Your Guide to Landing an Entry-Level Marketing Job

A career in marketing can be a great option for you if you enjoy being creative, strategic, and innovative, as well as using technology to reach consumers. Some of the latest trends in this industry involve the use of marketing automation software and artificial intelligence to improve marketing efforts.

A marketing career offers many options, with a host of specializations from content marketing and digital marketing, to advertising. With multiple pathways to enter the profession, it’s common to start in a junior or entry-level position to gain experience and transition to a more senior role. 

Learn more about different types of entry-level marketing jobs, how to prepare to enter the industry, and how to expand your qualifications once you're there.

What is marketing?

Marketing is how companies attract customers by promoting and selling their products and services. The term is broad and includes market research and analysis, advertising, as well as delivering a message through digital means, wording, and branding. Marketing can be further broken down into types or strategies:

• Social media marketing: Using social media to promote and introduce products and services

• Influencer marketing: Collaborating with credible individuals who endorse products through social media, links, and online content

• Content marketing: Creating and sharing material online with blogs, videos, articles, and social media posts to promote products and services

• SEO marketing: Optimizing the on-page and backend elements or a website or web page so that it ranks at or near the top of a search engine results page

• Affiliate marketing: Collaborating and compensating a third party to promote products and services

• Email marketing: Promoting products and services via email by creating a mailing list

• Telemarketing: Marketing products and services via the telephone, either with warm leads or cold calling 

• Public relations marketing: Building a public company image to facilitate marketing activities 

7 Entry-level marketing jobs

Now that you know the different types of marketing, it’s time to think about the type of role that interests you. Consider the following entry-level marketing jobs, spanning the various aspects of the field, and use the details included in each description as a starting point for conducting your own marketing career research:

*All salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of May 2023 and includes annual base salary and additional pay (commissions, tips, profit sharing, and cash bonuses).

Marketing coordinator

Salary: $51,283

A marketing coordinator supports the marketing department's projects and goals. Tasks may include coordinating marketing and community events, assisting with different campaigns, creating content, conducting research, and monitoring campaign performance. You may need a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or a related field, plus relevant experience, to take on this role [1].

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring marketing coordinators as of May 2023 include Axis Communications, CHG Healthcare, TaskUs, Swinerton Builders, and Intuit.

Social media assistant

Salary: $40,640

As a social media assistant, you support the social media manager and team in delivering marketing campaigns across social media platforms. Your job will involve tracking ad results, interacting with followers, and working with content creators to grow a company’s audience. You may need a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or related field, along with experience using social media to promote brands [2].

Related job titles: social media specialist, social media coordinator

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring social media assistants as of May 2023 include Everlight Solar, Time Etc., Atomic Revenue, The Profit Link, and Bespoke Beauty Brands.

Copywriter

Salary: $51,098

As an entry-level copywriter, you might work in-house for a media agency or company. Responsibilities include writing content across blogs, social media, ads, and websites, as well as collaborating with creative, product, and other teams within a company to generate winning messaging [3].

Related job titles: content creator, content writer

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring copywriters as of May 2023 include Martin Agency, Scale Media, Intuit, Brigham Young University (BYU), and Flocksy.

PR assistant

Salary: $42,642

A PR assistant will assist in writing content to maintain a company’s reputation and ensure the media portrays the facts accurately. Someone in this role may also identify media opportunities and build a network of media contacts. To get a job in this role, you may need a bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, marketing, or related field, along with some experience in PR or corporate communications [4]. 

Related job titles: public relations coordinator, public relations intern

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring PR assistants as of May 2023 include Jennifer Bett Communications, Lansons Communications, Six One Agency, ONE PR Studio, and Impact24 Public Relations.

SEO specialist

Salary: $58,065

An SEO specialist compiles keyword data for search engine optimization, creates SEO-friendly content, monitors site traffic, and stays up-to-date on SEO trends and best practices. To get a job in this role, you may need a bachelor's degree in marketing, English, or a related field, as well as familiarity with SEO strategy [5]. 

Related job titles: SEO analyst, SEO consultant

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring chief SEO specialists as of May 2023 include Intuit, The Connor Group, 97th Floor, Fruition, and Ignite Visibility.

Media planner

Salary: $80,195

A media planner determines which platforms can best advertise a brand or product. In this role, you may collaborate with other teams to maximize the campaign's performance on different media outlets, such as television, billboards, radio, or the Internet [6].

Related job titles: media supervisor, media buyer

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring media planners as of May 2023 include Martin Agency, Goodway Group, Liquid+Arcade, The Outloud Group, and Butler/Till.

Market analyst

Salary: $67,097

A market analyst examines market conditions and monitors trends in order to help companies market their products effectively. In this role, you may help to identify marketing opportunities and analyze campaign performance [7].

Related job titles: business analyst, market researcher

Who's hiring?

