It seems like the one thing international students don’t need to worry about is having a variety of marketing jobs to choose from. Despite the current economic situation reports suggest that marketing jobs are on the rise—especially concerning digital marketing. Students should make sure to pay attention to their digital marketing and media classes to land a job post-graduation.
The job situation is looking hopeful when it comes to careers for marketing majors. Apparently jobs in marketing are on the rise and it’s all about digital and multi-media communication according to a recent marketing job forecast posted by Monster.com, one of the world’s largest employment websites. There is certain knowledge and skills you’ll need to possess to get your ideal marketing job—and these things can be acquired through earning your marketing degree in the US and getting as much marketing experience as possible pre-graduation. Here are some ways you can increase your chances of getting hired post-graduation:
Skills you'll need
Forbes.com discusses 10 job skills you’ll need, and all of them can be applied to the marketing field:
- Critical thinking
- Complex problem solving
- Judgment and decision making
- Active listening
- Computers and electronics
- Mathematics
- Operations and systems analysis
- Monitoring
- Programming
- Sales and marketing
Most of the skills listed are elements that make up jobs in marketing, understanding operations and systems analysis along with programming aren’t necessarily marketing responsibilities but they’d be useful to know and could be applied to the job.
In addition to these skills international students should keep in mind that most of the new jobs in marketing will involve multichannel media skills (which means pay attention to this stuff in class!). Marketing professionals will be expected to know about SEO or search engine optimization, as well as using various channels for communication with consumers like social media and news media.
If you can understand marketing analytics then you’ll be in luck because this type of job will also be in high demand in the job market. Careers for marketing majors will also involve creative writing of course, so don’t be surprised if companies put your writing skills to the test during job interviews—some companies make applicants participate in a writing evaluation or give them a mock-trial marketing situation to judge their marketing abilities.
Get real-world experience
Before making it to the interview and skills assessments however, the way international students will get in the door is through an amazing resume. Think about it, your resume is what sells you as a good marketer…if you can’t market yourself to a possible employer how can they expect you to successfully market their product?
Obviously right out of college you won’t be able to put “5 years’ experience working at a Fortune-500 company” on your resume, so you’ll have to make sure to bulk up your experience while you’re still in school. Many universities and colleges offer marketing groups or clubs for students so they can gain marketing experience as they pursue their major. These groups are usually student-run organizations that help real business with marketing campaigns—students gain real-world marketing experience and have a chance to apply the things they’ve learned during class.
Aside from student marketing groups you could always participate in an internship; thousands of companies across the US offer students internships year round. If you’re too busy during school you can participate in a summer internship instead. If you’re able to score an internship with a big company like Coca-Cola or Disney, you can really put yourself above the competition when it comes to landing your marketing dream job.
Conclusion
There are hundreds of careers for marketing majors out there and according to current job forecasts that number is expected to grow. International students should make sure they are up to date on marketing trends—like understanding multichannel communication and new digital trends. International students who put forth the extra effort to bulk up their resume and gain the necessary skills and experience needed for this field will have the best chance of achieving a successful career in marketing.