Advice for graduate trying to break into industry

sky_fall

Hi there,

I'm looking to get some advice if possible. I'm trying to get into an industry and have made many applications for a position within that field (Marketing) at a junior level. However, I'm finding my applications are not being accepted due to lack of industry experience (which I've been told the majority of times).
I have looked at volunteering and internships although have not found anyone willing to offer a position. Does anyone have any advice about where to take it from here or is it a case of keep trying?
In the meantime, I am brushing up on my Marketing knowledge so I have additional knowledge/skills to put on my CV although employers cannot seem to look past the experience section.

Thanks in advance

3xPrism

sky_fall wrote: »

Hi there,

I'm looking to get some advice if possible. I'm trying to get into an industry and have made many applications for a position within that field (Marketing) at a junior level. However, I'm finding my applications are not being accepted due to lack of industry experience (which I've been told the majority of times).
I have looked at volunteering and internships although have not found anyone willing to offer a position. Does anyone have any advice about where to take it from here or is it a case of keep trying?
In the meantime, I am brushing up on my Marketing knowledge so I have additional knowledge/skills to put on my CV although employers cannot seem to look past the experience section.

Thanks in advance

You could try taking a position at a marketing company which is lower than the position you want. Once you have your foot in the door, you can seize any opportunity before the position you want is even advertised. It also shows the employer you have a good work ethic.

pointsguy

I totally agree with 3xPrism, sometime you have to go with an alternative route.

Adz2332

Agree with the points above, and I know it's tough to get the break you're looking for, (I have 20 years+ experience in the recruitment space). Unfortunately a lot of employers / hiring managers don't really think about what they might be looking for i.e. they'll advertise a junior or entry-level job and then when they start receiving applications they just default back to their typical 'recruitment mode' which they adopt when hiring for 'experienced' positions and start looking for relevant industry experience in a graduate CV.

There are things that you can do that can work quite well to offset this. for example you could create a kind of portfolio which can demonstrate relevant things you've done that may not reflect industry experience but which are still relevant. E.g. have you helped to promote an event at uni, or have you done something marketing related for a club or society? How did you go about it? What channels did you use? Have you helped a friend out with a project or something like that?

Also don't forget that most marketing roles these days involve a significant social media element and also content creation skills. Which social media platforms are you active on? Let the employer know. Perhaps you have or can create a blog and write about things you know or care about. Use social media to cross-promote the blog and get some visibility on it.

All of the above are elements that you could find in a marketing role so by doing an exercise like this you can demonstrate to a potential employer what you could do for them with a real world example.

Above all don't give up. There are lots of opportunities out there, particularly in your chosen field and if you keep at it the break will come. Have you also considered apprenticeships?

Make sure you also keep checking relevant job boards and apps to stay abreast of opportunities. Outside of the usual suspects like Indeed and Total Jobs there are graduate specific job search apps like JobZapp on aimed specifically at graduate and entry level opportunities.

getmore4less

Did you not get placements during the course.

Any course that does not include work placements or real life projects for real clients leaves you on the back of the line when it come to getting jobs.

DO you have no specific sector experience to leverage.

sky_fall

Thanks guys for taking the time to reply, I'll try to answer questions as best as I can.

pointsguy, thanks for your reply... I've looked at various roles within Marketing as there are various aspects to it e.g. SEO and social media which require different sets of skills. This is something I've been advised to do e.g. not look too narrow within Marketing but look for alternative routes.

3xprism, thanks for your reply...Through offering myself as a volunteer or working in a placement role, this is something I've tried to do in order to get my foot in the door. Actually, I just had an interview with a agency within Marketing this morning who said there isnt unfortunately they can offer me at this time and advised similar to what you have.

Adz2332, thanks for your reply...I've been working as a volunteer for a charity for the last few years focusing on their social aspects of things e.g. managing their Facebook page which I've highlighted on my CV and covering letters. This is probably the thing that has generated interest from employers and we've had significant success online.
I actually attended an interview recently for a social media executive position and this is one of the things they were really impressed with, however I didn't receive the position.
The feedback was along the lines of, although I have good knowledge, I do not have practical industry experience so therefore they will not take my application forward.
Besides this, I manage a blog which I've also highlighted on my CV and covering letters to demonstrate my willingness to get into this field and show my skills.

Apprenticeships are something I'm looking at but there have been limited opportunities offered to a graduate and most I've found are specific on those within current studies.

getmore4less, thanks for your reply...Apart from what I've mentioned in the above, I don't have any practical industry experience. Working with a charity is only the sort of experience I can leverage.
Unfortunately, there were no placements offered on my course.

Thanks very much guys for your advice and support.

getmore4less

A move within the charity sector maybe the way forward leverage what you know and have done for another place looking to add a dimension with the project.

KarlF

Have you thought about advertising your skills on websites like Fiverr or similar? Might be a good way to build up a portfolio of your work.

sky_fall

thanks guys for the good ideas. I'll deffo take them into consideration moving forward.

thanks again

Reggie_Rebel

I work for a charity, we take on a paid marketing intern every September. We are in Northamptonshire

sky_fall

Reggie Rebel...that would be ideal for me unfortunately, I'm in manchester.

thanks