Working in marketing can be interesting, fast-paced, and financially rewarding, and the tech sector can be a great place to be if this is the career path you want to follow. In tech marketing, you get a chance to work with growing markets for new innovations and keep your finger on the pulse of what is going on in IT and communications.
What Kind of Career Progression is There in Tech Marketing?
The career path through tech marketing has a very high ceiling – generally at the level of marketing director for a company, as this link talks about, (and obviously, marketing directors for major brands are the most senior marketing professionals of all). Beneath that there are jobs at just about every level, from entry-level jobs in things like telemarketing through team leader and middle management roles, up to more strategic leadership roles. In addition to career paths like that within tech companies, you can also work for marketing consultancies.
If you are currently on a rung of the marketing ladder and are ambitious about moving up, what are some of the things you can do to help you achieve more senior roles or work for larger or more prestigious companies?
Get An MBA
Marketing is a very important facet of business and one that you will have specialized in almost solely in your more junior marketing roles. However, as you progress in your career, you will need more than the knowledge of marketing itself, as your job will become increasingly tied to business strategy, as well as managing people and resources. Getting a postgrad degree, which you can work on part-time online so as not to disrupt your career, can help you both learn and demonstrate wider business skills, and an MBA can be a perfect choice – especially if your ultimate goal is to be a marketing director.
Up Your Authority Using Social Media or Blogging
Being seen as an authority on what you do by other people in your field can help elevate your reputation within your own company, and also be impressive to other companies you may apply to. Having a blog about marketing, posting helpful content on things liked LinkedIn, and being active in the broader online tech marketing community can help you to be seen as someone who lives and breathes marketing, researches it, and helps people with it even outside of their normal daily work.
Find A Mentor
Most people at middle management level and below with an eye on a higher position can benefit from mentorship from more senior people. Many companies actively encourage this, but if yours doesn’t, then there are still ways you can persuade people with the kind of skills and responsibilities you want to let you shadow them, work alongside them or have them coach you.
A good career in tech marketing can take you right to the top tier of a company, and if this is what your aim is for your professional life, these ideas are well worth pursuing as early as you can.