Many people are intrigued by the possibility of a marketing position. It’s a diverse field that contains a wide range of job opportunities in almost every industry, encompassing work in mediums as varied as television, print, and social media. The idea that your vision could be experienced by others is also incredibly enticing, especially if you get to work with highly recognizable brands.

To enter the exciting field of marketing, you need the right background. Here’s what you need to know.

Most marketing professionals have at least a bachelor’s degree in the field. This helps you acquire foundational skills as well as an understanding of crucial principles that govern many decisions about how to create and manage campaigns, what platforms will yield the best results, and how to target the content to a specific demographic. You’ll also learn about reputation management, or how to make sure that customers see the brand in a positive fashion, which is critical for overall success.

Additionally, many marketing students pursue internships to help them gain real-world experience while they work towards their degree. While these may not be a graduation requirement, they can help you get a leg up on the competition and allow you to refine your skills with an actual company.

Some people choose to pursue an advanced degree, which can be helpful if you want to eventually reach the upper echelons of the marketing profession. However, this isn’t necessarily a requirement to begin working in the field.

Aside from relevant hard skills, a broad range of soft skills are especially beneficial to a marketing position. First and foremost, you need to be an exceptional communicator, both in-person and in writing. You’ll often be responsible for creating potential ad content (typically done in writing) as well as presenting ideas to co-workers, managers, and even clients. Usually, the process of creating campaigns and generating ideas is collaborative, so strong teamwork skills are also highly useful.

At its core, marketing is a creative profession, so being able to think creatively is a necessity. This includes coming up with unique ideas and approaches. Further, you’ll need to create visual presentations to coincide with your plans, which often combines artistic prowess with aesthetic vision.

You’ll also conduct a lot of research to assist in identifying target markets, customer preferences, and ideal mediums based on the client’s goals. Plus, you’ll need to get to know the ins and outs of the product being advertised, making it easier to create a campaign that shows it off in the best light possible.

Marketing is also all about having a solid strategy, so strategic thinkers with long-term vision are also prized by companies and marketing firms.

Other skills may be required depending on the preferences of the company that’s hiring, so consider investigating your dream marketing position to see what it takes to land them, and use that information to guide your efforts as you begin working in the field.

If you are looking for a new marketing position, the professionals at The Advance Group can help you locate your ideal opportunity. Contact us today to see how our services can benefit you.