I want to go into Marketing Communications. Good idea?

November 11, 2013 2:57 PM

Is Marketing Communications a good fit for me? Career advice appreciated, especially from people with experience in the industry.

Background
Mid 20s liberal arts university graduate. I'm Canadian but currently working in Southeast Asia. I'm enjoying my work in writing content for a niche company: product advertising, Facebook ads, newsletters, posters for trade shows, etc. I had difficulty in getting this type of work in Canada, and I'm considering pursuing a 2 year marketing diploma (geared towards account services) in Canada to increase my changes of getting hired for this kind of work. Is this a good idea or are there other options I should consider?

More About Myself
-ESFJ http://www.personalitypage.com/ESFJ.html
-No debt but not too much savings. My family will pay for my education, but my living expenses is all me, so my school budget is $10,000 and my time limit is 2 years
-I prefer to collaborate than to compete

Stuff I Like in Work
-9-5 schedule and being able to have a life outside of work
-documentation
-cleaning up info in databases
-writing anything, even if it's correspondence
-I like writing and I would still be happy if it was only 30% of the work. I would actually prefer to have other responsibilities to keep things fresh
-learning more about an industry in depth
-being in a social environment, especially one where I can bounce ideas off people
-I prefer a more relaxed environment over a more fast-paced once, although I have worked well in the latter

So judging from the above criteria, I would think that an in-house marketing communications position would be a good fit for me. What feedback would you have? Thanks in advance.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (4 answers total)

In my experience, a portfolio of good writing and good clients means a lot more to companies than a 2-year diploma, but YMMV.
posted by Jairus at 3:55 PM on November 11, 2013

Nthing Jairus, I work in this field. I can't speak to Canada, but a diploma would not really help you land a job here compared to the work you are already doing.

You seem like a fine enough fit; be realistic that it's a big field that encompasses a very wide range of different jobs, and workplaces. I have personally found work environment makes a much bigger difference to my happiness than the specific job I'm doing. Respectful smart work environment = happy me, even if I'm doing a job I notionally don't enjoy very much.
posted by smoke at 5:23 PM on November 11, 2013

You sound like you're well on your way to developing a portfolio. Put that up online, and use it to find freelance gigs with companies in Canada. That way, when you do decide to move back, you'll already have experience with Canadian companies, and that's what will make your resume more appealing.

Added plus: much cheaper than getting further education

I also work in marketing communications, and neither my undergrad nor my graduate degrees have anything to do with what I'm doing now.
posted by so much modern time at 9:57 PM on November 11, 2013

Read job listings for jobs that interest you to see what skills employers want. Arrange to get those skills -- and experience is always going to be one of the most important things.
posted by lathrop at 8:33 PM on November 20, 2013