The document provides 21 tips for marketing graduates entering the workforce. Some of the key tips include: don't be afraid of numbers as marketers need statistics; don't think your classroom experience fully prepares you for an actual job; having an internship or multiple internships on your resume is not impressive on its own without highlighting what you accomplished; and marketing requires balancing art, science, and technology. The document emphasizes the importance of continually learning and adapting to how quickly the field of marketing changes.

1. Graduating Marketing
Student Needs To Know
2 1 Things Every

2. So ... it’s time to
enter the

3. MARKETING EDITION
So ... it’s time to
enter the

4. To all you current and future marketing
graduates, here's 21 things you
actually need to know before
entering the world of marketing.

5. ACADEMICS
EXPERIENCE
MARKETING
PERSONAL
MISCELLANEOUS

6. Don’t be afraid of numbers.
1

7. News flash: marketers need statistics. You
need to be prepared to analyze everything you do.
Otherwise, you're wasting a whole lot of time
making decisions without proof that they work and/
or benefit your business in some way.
So pay attention in your stats class.
1) Don’t be afraid of numbers.

8. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
Being in a communications role is no excuse.
As a social media marketer, I would spend time
every day looking at and interpreting data.
That's how I knew if my channels were effective
and my tests were contributing to growth.
BRITTANY LEANING
Social Media Expert,
HubSpot
Twitter ID: @bleaning
1) Don’t be afraid of numbers.

9. Don’t obsess
over the 4 p’s
of marketing.
2

10. 2) Don’t obsess over the 4 P’s or C’s of marketing.
The 4 P’s (or C’s) introduce core concepts of
marketing. But the chances of you sitting in a room
brainstorming price, product, place, and promotion
are unrealistic.

11. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
What Your Traditional Marketing Education
Didn’t Teach You About Marketing Today
Take
Home
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2) Don’t obsess over the 4 P’s or C’s of marketing.

12. Don’t think
your classroom
experience mimics
an actual job.
3

13. 3) Don’t think your classroom experience mimics an actual job.
Simulate "real-life" scenarios as much as you want,
but you won't actually learn to make important
decisions in tight time frames until you're managing
real dollars, working to uphold a real company's
reputation, and investing your energy in real
projects.

14. ACADEMICS
EXPERIENCE
MARKETING
PERSONAL
MISCELLANEOUS

15. Having an
internship
on your
resume isn’t
“impressive.”
4

16. 4) Having an internship on your resume isn’t “impressive.”
You had a summer internship at a marketing agency
last summer? Great! So did everybody else.
The fact that you had an internship isn't impressive,
it's what you did while you were there
that is (or isn't).

17. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
How To Be The Best Intern EVER
Take
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Reading
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4) Having an internship on your resume isn’t “impressive.”

18. Having multiple marketing
internships isn’t “impressive.”
5

19. 5) Having multiple marketing internships isn’t “impressive.”
Don’t just apply to internships at marketing
agencies every summer. Test your skills in
different marketing environments,
such as a company that hosts marketing in-house.
That way, you're staying true to your ultimate goal
while growing your talents.

20. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
Land your dream internship but only interacting
with your direct manager? Not helpful in the
long run. Meet people! Talk to people in
different departments, grab lunch with someone
new each week, ask lots of questions, and
absorb as much as you possibly can.
TAYLOR HANEY
Community
Specialist, MITX
Twitter ID: @Taylor1221
5) Having multiple marketing internships isn’t “impressive.”

21. Having endless
extracurriculars
doesn’t make you
an “expert.”
6

22. 6) Having endless extracurriculars doesn’t make you an “expert.”
Employers value unique experiences and skills, not
that you have tried everything -- that's what
marketing teams are for.
If you've participated in a lot of different activities in
college, narrow down the few you can actually say
you've learned from and excelled at.

23. ACADEMICS
EXPERIENCE
MARKETING
PERSONAL
MISCELLANEOUS

24. Having a standard resume
doesn’t exemplify modern
marketing.
7

25. 7) Having a standard resume doesn’t exemplify modern marketing.
Is your career advisor handing you a template for
your resume to adhere to? Ignore it.
Create your own resume template. One that
highlights your uniqueness and is set up
to show, not tell, what your value is.

26. 7) Having a standard resume doesn’t exemplify modern marketing.
ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
How to Write a Standout Resume and
Land Your Next Marketing Job
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27. Marketing moves fast.
8

28. 8) Marketing moves fast.
Need an answer to a pressing marketing problem?
You won't find it in that years-old textbook. Effective
marketing isn’t about looking up the answers – it’s
about creating the answer.
That’s your future: figuring out marketing every day.

29. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
Education doesn't stop after commencement.
Read books. Lots of them. Subscribe to as
many relevant blogs as you can. Consume as
much information as you can on a daily basis.
Be the first at the office to try new platforms
and technologies. This is how you'll get ahead.
JOHN BONINI
Marketing Director,
IMPACT Branding
Twitter ID: @Bonini84
8) Marketing moves fast.

30. Marketing
isn’t just
about pretty
pictures &
viral videos.
9

31. 9) Marketing isn’t just about pretty pictures & viral videos.
Effective marketing campaigns focus on creating
content that benefits your audience. You
can't spend your marketing career creating
humorous videos for the sake of bringing attention
to your brand. You need to be prepared to think
critically and analyze the needs of your target
audience.

