Defining Your Career in Digital Marketing

While opportunities may seem endless, it can also feel daunting to know where to begin your career in marketing. By building your experience and making connections in the industries you are passionate about, you can explore the possibilities of this exciting and ever evolving field.  

How to build a career in marketing

If you want to eventually work your way to leadership level in the marketing space, it is crucial that you gain experience in both digital and brand marketing. You must be digitally savvy while also having the creative skills to tell a brand’s story. Experience in both of these areas is highly valuable and finding roles that can serve you cross functionally will help to boost your resume in the long run.

Brand marketing vs. Digital marketing

Roles in brand marketing might include: PR, messaging, content creation, and social media management. This type of work focuses on organic marketing and the more creative assets that communicate who a brand is to the target audience. Digital marketing is often associated with roles in growth marketing and paid media. This skillset is more analytical and is focused on scaling a business through testing and data analysis. Experience in growth marketing is highly sought out by employers right now and job seekers with experience at companies that have notably grown are in high demand.  

Landing a job in your dream industry

To get a job in an industry that excites you, seek out roles at brands that you are passionate about that align with your growing skillset. If you are a designer, seek out freelance or temp work that will give you an opportunity to gain experience with work similar to that of your dream role. If you are extremely passionate about a certain role or certain company, consider tailoring your resume and portfolio to match the style and feel of this brand. Make sure to showcase any work that is similar or relevant to the type of work you will be creating in the desired role.  If your line of marketing does not pertain to physical assets or a portfolio, make sure to highlight your passion and interest for the industry during your interviews and in your resume. Whether you are a designer or not, brands want to know that you will be able to understand and represent their existing identity so highlighting any transferrable skills or experiences is very important. As we return to in person events, there is a growing need for event and experience marketing. This can be another way to break into an industry you are passionate about. Brands are seeking new ideas that can be implemented through in person engagement and events and looking for talent to take on this challenge. Working at any level in event marketing can be a great way to not only gain experience, but to build your network in the industry.  

Playing to your passions

A major component of defining your career is understanding yourself. Consider what excites you in your everyday life. What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies? Whatever the industry, try pursuing that field. When you are truly invested in the products or brands you are working with, you will produce your best work.  Dig deeper into who you are and try to define some personal goals. Take stock of your skills and abilities and consider how those can translate into your industry. Of course, this is not an easy task and may evolve over time but working in an industry you love will help you be the best that you can be in your field.  

If you are ready to advance your career in marketing, or looking for a change, the team at Syndicatebleu is here to help you find your next great opportunity. With over 40 years of experience and offices nationwide, we are experts in our field and know what it take to make a perfect match. You can browse our current opportunities on our LinkedIn and Find Work pages, and follow Syndicatebleu on LinkedIn to stay up to date with our hottest jobs and career insights.