Dear New College Graduates

After college graduation, I had an idealistic view of what the workforce would be like. I thought everything I learned in college was 100% correct and the way everything had to be done. I thought a degree meant the end of demeaning job duties. I thought a job in my chosen field meant I would make enough money to support myself. I thought I was qualified for a marketing manager or director position. I thought people would want to teach me. Boy was I wrong! My salary was barely enough to support myself. There is NO training in marketing – it is sink or swim. What I learned almost immediately is from press releases to marketing plans EVERY organization does it differently. A degree entitles you to nothing. The degree opens the door, but you have to pay your dues in order to clear the path to earn your way up the ladder.

Needless to say, that mindset made my first job a very frustrating and confusing time. As an entry level employee I sent faxes, typed letters, and got coffee. I latched myself on to people in the organization who would give me opportunities or who would teach me. Some of the best people I’ve met in the marketing industry came from my first job. Some of them were amazing people willing to include a young professional hungry for knowledge, experience and opportunity.

Since my entry level days, I have come across many young professionals that I desperately wanted to pass the following advice along to, so I am offering it today.

• You just have to ask
• I have never met anyone who refused to teach me or refused to include me in a project when asked. People love to share their knowledge, you just have to ask.
• Never say no to new opportunities
• In my career, I have purchased media schedules, wrote every type of promotional material you can think of, served as voice-over talent, created/implemented/monitored events, managed full scale photo shoots, managed marketing technology, managed social media outlets and much more. At one point in my career every one of those duties was outside of my job title, experience and comfort zone. Every example listed above was a yes, I can moment in my life. Yes, I Can moments that expanded my knowledge, experience and confidence.
• Pay your dues
• After 16 years in school, passion oozing from every pore and your future at your fingertips this one can be particularly hard. You’ve spent at least two years creating marketing plans, strategy and creative content and you are bursting to do it for real. If you are not asked to participate in the projects you’ve been dreaming of (remember, sometimes you just have to ask to join) or your ideas or content isn’t selected remember this practice will only make you better. Now, when I look back at my writing and works from my entry level days I think they are terrible. There is a night and day difference between the quality from then to now. So remember, you are great now, but some day you will be amazing. Just give it time and until then practice and soak up as much as you can from experienced practitioners.
• P.S. You are never too old to learn and soak up knowledge from co-workers of any age and experience level.
• Few mistakes are unfixable
• We’re only human, so mistakes are inevitable. In my 12 years in marketing, I have had great success, but I have also had flops and mistakes. To date, I have not come across a single problem that wasn’t fixable. So, face the mistake head on, take responsibility and work to repair the problem. Sometimes, it is how you respond to these unfortunate circumstances that set you apart from the pack and teach you the most.      
• Be team oriented
• Marketing is a “we” world. Everything in marketing begins and ends with the team. Yes, you do work alone in a marketing team, too. However, the most successful marketing department I’ve ever worked with brainstormed together, welcomed new ideas, gave each other constructive criticism, celebrated success together, evaluated failures together, had an impeccable sense of urgency, pitched in when needed, and presented a united front.

As you face your own entry level years remember what Audrey Hepburn and Zig Ziglar said.

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, “I’m possible!” –Audrey Hepburn
If you can dream it, you can achieve it. –Zig Ziglar