Sectors: Marketing and communications

Where to start  

Marketing Communications is the term that covers Advertising, Public Relations, Brand Consultancy, Market Research, Digital Communications and more.  

All organisations need to communicate about the product or service they have to offer to the audience they want to reach.   Some use communications to influence others to change behaviour or raise funds through campaigning.   This is done through market research to identify the needs of customers or clients, devising a strategy to communicate using social media marketing, direct mail, advertising, events etc. and then creatives to produce the content of marketing campaign (images, video content, copy).

An ability to write well, think creatively within a brief, and outstanding time management skills are required for these careers. You will also need an eye for good visual content, be comfortable handling basic data, and thrive on working in a team.

If this sounds like you and you enjoy seeing the results of your work, then Marketing or Communications could be a good fit. This broad-ranging industry includes careers that focus on creative communication and client-facing roles, through to the more data-focussed and more technical roles. Understanding where your strengths lie will help you to navigate the sector.

The Prospects website has a comprehensive list of Marketing, Advertising and Communications role profiles to help you to explore the different options. 

There are many Society roles within the University where you might gain valuable experience for example, apply to be the Publicity Officer for a student society or a May Ball, or write for one of the student newspapers (Varsity, The Cambridge Student). Any internship that relates to marketing or communications will be useful, or volunteering to help with a charity’s social media presence. If you create your own content, be aware that this could be used as a type of portfolio, depending on the subject matter. 

Social media marketing experience is highly sought after, and familiarising yourself with the common tools and processes used in the industry, via LinkedIn Learning or similar platforms, will help.  

These sectors usually prefer experience to qualifications. However, once in post, many people will work towards a relevant professional qualification through organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing or Chartered Institute for Public Relations. 

Work on your IT skills - Excel, Indesign and Photoshop will all be useful and LinkedIn Learning can be a good starting point for this.  

There are some specific graduate schemes in the communications industry though not all post on Handshake.   

Many of the graduate schemes in fast-moving consumer goods, industry, and in the public and charity sectors include marketing and communications.  Indicate your career industry interests on Handshake so that you are alerted to opportunities as they arise. Not all of these are advertised during Michaelmas Term. Deadlines for graduate schemes in Marketing communications extend as far as Spring.  

Sites such as Bright Network promote marketing Graduate roles & internships 

Media Mentor - Posts graduate/starter vacancies to its ‘X’ feed each Thursday. 

However, most people don’t enter the communications industry via a graduate scheme.  Work experience, internships and an entry level role are far more common, and joining an organisation in a junior position is more common than the graduate scheme pathway.  

The following professional bodies all host job postings and member directories. Directories can be a good source of organisations to apply to speculatively. 

The Prospects website is also a good starting point for understanding the range of roles in this sector. Comparing job profiles can illustrate the different responsibilities and skills required between, for example, a Public Relations officer and an SEO specialist. 

Remember that marketing is about identifying the customer’s needs and showing how your product can meet those needs. Take this same approach with your applications. What does the company need (you’ll find this in the person specification)? Use your application documents to demonstrate that you have the skills they are looking for. Marketing is about making money whilst Communication roles require you to show results. So, demonstrate your skills with hard facts - numbers, amounts of money and percentage increases. 

Also note that people who work in Marketing and Communications are very attuned to what content looks like. So, make sure that your CV is well-presented and clear!  

  • Cambridge University IT training courses.  
  • A plethora of student societies requiring Publicity Officers, event managers and marketing officers. 
  • Current vacancies and potential employers can be found via Handshake 
  • Relevant Careers Service events can also be found via the ‘events’ page on Handshake, including our ‘Creative Careers Festival’ 

Social media marketing is a huge growth area across the commercial, public and charity sectors. Millennials for whom social media is a first language are highly sought after, but developing an understanding and experience of the business application of social media will help you stand out. 

Now you have looked at this page, think about your next steps. Everyone's journey is different. There are many ways to move forward. Here are some actions you could take now: