Today, Gravytrain’s CEO, Kevin Taylor, took part in the Guardian Career’s Live Q&A about careers in marketing, alongside eleven other panellists from a range of fields. It was an opportunity for people who want to move into marketing, or graduates who wanted to start their careers in the industry, to raise any questions or get advice about how to get their foot in the door.
The Q&A was also an opportunity to find out more about how the experts got into the industry themselves, whether it was client side or agency side. Some went to university to study marketing degrees which led to a job, some did internships in marketing and decided to stay in the industry, while others went straight into work after school and found their path into marketing.
One of the questions put to the panellists was, what are the main differences between agency side and client side marketing?
Bryony Thomas, owner of marketing consultancy, Clear Thought Consulting Limited, who has experienced both client and agency side marketing, explains what to expect in agency side, “You get variety by working on a number of different clients. You learn excellent project and people management skills – which are skills that will always be useful.”
She carries on saying, “The biggest benefit of agency life that I’ve found formed the foundation to my career is pace and work ethic. You have to meet tight deadlines. You have to meet the client’s brief. There is nowhere to hide.”
Bryony explains that working in a client side, “You get more of the bigger picture, putting together an integrated plan using many niche suppliers. It’s a slower, but often more considered, pace.” She advises that you get a much more rounded view of business by working with peers in other disciplines.
On the whole, most of the panel believed that it is not just a degree you need to get into marketing nowadays, it’s about gaining work placements, volunteering work or internships and getting valuable experience to put on your CV.
Kevin states “What you need above everything is the right attitude, a desire to learn, strong work ethic and determination”.
If you are interested in finding out more about the marketing industry, the full Q&A session can be read on Guardian Careers.
