Marketing is often misunderstood by those outside of the field. I get it. Most of the myths below are things I believed before joining Marketing. But I am here to debunk 4 pretty common myths I have encountered about the Marketing field.
1. If you want to be successful in marketing, you’ll need to complete a degree in marketing.
Okay this is something I still struggle with and sometimes even lose sleep over. It isn’t necessary for you to have a degree in Marketing if you want to work in Marketing. If you’re interested in Marketing, there are plenty of ways for you to learn and gain skills.
You can:
- Get experience on the job. If possible, work as an intern or entry-level employee at a company where they do marketing. This will give you an inside look at how they do things and let them know what kind of person they have on their team!
- Read books and blogs about marketing topics that interest you most (like social media). These can be great resources for understanding basic concepts without having taken formal classes yet. I have a list of free Digital Marketing resources here.
2. It’s essential to have a network of contacts when pursuing a marketing career.
Yes and no. A network of contacts is important, but you can build a network online as well.
When starting out in marketing, it’s helpful to have people already in the field to guide you through the process. But if you don’t live near them, there are other ways to connect with those who know what they’re doing: social media! You can use Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups as places where people share their knowledge and experience. This could also work to be your foot in the door. Someone could know of a company or agency that is hiring.
3. You need years of experience in order to succeed as a marketer.
Anyone can be successful in marketing-you don’t have to have any special training or education for it. In fact, most companies will hire entry-level employees and train them on the job because they know that those people will learn quickly and get better at what they do over time. As long as you have the passion and the desire to learn, you WILL kick ass. (Feel free to quote me because I am 110% confident about this).
4. Marketing careers are just for the young
You’ve probably heard the saying “age is just a number.” Well, it’s true! Marketing careers are for everyone. Refer to my point above.
There are a few more myths that I have encountered but am not willing to discuss just yet (i.e the one where people say Marketers don’t work- but that requires me to do deep inner work before I go there). What Marketing myths have you encountered? Let me know below.
