21 Real-World Marketing Lessons New Grads Need to Succeed [SlideShare]

Throughout my undergraduate career, I was "that" student.

No, not the teacher's pet. No, not the one who skips class on the regular. I was that student who showed up to class 10 minutes early and took a seat in the front ... just to debate my professors.

While my undergraduate experience was instrumental in understanding the fundamentals of marketing, it didn't teach me much on marketing today. Marketing curriculums have yet to catch up with the constantly changing industry landscape. And this led to many tussles in class.

In fact, there was once a hashtag started about me and a particular professor who spent countless class hours debating social media -- he was of the belief that it was a "fad" that would be quickly gone and good-ole billboard and TV advertising would reign once more.

Since leaving school and beginning my career in the "real world," I've had to learn about modern marketing on the fly. But I don't think future students should have to wait until their career begins to get the same education.

That's why I put together the following SlideShare based on a previous post for all you current and future marketing graduates. Below is a list of 21 things you actually need to know before entering the real world of marketing. There's also some insight from other marketing professionals included and take-home resources -- so you know this isn't just me avenging my past educators. ;)

What Today's Marketers Have to Say

"Being in a communications role is no excuse. As a social media marketer, I would spend time every day looking at and interpreting data. That's how I knew if my channels were effective and my tests were contributing to growth." 

Brittany Leaning, Social Media Expert, HubSpot

"Land your dream internship but only interacting with your direct manager? Not helpful in the long run. Meet people! Talk to people in different departments, grab lunch with someone new each week, ask lots of questions, and absorb as much as you possibly can." 

Taylor Haney, Community Specialist, MITX

"Education doesn't stop after commencement. Read books. Lots of them. Subscribe to as many relevant blogs as you can. Consume as much information as you can on a daily basis. Be the first at the office to try new platforms and technologies. This is how you'll get ahead." 

John Bonini, Marketing Director, IMPACT Branding

"Speaking up shows that you're actively engaged and establishes your presence. If you have trouble with speaking up, ask a manager or other colleague to ask for your opinion directly so you can practice getting a word in." 

Farah Hussain, Senior Marketing Manager, PayPal

---

"Marketers often fall victim to the cobbler’s children syndrome when marketing themselves. Produce and curate quality content and proactively engage on digital channels. In essence, be the community manager of your personal brand." 

Dave Cutler, Director of Content & Marketing, MITX

"I've interviewed a lot of students, and the ones who blow their skills out of proportion get canned immediately. Employers know you don't know everything. Show a genuine curiosity to learn & to further hone your skills to actually become an expert at something." 

Sasha Hoffman, Head of Strategy & Partnerships, Plastiq

Your Take-Home Reading

• What Your Traditional Marketing Education Didn’t Teach You About Marketing Today
• How to Be the Best Intern EVER
• How to Write a Standout Resume and Land Your Next Marketing Job
• A Free, Customizable Template to Help You Prove Marketing ROI [+ SlideShare]
• Creating Marketing People Love: 29 Tips From Industry Experts [Slideshow]
• How to Master Non-Awkward, Effective In-Person Networking
• HTML Decoded for the Plain Text Marketer

Have any additional tips for this year's marketing graduates? Is there anything else you wish you'd known before graduating?