What is one of the top skills you are looking for when hiring an entry-level marketing graduate?

Workers have shifted their priorities in life, and work-life balance is the key. The pandemic and The Great Resignation have proven remote or hybrid workplaces are crucial factors right now. A growing remote or hybrid workforce is taking place, and eventually, companies will have to manage on-site and hybrid/remote teams. Collaboration is a powerful tool that can help or improve employee engagement across multiple fields and keep talents in companies softening impacts on retention rates. Collaborative people are a real and essential demand in industries worldwide. Since maintaining collaborative teams is not that easy in times of high innovation demands when things change faster and faster, I always look for the ability to maintain a Positive Outlook on Change, even for entry-level. To me, it is crucial and helps implement a culture where changes are normal and guarantees the team's highest performance.

For us at The Wise Idiot, the most important skill anyone who wants to start a marketing career should have is the ability to write their observations. Marketing is all about understanding consumers and communicating with them in ways that will make them want to buy what you have to offer. And that's not just about collecting data and crunching numbers; it's also about being able to take those numbers and turn them into effective strategies for your business. And that means being able to communicate clearly and effectively with whoever needs to hear your message: other marketers, product managers, clients, customers… even yourself!

One of the most lucrative skills that most companies are looking for in candidates is the skill of communication. Since all business is now tied to the internet, and because social media is such a huge tool for marketing these days, it is imperative that a business have clear and effective brand messaging. All content that any business produces should relate back to and reinforce brand messaging, which is why having someone who is a strong communicator is paramount. A communicator not only serves as a helpful writer and editor of content across all sectors, but can also be instrumental in creating in-house communications to employees, making company practices and standards more accessible.

As an entry-level marketing graduate, we know that the experience or expertise they have to offer will not be the main focus, but we always look for one of the most important qualities: an eagerness to learn. As a marketer, what works today, won’t necessary work tomorrow and being eager to learn and having that curiosity will help them continue to thrive, test out new solutions and always be on top of the latest trends, be eager to understand consumer behavior, come up with new ideas and always be innovative in their approach.

Data analytics are at the center of every successful marketing strategy. Therefore, an entry-level marketer's ability to identify trends in our audience's behavior will either make or break their campaign's performance. Empathy and communication are good skills to have, but the data from our readers' reactions will tell them whether they need to improve the content we're publishing. Without proper data analysis, no campaign will ever be as effective as it could be because marketers won't know when or where they should optimize. This is the skill that will help entry-level graduates the most in developing their overall marketing skills.

One of the top skills many entry-level marketers lack is clarity about which specific marketing field they would like to pursue. The concepts behind marketing efforts like SEO, PPC, and Email marketing is similar, and recent graduates always overburden themselves by trying to be a superman. But at the end of the day, you’re one person, and you must dedicate efforts to one direction to succeed. Therefore, delegating other (related) marketing efforts to your subordinates or colleagues is essential to get efforts in a single line. Focusing on a single marketing sphere gives you time to research more about that specific field rather than letting your mind run in 10 different directions. Therefore, I advise recent marketing graduates to explore various marketing concepts during their educations and sell themselves for one single skill in your interviews!

I value a person's ability to take responsibility for their actions far more than their skills or education. A person who is not afraid of admitting failures and challenges will help you to solve problems before they destroy your business. By contrast, someone who always sugar coats their experience will likely hide things from you when it matters most. Ask candidates about times when things didn't go well. Listen carefully for language that indicates that they were communicative with other people on their team about the problems they faced. If they use a lot of "I" language and not much "we" language, it could be a red flag. If they blame others for their failures, it's also a red flag. But if they give credit to their team for success, and talk about consulting with their manager to solve problems, it's a good indicator that they'll be a valuable new hire.

Online and social media proficiency. Consumers are savvier than ever, and they appreciate when marketing campaign engage them directly. From social media engagement to interactive ads in apps or on websites, the marketing is leaning more and more into the digital world. It is essential to understand not only how social media engagement works but also what drives an audience to and away from trends. Marketing professionals need to understand the digital world to be truly interactive.

I look for creativity and imagination. Personally, when I see that a young marketing graduate has that natural spark of creativity and has opened their imagination to learning new ideas, I know they are going to be a great fit for the team and they’re going to add incredible value to the company. Creativity and imagination are imperative for a successful career in marketing, and unlike technical skills, they are two skills you cannot teach. Hire an entry-level marketing graduate with creativity and imagination, and you’ll hire someone who will naturally think outside the box and help grow the company’s success.

