Getting Started in Marketing
A Career in Marketing
Find the path that's right for you
Ask ten people in marketing about their career paths, and you’ll get ten different answers. An internship, a college degree, a career change from another field, or marketing simply becoming part of their existing job. Hardly any other field offers so many different paths to entry. Here, you’ll find guidance on the different roles available, what really matters, and what your next step might look like.
Find Your Way In
Where are you right now?
Depending on where you're from, the first question will be different. Choose the one that fits you best.
Which marketing role is right for you?
Marketing is an umbrella term for a wide variety of jobs. When someone says they work in marketing, they could mean they’re a data analyst, copywriter, campaign manager, or event planner.
There’s one thing that’s common to every one of these roles, yet it’s not mentioned in any job description. Marketing operates in projects. Anyone who coordinates stakeholders, meets deadlines, and gets things done will stand out more quickly in any role than someone with more technical expertise but less organizational skills.
Click on the roles that interest you to learn more.
Online-Marketing
Online visibility and campaigns. The most important first step.
Day-to-day work: Search engines, paid ads, analysis in Analytics. Lots of testing, constant fine-tuning. You’ll be working in a measurable way right from the start.
Here's what you'll need: analytical thinking, proficiency with analytics and campaign tools, and patience when implementing measures that take months to show results.
After 3 years: Online-Marketing Manager with budget responsibility or a specialization in search engines, performance marketing, or e-commerce.
Content and Social Media
Content, Editorial Planning, Community.
Day-to-day work: blog posts , newsletters, landing pages, community management, short videos. Research, writing, editing, and lots of feedback loops.
Here's what you'll need: Clear writing skills, a knack for working with different platforms, a basic understanding of photography and video, and the ability to handle critical comments.
After 3 years: Content Lead or Social Media Manager with team leadership responsibilities.
Marketing Communications and Campaigns
Campaigns—from concept to evaluation.
Day-to-day work: Developing communication strategies, planning media campaigns, managing agencies. Lots of conceptual work, little day-to-day management of individual channels.
Here's what you'll need: Conceptual thinking, storytelling, an understanding of media, and the ability to assert yourself in lengthy decision-making processes.
After 3 years: Campaign or communications manager, often serving as a liaison to senior management.
Market Research and Analysis
Find out what customers really want.
Day-to-day work: Definingtarget audiences , monitoring the competition, designing surveys, interpreting data. This provides the foundation for nearly all other decisions.
Here's what you'll need: structured thinking, experience working with data and survey tools, and the ability to derive clear recommendations from numbers.
After 3 years: Aninsights or analytics role, often leading to a career in strategy or product marketing.
Event Marketing
Trade shows, customer events, hybrid formats.
Day-to-day work: Concept development , budget planning, vendor management, and a great deal of organization under tight deadlines. The most visible part of marketing.
Here's what you'll need: organizational skills, budget discipline, the ability to handle pressure, and strong negotiation skills.
After 3 years: Event Manager with independent responsibility for budgets and projects.
Brand and Strategy
Positioning and long-term strategy.
Day-to-day work: brand positioning , values, and messaging; coordinating with leadership. You rarely take on this role right away when you start; it usually evolves from one of the others.
Here's what you'll need: strategic thinking, clear communication, and patience for lengthy decision-making processes.
After 3 years: Brand or Marketing Manager, often working closely with senior management.
Generalist
A little bit of everything. The most common starting point in small teams.
Day-to-day work: Online, content, a bit of campaign work, plus events. Breadth over depth, a lot of autonomy. This is also the typical situation when marketing has been added to the job description.
Here's what you'll need: organizational skills , a willingness to learn, a pragmatic approach, and the ability to prioritize when everything seems to be coming at you at once.
After 3 years: Marketing leadership in smaller companies or targeted specialization.
What to Expect
A job posting is, in itself, a form of marketing. It sells, it glosses over things, and it leaves out the uncomfortable details. Four things have a greater impact on everyday life than the posting suggests.
