How do I get into the Marketing and Advertising industry with an IT background?
I plan to start an MBA in September, specializing in Marketing. However I wonder if that would be enough to get me a good position in the industry. Are there any other qualifications required….? Any advice would be appreciated.
Your MBA will provide you a solid understanding of the fundamentals of marketing and make your resume look good. Now is the best time for young people to be entering the marketing field, especially with your background in IT. The traditional marketing methods like TV and Print are becoming less effective and new media marketing tactics that use the internet to connect with customers is the future. I would look into digital marketing or advertising or even consider starting your own agency. Build your skills in internet marketing, such as SEO and PPC, which are currently in high demand.
Marketing needs IT skills – just like any other industry. So you would need to find out if your skills/background/training are a good match for the industry. I contract marketing services for my company and the IT team is working on my website and network interfaces right now.
It kind of depends on specifically where you’re at in your career. If you’re straight out of college and can afford to take either a paid or unpaid internship, I’d start there.
If not, you would need to start from the ground level and work your way up. Many of the larger agencies have a "training ground" for entry level employees.
I’m in marketing — marketing and advertising isn’t rocket science and it definately helps to be a creative thinker, but there are some technical aspects about the industry and various forms of media vechicles that you do have to know. And Marketing/Adveritisng is a good industry to learn on the fly or as you go but the key is starting at the bottom and working upward. I’ve seen a lot of people who step into positions they’re not qualifed for and they get exposed quickly.