12 Entry Level Marketing Skills to Learn Before You Graduate
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The document outlines 12 essential marketing skills that entry-level professionals should learn before entering the workforce, emphasizing the need for practical knowledge beyond what college offers. Key skills include proficiency in tools like Excel and Google Analytics, strong communication abilities, basic coding and design fundamentals, and a commitment to continuous self-education. The emphasis is on developing both hard and soft skills to gain a competitive edge in the marketing field.
12 Entry Level Marketing Skills to Learn Before You Graduate
- 1. Gut Check: 12 Must-Have Entry Level Marketing Skills to Learn Before Entering the Workforce
- 4. Why? 1. Curricula are slow to adapt to market changes 2. Different jobs requires different skills, while college is broad 3. You don’t know what you don’t know!
- 6. Methodology Ignore the fancy title I used for this slide – my process was basic. I looked at three main things when building my recommendations: 1. I sent a questionnaire to 15 individuals who work for agencies, in-house marketing, or as consultants 2. I reviewed job listings for a variety of roles (enterprise, SMB and agency) 3. I pulled from my own personal experience
- 9. Skill 1: Excel at Excel When to use it: Daily. Seriously, you can do amazing things with excel. From organizing and tracking information to performing calculations, you can do nearly everything. Become a master and your job prospects will go way up. Put this high on your list; Excel is nearly universal. How to learn it: o Lynda.com – See if your school has a subscription. o YouTube – Less structured, but still great info. o Get your hands dirty!
- 10. Skill 2: Google Analytics When to use it: A lot of marketing today is done online, and a company’s website is at the center of it all. Google Analytics is a free and powerful tool to see who is on your website, where they came from, and what they’re doing there. How to learn it: o Google Analytics Academy is a free course (Google it.) o Bonus: Complete the course, take the test and get certified (cha- ching!)
- 11. Skill 3: Basic Statistics When to use it: A basic understanding of statistics will help you make sense of the data you collect. It’s important to separate trends from coincidences, and to make more informed decisions. How to learn it: o Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan: Highly accessible, not too dry. o Take a class at your school. o Vegas (I’m kidding…kind of.)
- 12. “ Get your certifications. I would say getting Google Analytics certified is huge no matter the digital field you land in. - Wesley G., Search Marketer
- 13. “ Become familiar with all of the free tools out there in the digital space, especially Google Analytics. Understanding numbers is important across the board. - Sean F., Account Manager
- 16. Skill 4: Public Speaking When to use it: Whether you’re pitching a client, asking for a raise, or speaking in front of a large group, you need to capture (and keep) your audience’s attention. How to learn it: o Practice! Practice! Practice! o Join your local Toastmasters chapter. o Read aloud (Get used to hearing your voice!)
- 17. Skill 5: Email (Yes, Email) When to use it: The average business person sends and receives 131 emails each day. You need to learn how to get your point across quickly and cut the fluff. Less is more folks. How to learn it: o Be concise. State your intentions. Always include next steps. o Read this article from the Muse. o Pet peeve: Don’t ”Reply All” unless you need to.
- 18. Skill 6: Learn Communication Styles When to use it: Everyone has a different communication style. Learn the most popular styles so you can be a better communicator. Understand your own strengths and weaknesses to identify opportunities and landmines. How to learn it: o Take the DISC test, and read all the profiles. o Take the Myers Briggs test, and read the profiles. o Self-evaluate – be honest and write your strengths/weaknesses.
- 19. “ Learn to communicate by presenting your ideas in a structured way, so others will understand. This is especially true with written communications. - Jennifer G., Red Bamboo Marketing
- 20. “ Most of my day is spent communicating with clients through email, phone and meetings. I never learned this skill in school, and it was a big adjustment for me when I started work. - Sean F., Agency Account Manager
- 23. Skill 7: Get Familiar with HTML When to use it: Writing a blog? Sending a marketing email? Tweaking a landing page? In all of these situations, knowing some HTML basics will go a long way in helping you troubleshoot problems and get things done. How to learn it: o Take a free course on CodeAcademy o Start a free blog on WordPress.com
- 24. Skill 8: Design Fundamentals When to use it: Much of today’s marketing is visual. You’ll need attractive graphics for social media posts, website pages, printed collateral and more. I’m not saying to become Picasso – but you should understand the basics. How to learn it: o Visit Canva.com for beautiful pre-built design templates o Learn the basics of typography o Learn the basics of color
- 25. Skill 9: Dig Deeper into Search When to use it: Understanding how search engines work is essential when dealing with online marketing. This includes learning how to get more out of search engines, and how to get found on search engines. How to learn it: o Research like a pro with Google Search Operators o Learn the basics of SEO with Google o Learn even more with Moz
- 26. “ Learn PhotoShop and basic HTML. Marketers are expected to know all of these things right now, you can't just be a great writer and have good ideas. They want you to handle all of it. - Christine R., Public Relations Specialist
- 27. “ Understanding how people search goes beyond SEO. It teaches you to think the way your customer’s think, to understand their motivations and to speak their language. This skill applies across the board. - Stephen Murphy, Red Bamboo Marketing
- 30. Skill 10: Ask Questions When to use it: Asking questions is not a sign of weakness. It is an attribute of innovators and leaders. If you don’t know the answer, ask someone who does – or go find it on your own. Tips for Success: o Follow the “5 minute rule” – if you can’t figure it out on your own in less than 5 minutes, ask someone! o Keep a running list of questions so you can ask all at once.
- 31. Skill 11: Learn to Listen When to use it: “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” - Epictetus Tips for Success: o Be an active listener. o There’s a difference between what someone says, and what they mean. Find out what they want. o Follow Skill 10. Ask more questions.
- 32. Skill 12: Self Educate When to use it: Marketing is constantly changing. While fundamentals and strategy may stay consistent, tactics of today are drastically different from even a few years ago. You must always be learning. Tips for Success: o Read everyday. Blogs, books, magazines, social media, forums, etc. o Run experiments. Try something for yourself, see if it works, then replicate.
- 33. “ I can’t stress the importance of listening enough. You need to listen closely to understand the needs of your boss, your company and your customers. - Jennifer G., Red Bamboo Marketing
- 34. “ Try to do your own projects to get experience. Master your day-to- day, and then focus on what you can do outside of what is "required" of you. Managers love this go-getter attitude. - Wesley G, Search Marketer