professional.

The dangers of social media:

It is most likely that employers will search applicants on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as a way of seeing what you are really like. Being active on these social media sites is a plus, but the type of activity you involve yourself in is particularly critical. Photos from nights out, questionable tweets or any sort of unprofessional behaviour online will instantly harm your application. Do NOT post anything that you wouldn’t want your future boss to see. These posts may seem perfectly harmless, but it is vital to maintain a professional appearance.

Mass applications:

It is pointless for marketing graduates to send out countless amounts of applications with the same CV and cover letter, with the hope that this approach will secure a job. Your CV and cover letter should be tailored for each job application as each job position will differ in terms of its specific requirements, depending on its sector within marketing. By altering and moulding your CV and cover letter, it will show you have taken the time to read the job description thoroughly and note its requirements and required skills. Tailor your CV and cover letter to show you have these talents and it will increase chances of employability.

Our GRB Marketing consultant concludes by advising: “As the industry is very competitive, graduates need to realise how tough it is. However, this shouldn’t deter them – they just need to make sure they stand out with their backgrounds and work experience.” Although 2013 will be tough for graduates in search of a job within marketing, taking the above guidelines on board will surely ignite success in the marketing job hunt.

This article was written by Yasmin Codron, Graduate Recruitment Bureau.