Question

Topic: Career/Training

Career Change From Customer Relations 2 Marketing

Posted by biggermiao on 5/19/2014 at 1:20 AM ET 250 Points
Hi,

I've been dedicating most my free time to studying marketing for the past 4 months and have become passionate about it. I'm really interested in career switching.

Based on my current experience,skills, goals and learning plan below, how probable (1-10) is it for me to make the change? Thank you all very much for the help, as I'm a bit at a crossroads.

1. Goals:

Willing to start from the beginning. A fairly junior position (within my current tech industry if hard to change) with a healthy mix involving promotions(including digital), customer relations, research, branding and PR, business development.

2. Experience/Skills:

Recent 4 years Working at IBM as a Communications/Relationship Specialist for one of our Service products doing:

Primary:

- Forming and developing customer relationships to
improve their perceptions/our insight
- Writing/managing service oriented communication
scripts, templates and protocols
- Conducting Customer research/surveys & following up
- Improving the product/service based on the research
- Customer service, solution consultation, technical
support

Secondary:

- Wrote slogans/copy for different customer contact
points to improve their perception
- Composed mass informational updates of new
service offerings, tools and changes
- Created new product release presentations for Sales
use
- Planned and led seminars to promote/demo our product


1 year as a Sales Specialist(over 4 years ago)

- Generated, developed and milked leads
- Took part in trade shows to promote product, and
conduct surveys
- Designed brochure, website and flyers
- Wrote editorials for client products in industry
magazine


My bachelors (4.5 years ago) was Graphic Design, minor in Advertising

3. Learning plan:

- practice digital marketing techniques for own website, or for a friend's business(or my own)
- study market research techniques
- study and practice PR & branding techniques
- copy writing practice
- enroll in a handson non-theoretical marketing
dojo.

Thanks again for your feedback and support
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/19/2014 at 8:42 AM Accepted
    You can make the change no matter your background. Whether you're starting your own business or wanting to work for someone else, it's all about what you can offer - and with what proof. If you're still with IBM, probably best is to talk to your HR department, and find out what internal trainings & external education they'll pay for - and do it.
  • Posted by biggermiao on 5/19/2014 at 10:23 AM Author
    Thanks Jay for the encouragement, I will indeed!　You've got some solid, concise advice and I just wanted to put them into practice through deeper understanding:

    "it's all about what you can offer": I do believe the 4 yrs experience at IBM listed above is something to offer, how much weight would you say they have in a starting marketing position? Do they poise me to say go to war after 6 months training, 1 year?

    "and find out what internal trainings": I may stay or move out. If the latter(even for the former), I firmly believe in seeking out practical and applied training, external+my own activities. I see a concentrated 6 months of real world developing and living out the marketing skills a smarter time ROI than a multiple-year theoretical and university degree. Does this sounds reasonable?

    It's really a pleasure learning so much on here in so short a time. Thanks again!


  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/19/2014 at 7:38 PM Accepted
    All things are possible, as for the probabilities, they're up to you and how badly you want to make the switch. My best advice is to go for it and to give it your all. Good luck.
  • Posted on 5/19/2014 at 8:43 PM Accepted
    As others said, it's really up to you. You are not likely to get a senior job in marketing based on what you've done, even with some concentrated time learning marketing basics. But there are some smaller companies that might be willing to take you on and trade some of your skills and dedication for hands-on training and experience you can later parley into a bigger/better slot.

    Follow your passion.
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