Glassdoor's top-rated companies hiring market analysts as of May 2023 include Brand Institute, G2, Power Home Remodeling, JM Search, and REPS & Co.

Read more: Marketing Careers: 6 Areas to Explore

How do I prepare for an entry-level role in marketing?

Entering the marketing industry involves gaining some experience and qualifications. You can start your career path by choosing from many entry-level marketing roles and then later transition to more senior positions. To maximize your chances of being awarded an entry-level position, consider taking the steps below.

1. Gain marketing experience.

To determine the kind of experience that’s most valuable to you, think about the area of marketing that interests you the most. For example, you might enjoy writing, designing, advertising, or analytics. Ways to gain experience include:

• Internships with businesses, organizations, or charities to gain on-the-job experience

• Taking on freelance or contract work

• Completing projects on your own, including starting a blog, creating an interest-based Facebook group, or hosting a fundraising event

2. Get a marketing education.

Entry-level marketing positions are competitive, and even though they are an entry point into a profession, they typically require a certain level of education. Some companies may accept someone without a degree, but having one is usually a minimum requirement, especially if you’re looking to progress to senior roles.

A degree in marketing, public relations, communication, or a similar field will typically be advantageous; however, employers are looking for relevant skills and experience, so other degrees will often suffice. Since marketing is broad, you may go into a more technical career, such as analytics, where a computer science degree would be a good match. 

If you don’t have a degree, or your degree is in an unrelated discipline, taking a marketing course, whether accredited or otherwise, will show your interest and knowledge.

3. Build marketing skills.

As you conduct your job search and gain experience and education, build the marketing skills that today's employers are looking for. A good way to stay informed about skills that are in demand is to monitor job listings on sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or LinkedIn and sign up to receive job alerts. Prioritize the skills that are mentioned often for the job title you most want to fill. Also consider building versatile marketing skills that you can apply to a variety of roles, such as digital marketing, social media marketing, building email campaigns, content creation, using different marketing channels, and marketing analytics.

According to ZipRecruiter's Career Keyword Mapper, which analyzes actual job descriptions and resumes for specific roles, the top skills for a marketing coordinator include [8]:

• Communication skills

• Social media

• Collaboration

• Microsoft Office

• Project management

• Customer service

• Marketing campaigns

4. Build a professional network.

Networking is very valuable for connecting with other professionals in the marketing industry. Knowing someone in the field could help you gain an internship, a volunteer role, a freelance project, or even your first entry-level marketing job. You can network with people you already know, sign up for networking events, network online with websites like LinkedIn, or join social media business groups.

Read more: How to Use LinkedIn: A Guide to Online Networking

Credentials to advance your marketing career

If you have already started your marketing career, you may be looking to progress further. You can earn a certification, certificate, a degree in marketing, or specialize in an area that complements your experience. These credentials, in addition to in-house training and other professional development efforts, can enable you to progress into such roles as: 

• Senior marketing coordinator or lead marketing coordinator

• Marketing manager

• Marketing director

• Brand manager

• Vice President of digital marketing

• Chief marketing officer

Professional certificates

Earning certificates and digital badges in marketing can enhance your ability to qualify for promotions or change jobs as you progress in your field. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) offers internationally recognized certificates, including its entry-level Foundation Certificate in Professional Marketing and executive-level Certificate of Professional Digital Marketing.

On Coursera, pursue a number of Professional Certificates offered by highly competitive organizations to boost your knowledge and employability, such as Social Media Marketing by Meta and Digital Marketing and E-Commerce by Google.

Take a peek at Meta's Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate by watching this introduction video:

Certifications

A number of other certifications are available that can add weight to your resume and demonstrate your skills in a particular area. Great examples include:

• Digital Marketing Pro (DMI x AMA Dual Certification)

• Google Analytics Individual Qualification 

• OMCP Digital Marketing Certification

• Hootsuite Academy Marketing Certification

• Google Ads Marketing Certification

• HubSpot Content Marketing Certification

Read more: 7 Industry-Recognized Social Media Marketing Certifications + How to Get One

Degree-level training

A degree in marketing, communications, or a related subject is often useful and may be essential for some roles if you’re looking to advance in your career. To accommodate your schedule as you pursue your career, consider the flexibility of an online degree, such as a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of London.

Also consider degree-level training, which may take less time than earning a bachelor's or master's but exposes you to graduate-level learning.

Read more: What Can You Do with a Marketing Degree? 11 Job Paths

The CIM also offers degree-level diplomas in marketing, including diplomas in professional marketing, sustainable marketing, and digital marketing at the undergraduate level and a diploma in professional marketing at the master's level. 

Read more: What Can You Do with a Marketing Degree? 11 Job Paths

Get started in marketing with Coursera

Taking online courses can be a great way to build job-ready marketing skills and discover career possibilities. To build a foundation in this field, consider taking the Introduction to Marketing course offered by Wharton, the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera. You can learn branding, customer-centricity, go-to-market strategy, and more.