Marketing Intern to FTE: Identifying your skills and interests

When you start out as a marketing intern in an organization, you are usually assigned to one of the particular fields of marketing. So it is essential that you identify what your interests are and where your skills will be the most valuable. As covered in an earlier post in this series, there are different types of digital marketing channels one can specialize in. These include SEO, paid search, display advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing. Do some research on each of these channels and find out which ones you are most interested in. Also, take note of the skills required for each of them as you will need to build up your skill set in order to transition into a full-time marketing job.

Some of the skills that are required in almost any field in marketing include:

- Excellent communication skills- Strong writing and editing skills- Creative thinking- Analytical thinking- Organizational skills- Project management skills- People management skills- Time management skillsIf you find that you have a particular interest in one of the channels mentioned above and you also have some of the required skills, then that is a good indication that you should focus on growing your skills in that area. Alternatively, if you are not sure which channel you want to specialize in, then it might be a good idea to try out a few different ones to see which one you enjoy the most. There is no right or wrong answer here, and ultimately it is up to you to decide which path to take.If you see yourself fit in a creative role rather than an analytic one, content marketing, video marketing or social media can be more of your cup of coffee than let's say Search Engine Marketing which is more data-driven.The most important thing is that you identify your interests and start growing your skills in that area. And if you are not sure where to start, don't worry, simply try out a few different things and see what works best for you. There is no one perfect answer for everyone, so find what works best for you and go for it!

Specialize vs Generalize

When you are first starting out, it is essential that you specialize in one particular area of marketing. This will allow you to build up a strong skill set in that area and make you more attractive to potential employers. Once you have a few years of experience under your belt, then you can start to think about expanding your skills into other areas. For example, if you start out as a social media specialist, you can then move into content marketing or email marketing.Alternatively, if you are interested in a more generalist role, then you can focus on developing a broad range of skills in different areas of marketing. This will make you more versatile and employable but keep in mind that it will take longer to build up your skills.The most important thing is that you focus on developing the skills that are most relevant to the job you want. Once you have those skills, then you can start to think about expanding your skill set into other areas.One can choose to specialize in one particular channel and build a career in that specific trajectory or specialize in multiple channels and grow to become a manager or director that oversees a marketing team. You will not know immediately which path to take when you start out as an intern, but with time and experience, you will develop a better understanding of where your interests and skills lie. Some are good at developing hard skills and gaining deep technical knowledge, which is great for data-driven roles such as SEM or CRO. Others are better at developing soft skills such as writing, communication, and people management, which is more beneficial for content marketing or social media roles.There is no wrong choice here, so choose the path that you think will suit you best and start working on growing your skills in that area. And if you are ever unsure of what to do, don't hesitate to reach out to your mentors or colleagues for guidance. They will be more than happy to help you out and point you in the right direction.For people who see themselves taking up leadership roles in the long-term, it is wise that they gain exposure to multiple facets of marketing during the early stages of their career to have a broad range of experience under their belt that will serve as a great advantage when they transition into senior-level roles that oversee larger teams with a diverse range of skillsets.

Keep Learning

Once you have identified your interests and started to grow your skills in that area, it is important to keep learning. The marketing landscape is constantly changing, and new technologies and platforms are being developed all the time. So it is essential that you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments.One way to do this is to read industry news sources such as MarketingProfs, Adweek or eMarketer. Alternatively, you can follow thought leaders in the industry on social media or sign up for newsletters from companies like HubSpot or Moz.Another way to keep learning is to attend marketing events and conferences. These are a great opportunity to network with other marketers and learn about the latest trends and developments. Marketing events can be expensive, but there are often discounts available for students and early-career professionals.Finally, another way to keep learning is to get a marketing qualification. There are many different marketing qualifications available, ranging from certificates to master's degrees. A qualification can help you to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your commitment to lifelong learning.

Focus on building transferable skills

One of the most important things that you can do to grow your marketing career is to focus on building transferable skills. These are skills that you can use in any marketing role, regardless of the specific industry or company. Some examples of transferable skills include writing, analytics, project management, and public speaking. As you gain experience in the marketing field, make sure to focus on developing these skills. They will help you be successful in any marketing role that you pursue.So there you have it, a few tips to help you transition from an intern to a full-time marketing professional. If you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to a successful career in marketing.We hope this blog post was helpful in giving you some guidance on how to grow your marketing skills and transition into a full-time job. If you have any questions, feel freeIn the next post of this series, we will focus on how to build your copywriting skills. Stay tuned! Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. We would love to hear from you!