Numbers Will Be Your Strongest Argument
A large part of your time is spent analyzing data. Those who can explain these numbers confidently will win discussions that others base on gut feelings.
You get things done through people
You rarely make decisions on your own. Coming up with a good idea is the easy part. Getting it through five levels of approval without it getting watered down—that’s what makes you effective.
You'll always stay up to date with
New tools, new platforms, and new AI features every quarter. For beginners, this is an advantage. No one here has a ten-year head start in knowledge
These four skills will help you get ahead
Job postings list tools and certifications. What really sets candidates apart is rarely mentioned there, because it's hard to squeeze into a checklist.
Many teams jump right into taking action. “Let’s post on LinkedIn,” “Let’s put out a newsletter.” What’s missing is the overarching framework. Those who understand the market and know the goal behind every action stand out faster than those who just know how to use the tools.
Check: Can you say what the goal was behind your last task?
You don't have to do math like a controller. But you should be able to judge when a number is reliable and when a result is simply due to chance.
Check: Could you explain the last key figure you shared to someone else?
Those who use AI skillfully can get significantly more done in the same amount of time. For beginners, this is a good starting point because no one here has decades of experience under their belt.
Check: Do you know where your AI tool is reliable and where you need to double-check its output?
In marketing, there’s almost always more on your plate than you can handle. Those who can distinguish the essential from the mere noise—and are willing to say “no” every now and then—will clearly get further.
Check: With your current tasks, do you know what would happen if you let one slide?
Where you come from gives you a head start
Whether you're in college, working at an agency, or in a completely different line of work, what matters most in the beginning isn't where you come from, but what you make of it. Expect it to take six to twelve months before you feel comfortable in your new job.
What you bring to the table: A theoretical foundation and a recognized degree.
What you’ll gain: The practical skills that are naturally neglected in academic studies. Those who combine both will later be able to argue more convincingly than those who rely solely on practitioners.
What you bring to the table: Real-world experience and a fast pace. You know how processes work.
What you’ll gain: Strategic depth—something there’s rarely time for in day-to-day operations. And that’s exactly what turns quick execution into effective work.
Here’s what you bringto the table: skills that are underestimated in marketing. Anyone with a sales background understands customer objections better than any copywriter.
Here’s what you’ll pick up along the way: the language of marketing and the basic knowledge that everyone tacitly refers to. It’s easy to catch up, and once you do, you’ll be ready to tackle both worlds.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any prior knowledge to get started in marketing?
Prior knowledge is helpful, but not required. Those who already have experience with writing, numbers, or customer contact often find their way around more quickly. However, many people also transition into marketing from sales, administrative roles, or entirely different fields. You can acquire any skills you’re still missing through targeted seminars and continuing education, building on what you already know.
Do I need a degree in marketing?
Not necessarily. While many job postings list a college degree as a requirement, in practice, experience and results you can demonstrate often matter more. Continuing education provides you with the fundamentals in a more concise way than a college degree and gives you a credential you can list on your resume.
Which marketing role is best for someone just starting out?
It depends on the company. In small teams, you usually work as a generalist and do a little bit of everything. In larger companies, “ Online-Marketing ” and “Content” are typical entry-level roles. Brand and strategy, on the other hand, usually develop from another role.
Can I change my career path later on in marketing?
Yes, that’s actually quite common. People who start out in content often end up in Online-Marketing. Those who manage campaigns frequently transition into communications or strategy. The fundamentals overlap significantly, and you can build the knowledge you need for the new field through a targeted training rather than starting from scratch.
What's the point of continuing education if I'm already learning on the job?
At work, you mainly learn what’s currently on your plate. This often leaves gaps in your knowledge—for example, regarding methods, tools, or the strategic context. A “ training ” fills those gaps quickly, shows you how other companies operate, and gives you the opportunity to exchange ideas with people in similar situations.
Get in touch
We are there for you Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 17:00.
Questions & Answers
In our Questions & Answers (FAQ) section, you will find all the answers and the most frequently asked questions about your selected topic.
