So you have your marketing degree. Now what?
You may have a marketing coordinator gig lined up or might be thinking the entry-level role is the right stepping stone for you.
Check out what this insider has to say about the job so you can find out just what you’ll be getting yourself into. Then fall in love with your new career path.
What exactly does a marketing coordinator do?
A marketing coordinator supports the marketing department’s initiatives. Specific responsibilities include handling logistics for marketing campaigns, product launches, events and strategic partnerships.
A large part of the gig is coordinating (surprised?) cross-functional team efforts, and assisting other team members by researching vendors and market trends, creating mailing lists and processing invoices.
There will probably be a lot of writing involved including: developing original copy for social media platforms, website content, direct mail and print advertisements.
In addition to writing, you’ll be tasked with ensuring a consistent brand voice across all channels and copyediting marketing materials.
“Marketing coordinators have their paws in the active marketing campaigns and contribute wherever support is necessary, including special projects that allow them to step up and demonstrate proven marketing knowledge,” says Angela Zade, a digital marketing analyst with seoWorks, an internet marketing agency.
“A marketing coordinator is essentially being groomed to advance into a marketing specialist or marketing manager,” says Zade, who staffed trade-show exhibits, managed social media, negotiated translation rights, wrote brochure copy and selected images for various marketing materials when she worked as a marketing coordinator with a medical-journal publisher.
What skills does a marketing coordinator need?
Marketing is about making sure your message addresses your consumers’ needs, so writing skills, particularly copywriting, are pretty high on the list.
You definitely need a penchant for words, says Zane, to appeal to consumers.
Creativity is important. Consumers see a gazillion ads and just as many choices, so you may have to think outside the box to grab—and hold—their attention.
You’re the department coordinator, so you’ll be doing a lot of, uh, coordination. This means you should be organized and detail oriented.
Understanding the basic tenets of project management would be helpful too.
Who is a marketing coordinator’s supervisor?
This varies according to whom you work for, but a marketing coordinator often reports to a marketing or sales manager.
Are there any positions similar to this one?
Sales and marketing are intertwined in many ways, says Zade, so sales assistants see a fair amount of marketing duties in their job descriptions.
What does it take to excel in this position?
A rock star marketing coordinator takes risks and is eager to learn, says Zade.
“[They’re also] humble enough to expedite the grunt work of a campaign—i.e., the less glamorous tasks [such as] creating labels for mailing lists—yet bold enough to participate in campaign decisions, write fresh content and contribute to market data analysis,” she adds.
So how can I break into this field?
A degree in marketing or communications and (copy)writing experience will help make you a killer candidate.
If you have project coordination and marketing or branding experience to boot, get ready to receive an offer.
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