Believe it or not, you do not actually need a business degree in order to succeed in the world of business. There are so many ways to do business these days that all you really need is a willingness to learn the industry you choose. Below are five ways that you can succeed in marketing without having a business degree.
1 – Develop an artistic skill
Marketing today is visual. People need marketers who know how to draw, use programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator and use the new 3D technologies that are making old marketing visuals completely obsolete. You can get the education that you need from Art Education Graduate Programs. Being able to bring this skills to the table is something all employers are looking for.
2 – Be willing to work the streets
All marketing departments suffer from the same weakness: no closers. If you are a closer, then you will be a hero. All marketers believe that they are too good to close or be the “salesperson”; however, these people are much more easily let go when it is time to cut back on expenses.
Do what you have to in order to bring the money into the business and you will be respected by the only person that matters: the person who signs the paycheck. Every department of a company has different skills a duties, but being able to have the added skill of bring money into the company is something that every employer looks for and make you an invaluable asset to the company.
3 – Have the right connections
Marketing is 20% what you can do and 80% who you know. If you are the person who can get the project into the right hands, then all of a sudden you become much more important than anyone else on the team. Make sure that you cultivate relationships with decision-makers within your industry so that your employer knows that you are the person who can deliver after all of the soft artistic work gets done. You definitely do not need a business degree in order to be friendly to people and collect business cards and contacts.
4 – Learn the art of speaking
The number one fear of most people, including marketers, is still public speaking. If you are a good public speaker, then you have an advantage over 95% of the people who are trying to get a job in the field of marketing. Cultivate the skill to fearlessly be your best professional self in front of a group and you will find yourself employed before you know what hit you.
5 – Get the grunt work done
If you have administrative skills such as an extremely fast eye for editing, then you are of great importance to a marketing department. Marketers can hardly afford to have a misspelled word or bad grammar within a presentation. They will learn to rely on you as the last man standing.
Being multifaceted in the workplace these days is one of the greatest skills you can bring to the table. And that doesn’t mean that going to school and getting a degree is the only way to accomplish this. Gaining the skills to back up what department you work for is what every company is looking for a it usually comes down to saving or making the company money. Invest in your skills and become a true asset for any company and success will follow.
