How to Become a Marketing Associate

Becoming a marketing associate is a great first step to a career in management, as marketing associates have responsibilities that bleed over into most areas of marketing. You can become a marketing associate with very little experience. Some companies will let you become a marketing associate without a degree, though having one improves your chances of employment. Read on to learn more.

Things You'll Need

• Ability to work with others and carry out assigned tasks
• Between 1 to 3 years of experience in business or finance
• Basic computer skills (typing, spreadsheets and graphic layout)
• Bachelor's degree, preferably in marketing, business or finance
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Instructions

How to Become a Marketing Associate

1. Get as much business experience as possible before job hunting. Take classes either at a local college or online, do research on marketing or volunteer with local organizations to learn some basics.

2. Write out or update your resume. Be sure to include relevant experience such as retail, event planning, organization skills and social coordinating positions. Even if you think that small projects aren't impressive, these are better than nothing for entry level jobs.

3. Search for job openings in marketing in your local newspaper, online at job posting sites or by visiting the websites of individual businesses and searching under "employment opportunities."

4. Post your resume with an online engine that matches jobs to applicants.

5. Prepare yourself for interviewing by selecting professional attire, writing down questions to ask and brushing up on your answers to common interview questions.

6. Call local marketing firms for internship opportunities if no full-time positions are available.

Tips & Warnings

• Polish your resume with help from your school's writing lab or career center before sending it out to perspective employers. You may even have a group of trusted friends proof your resume before you send it as well.

• Volunteer with charity organizations or join a club for business students to gain more experience before jumping into the workforce.

• Learn to type. Use online programs to help you improve your typing speed and accuracy.

• If you haven't already, take a college or community basic computer class to learn commonly used programs like Microsoft Word, Excel and Office.

• Although becoming a marketing associate is not too hard, the job itself may demand long hours and a lot of clerical work. If you feel you are not getting enough marketing experience, talk with your supervisor about trying job shadowing or being assigned a mentor.