Training for Marketing Jobs

Learn the skills needed for marketing employment
By Jennifer Randle Jobs in business marketing can be exciting and challenging. There are marketing job opportunities worldwide, and you'll find business marketing positions in nearly every company. Marketing jobs include business marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales positions. They encompass everything from art directors and copy writers to sales managers and market researchers.

If you are considering marketing careers, you have several options in training for marketing jobs. To decide what training options are best for you, first complete these important steps.

1. Narrow the business marketing jobs you are interested in down to one discipline, such as Marketing, Advertising, or Public Relations.

2. Ask yourself how much time and money you are willing to invest in training.

3. Review your past job experience and consider how it may be applied to jobs in marketing.

Earn a college degree applicable to marketing employment

The best place to get training for marketing jobs is at a university. Colleges offer the most thorough, in-depth training you can find and most will even help you find marketing jobs upon graduation. It's never too late to go back to school, either, and graduate school should be considered by those with an undergraduate degree.
Try:  MyPlan.com boasts a comprehensive list of colleges offering marketing degrees. West Virginia University is on top of the online education trend with one of the only all-online Integrated Marketing Communications graduate programs available.

Work for free for experience in marketing jobs

Often, the most valuable training comes from hands-on experience. If you are able to work as an intern while in college, you'll gain real life training in your field while building up your resume. Plus, many companies consider interns first when paid marketing job openings are available.
Try:  Most popular job sites will allow you to narrow your search for internship opportunities in your area. Or better yet, click over to a website focused solely on internships, such as InternshipPrograms.com or the international internship website StudyAbroad.com, and search for Marketing internships.

Take seminars or certification classes geared toward business marketing jobs

Certification programs and seminars are an excellent training source for the busy professional who wants to explore or advance in marketing job opportunities. Certification programs or seminars are usually condensed in time but rich in information and are sometimes focused on a specific area of interest.
Try:  The American Marketing Association is a well-known and respected provider of marketing workshops and boot camps. Those interested in public relations should explore the Public Relations Society of America seminar and conference listings.

• Ask your current boss or other professional in the marketing industry for suggestions on further training for marketing jobs. They may have insight on what would work best for you.