Are you a new graduate that is looking for a social media marketing job with little to no experience? Look no further! You need to prepare for any job interview, but here are some helpful tips on how to prepare for a social media marketing job interview with little to no experience!
1. Online Certifications & Courses
There are tons of certifications and webinars that you can sign up for free, especially online! Some of these certifications are recognized by marketers and marketing firms, which is a big bonus. Although there are plenty of online certifications for a fee, you can look for free social media marketing certifications on websites like HootSuite or HubSpot. Utilize all of your free resources before you get hands-on experience with your new job! You just need a little time and effort in order to succeed. Even if you do not have a college degree, taking these certifications and courses will give you concrete evidence of your knowledge and achievements. See below for some of the places that you can take online certifications for free.
HubSpot Academy - For marketing newbies, courses like Content Marketing, Social Media, and Email Marketing are good courses to start with. There is also a HubSpot Blog that is useful if you are looking to answer any marketing questions. 9 out of 10 times, if you search for a marketing question on Google, your search results will include Hubspot's Blog.
Google Analytics - It is useful for a business to use in order to track its online traffic. Your future employer may already be using this tool, so it may be a good website to get yourself comfortable with. There are plenty of free and Google-specific courses like Google Ads Certification, Shopping Ads, and Google Ads Search.
Google Adwords - If you are looking to run online advertisements in your next role, this certification will be right for you. It covers all types of ads including video ads, shopping ads, and search ads. This will be a helpful certification to obtain for experience with search engine optimization (SEO).
2. Develop New Marketing Skills
Practicing new skills will surely make you stand out from the crowd. Although you do not have a lot of experience with social media marketing, you can gain a lot of knowledge before you even start. Some useful skills to learn before applying for jobs can include writing, teamwork, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and so much more! You can learn new skills online and for free with the help of the Internet.
Facebook Blueprint - These classes lay out a blueprint of how to become a Facebook marketer. You will learn new skills on how to create and manage a page on Facebook, how to run advertisements on Facebook, how to optimize campaigns, and so much more. Taking the free courses in itself is useful enough to gain knowledge and useful skills, but if you want to take the final exam to become certified, you will have to shell out around $150.
Canva Design School - This is a good tool to become familiar with if you want to get into graphic design, branding, or any type of social media marketing in general. It can be used as an online advertisement generator for those who are new to design. You will learn some basics about design along with some tricks to use on social media.
3. Search for Marketing Jobs Using Social Media
Using social media to find a social media marketing job is the new norm in the digital age. Even if the job isn't paid, it may be good to apply for many reasons. You may be hired on full-time if the employer thinks that your work is satisfactory or you may just want to be hired for the experience. Remember that jobs after graduation are not always guaranteed since there will be so many new graduates entering the workforce. See below for some of the social media platforms where you can easily find social media marketing jobs.
LinkedIn - It is a professional website where you can upload your resume, apply for jobs, follow prospective employers, and so much more. The website even has an "Easy Apply" option that lets you apply for jobs in 10 seconds! The bonus is that you can see other users who work at the company that you apply for and network with them.
Facebook Community Groups - There are many community groups on Facebook that are dedicate to social media. New and current marketers can post about new job leads. Be sure to introduce yourself and network with others in your industry. Networking is key!
Handshake - It is another job board that will be useful for networking and with your job search. It is one of the top ways that college students can find jobs.
Indeed - This website is another job board that you can sign up for. Although you may want to apply through the actual employer's website, with its ability to add filters to location, salary, etc., you can easily find marketing jobs!
4. Update & Customize Your Resume
It is obvious that you need to update your resume before you apply for any job, but make sure that it represents who you are. The first thing that hiring managers sees is your resume, so make sure that it markets your history and your skills. You can use free templates from Canva to personalize it! Although there are plenty of styles to choose from, make sure that your resume is also easy to read and follow. See below for some tips that you may want to use in order to make sure your resume stands out.
Customization for Each Application - Hiring managers want to know that you fit their expectations for the specific role that they are hiring for. For any role in any industry, you should customize your resume to match the role's description. Make sure that your resume hits most, if not all, of the points and skills that are specifically required.
Personality/Personal Branding - Make sure that your personality shines through the page! Since we are now in the digital age, you won't have to waste ink in order to bring your resume in person. Marketing is definitely a creative industry, so you can definitely customize your personal resume with different colors, designs, fonts, etc. Just make sure that it is still readable.
Showcase Your Marketing Experience - As previously mentioned, as a new graduate, you may not have years and years of social media marketing experience. Don't fret! Add whatever social media projects that you are proud of onto your resume. It can be anything from school projects to creating flyers for your social club. Make sure that these experiences align with your job and with social media!
5. Build Your Social Media Portfolio
Just because you are unemployed does not mean that you do not have to start working! You can jumpstart your social media marketing career just by yourself. If you want to be a content creator, you can start by being your own boss and creating your own content. With all of these projects, you can will get experience with social media marketing when you promote them. See below for some of the projects that you can start today.
Blog - If you are a strong writer, creating a blog about something that you are passionate about will showcase your writing skills. You can use Google Analytics to get reports about your website traffic and activity! It is a great way to get experience with SEO, advertisements, email marketing, etc.
Podcast - Podcasts are trending right now! If you are an eloquent and powerful speaker, creating a podcast will allow you to tell your audience about your personal brand or story. Even if you aren't an articulate speaker, try it out and practice. Practice makes perfect.
YouTube Channel - YouTube is one of the most popular social media websites in the world. There is so much more to it than simply recording a video. You will need to generate ideas, record, edit, upload, and do so much more. In doing so, you will practice so many skills and gain a lot of valuable experience with social media, advertisements (if you have them), etc.
6. Know What You're Doing
Make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. Many companies can make you feel burnt out or do not have a healthy company culture. Read below for some questions that you can ask during the interview process to get to know the company, your role, and your team better. You do not want to get stuck in a job that does not help you personally and professionally.
Growth Opportunities - If you like the company, wouldn't you want to grow within the company and climb the ladder? Hopefully the company will appreciate your work and you'll see a promotion in the future.
Work-Life Balance - Do not get burnt out too quickly in your first marketing job. Ask the hiring manager what the company culture is like and how they promote a healthy work-life balance.
Managerial Support - Since it may be your first job as a marketer, you will not want to be completely alone. Make sure that you will have the mentorship along with the tools that you will need to thrive!
These are a few quick tips that you can apply to your job hunt and will help you in the long run. Although entering the marketing industry with little experience may be overwhelming or scary at first, just see it as an opportunity to market yourself. Good luck and be sure to give it your best. Congratulations!
If you would like to read more about starting a social media career, read my colleague Cydney's post here.
Resources
Hirose, A., Cohen, B., & Riswick, T. (2023). How to Get a Job in Social Media: 6 Expert Tips for 2023. Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-social-media/
Kwan, C. (2015). Confessions of a Marketing Intern: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad. Semrush Blog. https://www.semrush.com/blog/confessions-of-a-marketing-intern-6-tips-from-a-recent-grad/
Saint-Juste, D. (2023, January 19). How to Start Your Marketing Career When You Know Nothing About Marketing. HubSpot. https://www.hubspot.com/careers-blog/start-your-marketing-career
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