3 things you should know about working in marketing

Working in marketing is about more than coming up with catchy slogans. But if you’re looking for a career where you get to be creative, constantly try new things and work on a range of projects, it may be for you. That said, not all marketing jobs are created equal: choosing your role and industry wisely is essential to landing your dream role. 

I’ve been in marketing and communications for 10 years, across different industries, and am now responsible for brand and content as Marketing Communications Manager at Euler Hermes. When I started my career 10 years ago, there wasn’t even such a thing called “digital marketing”. I didn’t know exactly how marketing worked in the real world, or why I was drawn to it – but I was convinced that it was for me. And I was right! 

My career has taught me a lot, not least about how to choose the right path. Here are the key things to know about working in marketing. 

Looking to get a foot in the door? Don’t be afraid to market your own abilities as a multi-tasker, and be prepared to work your way up. At Euler Hermes, marketing interns get hands-on experience with each part of marketing, be it event organisation, creating and publishing content, or managing our CRM system. And candidates that have some experience or an interest in data and analytics are highly sought after. 

As for my role, it’s incredibly varied. I spend a lot of time meeting with various teams across the business, from top management to product teams, and planning upcoming campaigns. I also ensure the execution of anything from tightly planned lead-generation activities to videos, presentations and press releases.  

Forget about the words in your job title: the size of your team and company have a much bigger impact on what you actually get to do. I always knew I wanted to work in a large corporation, because of the opportunities I thought I’d be exposed to. However, in past roles I often felt more like a cog in the machine than someone making a real impact! I’ve had some very operational roles where it seemed like I was doing the same thing every day and not learning much. 

My team at Euler Hermes feels like a start-up within a large corporation. Because there’s only a handful of us, we all get to become experts in a wide variety of subjects. We each have a lot of responsibility, backed by the reach of a large group. 

People often think that business-to-consumer (B2C) is a completely different world from business-to-business (B2B). But rather than focusing on the type of clients you’ll be targeting with the campaigns you create, I suggest you look at the types of projects you’ll get your hands on, and the skills you’ll be able to develop. 

I’ve worked for companies that operate in both the B2C and the B2B space, and am amazed at the variety and scope of projects involved in marketing to businesses. A career highlight for me was being part of the core project team within World Agency for the roll-out of MyEH, Euler Hermes’ new customer platform. World Agency looks after our multinational insurance clients, and as part of this team I have a very international and multi-faceted role, with constant opportunities to grow. For MyEH, I created the global communications plan, including for different audience groups, and spearheaded both a pilot launch and the real event. 

For me, a dream job is one that gives me space to be proactive about my professional development. This means having ample opportunity to take on challenges and responsibility, and being part of a nurturing environment. At Euler Hermes, I’ve found an ambience that is international, fun and open, and the projects I get to work on are truly inspiring. 

At the end of the day, it’s your own drive and ambition that will get your career to where you want it to be. But making sure you’re in the right place to thrive is half the job done.