4 Things I’ve learned in a decade growing my marketing career

Sometimes Facebook does that thing where it shows you posts from the past, making you realise how quickly time flies (or worse, how old you’re getting!). Recently, it showed me a memory from 2009, when it was my graduation day. 10 years ago.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since those days when I was stressing over having a decent-looking CV, with almost nothing to put on it. I still remember feeling anxious at the realisation that my days at Uni were over and that it was time to become one of those respected individuals that worked up to 40 hours a week.

Well, I’m glad I can now look back at that point in my life and feel I have come a long way. It’s been a journey — and here’s some lessons I’d like to share.

1- It’s totally ok to NOT know what you want to do in your 20s

In my early 20s, I went through different part-time jobs that were simply convenient and a good fit with my student life. It wasn’t until I was about to receive my degree diploma in Marketing Communications that I decided to get serious, leave the convenient job I had at the time and pursuit a career in Marketing, to honour my studies.

When I decided it was time for me to get a marketing job, I just didn’t know where to start. Suddenly, there were so many places, job titles to pursuit, areas of speciality.

For someone with no experience in marketing, it all seemed unachievable. But I started where I could: gaining experience as a marketing assistant for a community project. I’ve had about 6 other jobs since then.

What I can tell you from my beginnings as a graduate is this: I couldn’t imagine a career in marketing back then, I couldn’t figure out where I wanted to work or what kind of marketer I wanted to be. But it’s fine to feel confused. Know that every job and step you take in your career path is helping you to build your character; it will teach you something new and help you to grow as a person.

Whether it is something you love or hate doing, every job will make you realise something about yourself that will help you to understand what you’ll want to do next (or what you’ll want to avoid, which also helps!). So, take it as it comes; one step at a time.

2- Don’t underestimate the power of learning new skills

During my days as a student, I took a subject that taught me the very basics of Photoshop. Because I always had an interest in design, I found the tool fascinating and kept learning on my own, using it for personal projects.

I can’t tell you how valuable that has been in my career. Literally, every marketing job I have landed has been an opportunity to use my skills in Photoshop — and it was always something that interested recruiters and potential employers.

When I moved to Scotland in 2010, I was an immigrant desperately trying to find a job. Landing a marketing role was proving hard because of my limited experience at the time, but when I decided to apply for jobs that demanded knowledge in other languages, I found one in no time.

Photoshop and languages. Not exactly the combination of marketing skills I would have expected to take me where I am now, but it just shows you — you never know how valuable some skills can be.

If you ever have the opportunity to take a course to learn something new, get sponsored by an employer for some training, or you have some spare time to learn how to use a tool on your own — go for it. It might land you a great job someday.

3- Relationships go a long way

Networking is key in this industry. New contacts and friends from any industry can not only be valuable sources for learning, but instantly become contacts that can lead to future opportunities. Keep this in mind when you go to events, when you meet new colleagues, when you go for interviews, and in every job you start.

Most job offers I have received have been through friends and people who, fortunately, have recommended me for a position. It is a great feeling when it happens — to know what there is someone out there who can vouch for your talents.

Because relationships can be so beneficial, it’s important to leave your job on a good note if you are moving on. Stay in touch with ex-colleagues, friends you have made in the workplace, during training courses or industry events. Grow your network with LinkedIn and other channels, and seize opportunities to engage with like-minded individuals.

Believe me, I am an introvert who generally prefers to stay in the corner, but I know it pays off to make an effort to network and nurture your connections.

4- Passion is the most important thing

In the last 10 years, I have worked for companies of different sizes, with different people and operating in very different industries. I have changed jobs for many reasons. Whilst job security and money are things we can’t help stop thinking about, there’s always one thing that matters most: passion.

For me, passion is enjoying what you do because you have found purpose and value in it — it’s what motivates you to succeed in a role.

Through my experience working in marketing roles, I have taken every opportunity I’ve had to focus on communications and content marketing — because I have come to realise that producing content is what I find most enjoyable and valuable, and something I can be really good at.

I have always strived to feed my passion in content marketing. I love producing content that can help businesses to grow while providing value for customers with pieces they can feel identified with, leading to stronger connections between brands and consumers.

There have been times when I’ve felt symptoms of the impostor syndrome creeping in; fair to admit, mostly because I work with communications in English and it’s not my first language. If you ever get similar feelings of insecurity — stay strong, don’t let them hold you back. Passion will and should drive you to overcome any feelings of self-doubt.

If you have not found your passion, don’t worry: it can sometimes take time. Job experience helps a great deal to make you realise what you enjoy doing and where you’ll want to be. As you progress in your marketing career, try your best to enjoy the journey and embrace every experience.

Once you find what drives you, make an effort to pursuit it, be persistent and courageous. If there is one thing that inspires great work and results, it’s passion.

About the author

Caterina is Marketing Manager at Euro Systems. She has worked with big corporate companies, start-ups and small organisations, focusing on content marketing and helping brands to continuously improve the way they communicate with customers.

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +437,678 people.

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