32. 9) Marketing isn’t just about pretty pictures & viral videos.
ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
A Free, Customizable Template to Help
You Prove Marketing ROI [+ SlideShare]
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33. Marketing isn’t
just about branding
or awareness.
10

34. 10) Marketing isn’t just about branding or awareness.
Marketing used to be solely about communication,
and sales about revenue.
Now the two teams must work together.
What’s the return on investment (ROI) of your email
send? Twitter profile? Media campaign?

35. Marketing
doesn’t
have to be
evil.
11

36. 11) Marketing doesn’t have to be evil.
The negative connotation surrounding "marketer,"
"public relations professional," etc., is pretty
pervasive. But that doesn't mean it's okay actually
become those stereotypes. Don't lose your morals
and ethics when you graduate -- they need to be
omnipresent in your career. It is possible to create
marketing that people actually like.

37. 11) Marketing doesn’t have to be evil.
ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
Creating Marketing People Love: 29 Tips
From Industry Experts [Slideshow]
Take
Home
Reading
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38. Marketing is more than
big brands & agencies.
12

39. 12) Marketing is more than big brands & agencies.
Yes, you can work at an agency. Yes, you can work
for a big brand. But you can also work for a
small business, tech company, medical practice, etc.
Just because your professors only shared
campaigns big brands executed, doesn't mean
those are the only marketing jobs out there.

40. Marketing is
a balance of
art, science,
and tech.
13

41. 13) Marketing is a balance of art, science, and tech.
Art is critical in visualizing calls-to-actions, writing
landing page copy, and launching products. But you
also need to be data-driven.
You need to embrace the infusion of technology in
marketing. As an emerging marketer, this balance
can differentiate you among the crowd.

42. ACADEMICS
EXPERIENCE
MARKETING
PERSONAL
MISCELLANEOUS

43. Don’t be afraid to be wrong.
14

44. 14) Don’t be afraid to be wrong.
If you have an idea or opinion on something being
discussed at an internship or on at your first job,
speak up!
Experience helps create proper judgment, not
ideas. Anyone is capable of thinking of the next big
thing; it's just a matter of not being afraid to share it.

45. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
Speaking up shows that you're actively
engaged and establishes your presence. If you
have trouble with speaking up, ask a manager
or other colleague to ask for your opinion
directly so you can practice getting a word in.
FARAH HUSSAIN
Senior Marketing
Manager, PayPal
Twitter ID: @farahhussain
14) Don’t be afraid to be wrong.

46. Grow thick skin.
15

47. 15) Grow thick skin.
You'll have to deal with complaining customers,
social media bashers, frustrating clients, etc.
If you get too emotional over how people treat you,
you won't last in the business. Take all
negative feedback as constructive criticism, and
spin it into something positive.

48. Be your own
best case study.
16

49. 16) Be your own best case study.
Prove your skills by marketing yourself. Don't wait
for someone else to give you the opportunity.
Demonstrate your passion for marketing by properly
marketing yourself. If you can't market yourself,
how will you market for others?

50. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
Marketers often fall victim to the cobbler’s
children syndrome when marketing
themselves. Produce and curate quality
content and proactively engage on digital
channels. In essence, be the community
manager of your personal brand.
DAVE CUTLER
Director of Content
& Marketing, MITX
Twitter ID: @CutlerDave
15) Be your own best case study.

51. Never Burn Bridges.
17

52. 17) Never burn bridges.
You know that annoying teacher's pet who never
stops talking in class next to you? She may end up
being your manager one day. Or your co-worker. Or
the woman who gets to decide if a company
hires you.
You never know where people may end up.

53. Network
with
everyone.
18

54. 18) Network with everyone.
Want to work at X company? Don't just talk to
people there. Maybe a random stranger from Y
company will one day be an employee at X
company, and then you'll be bummed you missed
the opportunity to tell that person why you rock.
You never know who will end up helping you.

55. 18) Network with everyone.
ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
How to Master Non-Awkward, Effective
In-Person Networking
Take
Home
Reading
Click here to read.

56. ACADEMICS
EXPERIENCE
MARKETING
PERSONAL
MISCELLANEOUS

57. Get
familiar
with
html/
css.
19

58. 19) Get comfortable with HTML/CSS.
You don't need to be a full-on engineer, but you do
need to understand the basics. What happens when
you need to make a quick change in some code?
Understand how coding works and be prepared to
make little tweaks. If you end up in a product
marketing role, this will be even more critical.

59. 19) Get comfortable with HTML/CSS.
ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
HTML Decoded for the Plain Text Marketer
Take
Home
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60. Understand
the
difference
between b2b
and b2c.
20

61. 20) Understand the difference between B2B and B2C.
B2B = business-to-business.
B2C = business-to-consumer.
Look up the difference; it'll teach you a lot about
different methods of marketing, and
possibly where you want to work one day.

62. Don’t oversell your skills in
the interview.
21

63. 21) Don’t oversell your skills in the interview.
Don’t set yourself up for failure. Show your worth –
but balance it with actual expectations.
That way, you don’t lose trust from your boss (or
worse, get fired) for being less than what you sold
yourself as in the interview.

64. ü Marketers need statistics
ü Marketers set metrics-driven goals
ü Marketers use spreadsheets
I've interviewed a lot of students, and the
ones who blow their skills out of proportion
get canned immediately. Employers know
you don't know everything. Show a genuine
curiosity to learn & to further hone your skills
to actually become an expert at something.
SASHA HOFFMAN
Head of Strategy &
Partnerships, Plastiq
Twitter ID: @sashaphoffman
15) Be your own best case study.

65. Congratulations,
and good luck.

66. By
Anum Hussain
ANUM HUSSAIN
INBOUND MARKETING MANAGER
Twitter ID: @anum