As of June 2014, only 55 percent of LinkedIn users viewed building their professional reputation as one of the top benefits of consuming professional content on the website. LinkedIn is a great resource for building a professional, personal reputation or brand that can be beneficial when attempting to advance your career.
Source: MarketingCharts
Whether you want to start your own business, move up at your current firm, or prepare for your future in the marketing industry, it’s never too late or too soon to think about how to advance your marketing career. The right career move may take careful planning before making any large changes. Don’t let any opportunities pass you by; take some vital steps first so you’re ready to take your marketing career to the next level.
Build a Portfolio
Don’t underestimate the importance of building a portfolio. Even if you aren’t ready to advance in your career, you should keep track of the work you have completed. A portfolio ensures that your entire body of work is easily accessible and allows you to show, not tell, all of your work. Consider creating both physical and digital portfolios so you can easily share your work with others online and in person.
In addition, you can see how you have progressed in your current position and determine where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Study your work and learn from your past mistakes and triumphs. Knowing what assets you bring to the table, as well as areas where you could improve, will serve you well when moving up in the marketing industry.
Pursue a Degree
Depending on your current position and your goals, you may want to consider getting a degree. If you don’t have a degree, or don’t have one in marketing or a related field, a bachelor’s degree in marketing can help set you apart from other candidates or reduce necessary relevant work experience when applying for new or mid-level jobs. To become a high-level executive or marketing director, you may even need to obtain a master’s degree in marketing. While starting or returning to school may not be a necessary or practical way to advance your marketing career, it’s still an important consideration to make when planning ahead.
Expand Your Knowledge
You should still keep learning about marketing, whether or not you choose to pursue a degree. In this digital era, new trends, studies, and information spread impossibly fast, and what was relevant yesterday may not be today. If you don’t stay active in reading and researching the goings-on in the marketing industry, you will lose a huge competitive edge. Consult authoritative marketing websites, publications, and magazines for the latest and greatest insights.
If there’s no major news or shifts in marketing, that’s no excuse to slack on your studies. Diversify your knowledge by reading about things outside your niche or deepen your understanding of a specific topic. No matter how long you have been in the industry, there’s always something new you can learn to enrich and improve your understanding of marketing.
Take Risks
Oftentimes, to receive great rewards, you have to take great risks. Put yourself out there, try new things, and get out of your comfort zone. Whatever your goals are, do something that no one else is to set yourself apart from the pack — even if you’re uncertain of the outcome. You may fail, but failure and success are two sides of the same coin. If your pursuit is something worth succeeding at, it’s worth the risk. People will remember the success of a bold move or out-of-the-box idea, but any missteps will be quickly and easily forgotten.
Develop Your Personal Brand Online
Anyone who works in marketing understands that branding is essential to success, so do everything you can to develop your own brand. You already know the product you’ll offer — your skills as a marketer — so begin by creating social media profiles for yourself or your business.
Try starting with LinkedIn — according to the Collat School of Business, LinkedIn is “the Internet’s primary source of professional branding”. When used properly, “the tools provided by LinkedIn are designed to let users maximize the salesmanship of their professional product.”
Though LinkedIn may be the most obvious platform to develop your online presence, don’t underestimate the importance of other social media websites. Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram can all be effective ways to bolster your brand online and make unexpected connections with others. Branch out as much as you like; it’s all but impossible to predict which platform will be the most useful to your endeavors.
Cultivating a strong online presence with social media or even a personal website allows you to establish yourself and explain your services or products. Be unique and differentiate yourself from any competitors. Stay consistent as you build your brand identity and reputation. Being consistent is just as important as being unique.
Keep Networking
Networking seems to come up in every piece of advice regarding career advancement and job hunting in virtually all industries, but only because it truly is that important. No matter what stage your career is at, even if you aren’t looking to change things up, networking can lead to greater marketing job opportunities and connections you hadn’t thought of or anticipated.
Networking is a continuous process, and with the prevalence of social media and digital devices in daily life, that process is almost never-ending. Try not to pass up any chances to network. Continue to connect with other professionals online, attend relevant events and info sessions, and take advantage of any unexpected opportunities.
Focus on Yourself
Focus on bringing out the best, most confident, and well-informed version of yourself possible. Think about the goal you want to achieve and then the steps you need to take to do so. Regardless of how you want to advance your career, you won’t get there without hard work and confidence. That may mean taking on more responsibilities in your current position, completing your work more accurately and efficiently, or implementing new policies and ideas at work.
Fine-tune your attitude to one of positivity and innovation. Be the kind of person you want to work and spend time with, and do your best to avoid people who don’t bring out the best in you. A positive outlook and willingness to think outside the box will get you farther than you think.
There is no one clear path or solution to career advancement in the industry. Two people with the same goal may accomplish it in completely different ways. And at the end of the day, you are the only one who knows what the right career move is and how to achieve it.
About the Author: Avery T. Phillips is a freelance human being with too much to say. She loves nature and examining human interactions with the world. Comment or tweet her @a_taylorian with any questions or suggestions.