Every week, we answer a common question about marketing or an aspect of business. This week, our question comes from a fan who entered our giveaway for an Amazon Firestick and Echo Dot bundle. Today, we will answer the following: “can I pursue a career in marketing after working in another field?”
Marketing is one of the most diverse fields in the world. There are literally countless ways to successfully market a product or a service. Personally, I think it’s a pretty damn cool field to work in.
So you might be asking yourself, “is it possible to switch over to a career in marketing?” The short answer is “yes.” Don’t sell yourself short!
Of course, you probably want a more thorough answer. For that reason, it’s important to understand a few things…
There’s No Single Right Way to Pursue a Career in Marketing
Regardless of what field you are coming from, if you want to transition into marketing, then go for it! There is no “right way” to get into marketing, particularly digital marketing. The field is pretty new and the barriers to entry are low. We’re all learning as we go along.
Next, marketing is required for basically any kind of business. Whatever domain-specific knowledge you picked up earlier in your career could very easily come in handy.
If you’re looking for an easy way to start, try social media. It’s easy to access and doesn’t cost anything to establish a presence. Social media gives marketers a convenient way to share content and inform people.
Social media marketing can be centered around promoting a product, informing others, or socializing with people you’ve never met. Many different platforms allow you to accomplish these goals, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, and TikTok. That’s by no means an exhaustive list either.
Of course, marketing is much bigger than social media. Social media just happens to be a widespread and readily available tool associated with marketing right now. If you find that you have a taste for marketing, you will want to build a foundation of skills and knowledge before jumping headfirst into a new career.
Understanding common business terms will help you gain a sense of what people are talking about on a day-to-day basis. In addition to understanding terminology, take a look at Google Marketing. It’s a free platform that gives you a chance to learn the ins and outs of how to market on Google. You can freely obtain their certifications, which will help prove that you are serious about your new career path.
Final Thoughts
You can’t change your career overnight, and that’s okay. The improtant thing is that you can change, given enough time. Marketing is a field where you will always learn something new, evolve with society, and tap into your inner creativity.
If the path to change careers isn’t clear yet, don’t panic! Start taking steps to further your knowledge in marketing and to further yourself. While switching fields might be logistically tough, staying in a field you don’t like is often not worth it.
Keep pushing forward, and you will end up where you are supposed to be!