It isn’t uncommon to take a writing test during an interview. That’s because it’s important to know whether a marketing professional can communicate using the written word. So much of the job, particularly an entry-level job, requires writing emails, press releases and other literature related to selling a brand. Writing is the most fundamental skill that a marketing professional should have. Even if so much of it is centered on social media, you need to show you have the ability to write. Sloppy writing is sure to sink you.

Adaptability is a crucial skill for job seekers looking to break into entry-level marketing. Marketing environments are ever-changing in terms of growth, and the tactics and strategies used to market products and services also change over time. When hiring marketers for my own business, adaptability is number one.

Customer service and retail interaction are the top attributes we look for in entry-level grads. Today's college students are tomorrow's leaders, and so the ability to lead with a strong focus on the customer experience will be crucial. If a grad has a great personality and can handle demanding tasks while taking directions well, they are more likely to get the job done. I think that what we value in entry-level marketing graduates is their ability to work on the fundamentals of marketing and how they can apply their skills to different retailers' sales teams. We look for strong communication skills, such as writing skills, and a willingness to be part of a team.

Marketing involves a lot of writing, and I need to know that the people we hire are skilled enough to create content without me looking over their shoulder every minute. Their writing skills represent not only our company but also our clients. Every entry-level marketer must show they can write towards a brand's tone and individual style. Someone who is a trained copywriter or content writer will go to the top of my list, so highlighting these skills on their resume is very important.

When hiring entry-level marketers, a willingness to learn trumps all other resume details. When a graduate exhibits a willingness to learn, you can essentially teach them any other skills they need. Part of the evidence we’re looking for is good grades to be sure, but also a humility that allows them to acknowledge when there’s a lot more they can know about a topic.

When I am hiring new grads for my marketing team, one of the first skills that gets them in the door is flawless writing. This means impeccable grammar, perfect spelling, as well as intangible elements like creativity and persuasiveness. Obviously if you are getting into marketing, you need to be persuasive, and this career will constantly challenge your creativity. While you can study rhetoric to improve your persuasiveness, creativity can be more difficult to nurture from scratch. Hard skills like SEO or data analysis are great, but they can be learned on the job. Great writing takes time and talent, so it is difficult to envision hiring someone who doesn't have that fundamental skill under their belt.

One of the absolute most vital skills for entry-level marketing grads is excellent communication. Now, most people tend to think that this means being well-spoken, with good diction, vocabulary as well as an ability to be honest. But what excellent communication is founded on is an understanding of people and an ability to express yourself clearly to all manner of folk. It's about knowing how to relate to people, no matter how different you seem. The most successful marketing professionals have both the soft and hard skills inherent to great communication, and this allows them to capture people's attention by demonstrating that they are understood.

Look for the enthusiasm to learn. Yes, you can hire an entry-level marketing graduate with all the technically desirable skills, but if they don’t have the enthusiasm to learn, they won’t grow and add value to the company. Enthusiasm to learn is the most valuable skill because it means the candidate has a passion for what they do, has the drive and dedication to put in the hours, and won’t have an ego that will get in the way. When you’re hiring an entry-level marketing graduate, don’t be distracted by lists of technical skills. Look instead for that spark and enthusiasm to learn, and you’ll find yourself a great long-term addition to your company.

Effective communication is one of the most universal, practical, and useful workplace skills. Its role is hard to overstate, actually. In marketing, communication skills are essential to establishing and fostering relationships between employees and clients. Skilled marketers require exceptional personal communication skills to generate trust and confidence in themselves and the product they represent. Moreover, proper communication makes it easier to research the market, target specific groups, and understand their needs.

When hiring an entry-level marketing graduate, one of the most important skills I'm looking for is the ability to self-critique. Good marketers often have a natural gift for selling, but great marketers are those who pair that gift with a willingness to learn the practices that bring structure and precision to their work. And building self-awareness is critical to that development. That's why, in my experience, a strong entry-level marketing grad should be both willing and capable of reflecting critically on their own performance and progress.

Listening skills are a major priority for me when it comes to hiring entry level marketing graduates. Listening is pivotal to understand and process the needs of the company, customers, clients, executive leadership, etc., and implement effective ways to address those needs. I’m particularly fond of candidates who ask insightful questions at the end of our interview. This shows a keen sense of awareness, and is a good sign that they can be relied upon to produce results when given an assignment, instruction, or advice. Asking for clarification of key points mentioned earlier in the interview shows that they are adept at listening for crucial information needed to be successful at their jobs. Attention to detail is crucial to succeed in marketing!