Question

Topic: Career/Training

Career Changer Portfolio & Writing Skills Question

Posted by Anonymous on 8/30/2004 at 5:18 PM ET 125 Points
Hi,

I posted awhile back, but have a few more specific questions regarding making a transition into marketing.

I have 15+ years in sales and account management experience, including sales managerial roles for a packaging distributor and and a training and development company. I also have another 2.5 years in arts admin for a tiny arts org( most recent ) where I've done grassroots marketing and community relations in addition to the 50 other hats I wear.

I've done:VERY simple ad copy creation; a few product bulletin mailings;simple press releases; directed newsletter production by volunteers;( assigned stories, but didn't write) created template idea for concert programs; wrote some of the copyand created some copy updates for the website. Most of this was VERY shoestring stuff. I also wrote a few grants.

I'm concerned my writing/marketing experience is not strong enough. What would I need for a portfolio if this isn't enough?

I think I would be targeting either a smaller start-up company, a non-profit marketing position in a coordinator or a smaller agency.

What does having good writing skills really mean? Do you have to be really really familiar with grammatical rules?

I don't consider myself a "writer", but know how to get my point across. I do have good instincts about what makes compelling copy, but think it's easier for other people to write it.

I'd prefer a position where writing was only piece of the job, not the whole job. I do not wish to be a copywriter for instance.

Your comments will be appreciated.

Thanks!









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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 9/4/2004 at 9:13 PM Accepted
    There are all kinds of marketing managers. Some are really in sales support, creating sell-sheets, managing trade promotion, etc. Others are planners and deal more with strategy than tactical implementation. Etc.

    I would recommend talking to a few people who have jobs like the one you want, and ask them what the keys to their success are. If the shoe fits, wear it. If not, change your dream.

    For the kind of marketing I've done, strong communication skills -- including great written communication, listening well, making formal presentations, one-on-one interaction, etc. -- are critically important. My "portfolio," though, is my client list and the description of projects I've done and how well they worked. I don't literally present the written reports (which are usually client confidential anyway).

    If you want to brush up on your specific communication skills, there is a great web-based service that's actually fun to use and very inexpensive, called Communication Fitness (www.comfit.com). It's targeted at well-educated, smart professionals who just want to communicate more effectively.
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