8 Tips to help you land a higher-paying marketing job
Marketers understand the value of branding, the necessity of creative grit, and the reality that tiny things set something—or someone—apart.
While searching for a new job, your goal is to sell yourself more effectively than anybody else, regardless of the firm you are applying to or the position you wish to hold. There are several ways to distinguish yourself as a top contender, even while you cannot predict the candidates you'll be up against.
This blog was specifically prepared for you if this is the year you decide to change jobs and find a higher-paying position. Keep reading to see some tips you can apply right now to increase your chances for your next job application.
Image source: Canva
8 tips to get you that dream marketing role
Here are tested and trusted strategies to help you land a higher-paying marketing role. We’ve also included insights from experienced marketers in our expert feature series. These individuals have been where you are now and have secured high-paying marketing roles.
1. Evaluate and access your strengths
Before you send out another cover letter, take some time to honestly evaluate your abilities. What part of your experience will the company find most valuable? Why would you be the ideal addition to the marketing team? Thinking about this before you start your application can help you choose the right roles to apply to and boost your chances.
2. Hone your skills
Once you’ve identified the roles you’re interested in applying to, identify any relevant skills you can acquire to meet the hiring criteria. If you already work in marketing, consider taking up some additional responsibilities or chances to work with other teams.
Efe Uduigwomen, a Growth Marketer at the leading US Fintech company, talks about her career pivot into marketing and subsequent progression in the industry. She says, “I'm always seeking positions where I can be very active — that is, being at the forefront of things. Before working in comms, I worked as an account manager at an agency, managing accounts for a bunch of brands and doing some advertising on the side. I enjoyed it.”
“When I shifted to my first tech company, I started in comms. It was interesting for a while but I got bored. So then, I was moved to doing marketing communications. This was still a comms role, but it was a lot more at the forefront of things, more data-driven, more planning and strategizing.”
Read Efe’s full story.
3. Cover all the basics and stay prepared for the right opportunity
Make sure you cover all the basic premises of finding a good job such as updating your résumé, LinkedIn profile, portfolio, and cover letter, so when an opportunity presents itself, you’ll be prepared to submit your application in time. If you’re a newbie with zero experience, you can create a portfolio of mock projects.
For Oluwatofunmi Alo, product and content marketing manager, one way to prepare for the right opportunity is “To creatively build a portfolio aligned with your interests, whether it's in social media, SEO, or product marketing. Showcasing your passion and initiative, even without formal experience, can make recruiters take notice.
“If you’ve faced challenges in securing a job, think outside the box to create a portfolio that reflects your capabilities. This proactive approach not only sets you apart but also helps you decide the marketing niche you want to focus on.”
Read Oluwatofunmi’s full story.
4. Do your research
It should go without saying, but before applying for a job, research the organization, and the position. By gaining enough knowledge of the business and the role, you can genuinely demonstrate your interest throughout the interview process, and stand out among hundreds of candidates.
You can learn about the latest product the organization has launched, who their competitors are, how your role can help grow their business, their company culture, how you can fit in, and more. To hear a long-time freelance marketer, Lily Ugbaja, tell it:
“Learn to deliver value before you start selling. Value, in this case, is not about knowing your worth as an individual but as a professional and your skill level in the market.”
Read Lily’s full story.
5. Attend Networking Events
Networking events, whether in-person or virtual, are essential as they place you in the perfect position to meet people who could be the contacts needed to land your dream job. At such events, you get to meet people in your industry and also put yourself out there.
Image source: Sandra Tabansi’s LinkedIn post
Another benefit to networking is that it connects you with people who you can share your journey with and can make you a better marketer. A total win-win situation. Through the power of social media, you can also connect with someone currently employed in the role you wish to work in to learn more about the key skills needed for success and to acquire those skills.
Tamilore Oladipo, a content writer at Buffer, highlights the importance of building good connections. Talking about how she landed her current role at Buffer, she says,
“I knew two people on the marketing team at Buffer. I had previously connected with them on LinkedIn and Twitter while following people from different remote companies. I had built that connection with several people with no immediate expectations, so they knew me and recognized my name. That might have helped in the decision-making process.”
6. Leverage mentorship and communities
Don’t underestimate the power of mentorship and great communities! An experienced mentor in your niche can train and guide you along your career journey. Because they’ve faced obstacles, they can share helpful experiences to help you avoid similar challenges.
Image source: Freepik
Efe, quoted earlier, narrates her experience and the challenges she faced because she didn’t have a mentor early in her career.
“When I started, I didn't have a marketing mentor to guide me through the intricacies of the field or address my questions and concerns. I had to navigate mostly on my own until I connected with peers facing similar situations, allowing us to exchange ideas and build a network of support,” she says.
Tamilore shares the impact of communities on her career. For her, joining a community like Superpath was essential because it helped her figure out how to apply for remote jobs, specifically for companies receiving applications from people worldwide.”
“I had to position myself online and change my preconceived notion about getting remote work. I started to think of myself as a person applying for a remote job, not a Nigerian applying; that mindset change was pivotal,” she adds.
7. Show off your projects online
We cannot deny the power of social media in any brand positioning. Consider using LinkedIn to share your work experiences and learnings or Instagram and TikTok to create fun video content that shows your personality even more, and use Twitter to share your opinions.
You can also leverage blogs, newsletters, or podcasts to showcase your skills and projects (personal and/or professional) you’ve worked on. According to Oluwatofunmi Ato, personal projects show recruiters you’re a self-starter while professional projects show that other people have taken bets on your abilities and seen results.
“Recruiters have reached out to me because of my work on personal projects more times than I can count. The lesson here is people are excited by self-starters, it shows grit, tenacity and that you are passionate about your profession,” she advises.
8. Update your strengths and skills
You should evaluate your strengths when applying for a new role. Perhaps you were promoted to team leader and now oversee a team, or you learned to create new sorts of reports that you had never been required to create before.
Any new type of report or presentation translates to new strengths in data analysis and (potentially) new software abilities. Supervisory responsibilities mean new management and leadership skills. Social media skills translate to strengthened marketing and digital competencies. Keep these in mind and update your resume accordingly.
Final words…
And there you have it! We hope you found these tips useful. Would you like access to marketing job opportunities and career resources that match your interests and experience? Then, join our Slack community! You can also read our blog for more helpful insights to grow your marketing career.
Good luck with your job search!
