<p>Hi all!</p>
<p>I am new here, but seems like people give good advice and tips.</p>
<p>I currently have a BA in Health and Human Services, which means I could go into a community or public health related field that deals with things like health promotion or social work, for example. I earned my BA in 2012 and did not pursue work in my field prior to or after graduation, just pretty much doing my own thing and finding a "regular" job. Sure, I could have done that without my degree, but I am 23 and am proud to say I did complete school. I always felt that if I were in the position and working jobs such as these, I would be encouraged to "finish school" by family, etc. I feel since I have my degree, that is a goal I have completed and looking to move on to the next steps :)</p>
<p>So now, I am a flight attendant (for about 1 year now), and its possible that I may stop flying soon to go for my Masters. However, I am leaning toward a Masters in Communication and Marketing, because I feel that marketing is a field that I would do well in, have interest in, and enjoy. I wish I would have known that in undergrad (and if its essential to the story I can go on more about why I ended up with the BA that I do have), but now being out of school and having read about careers and jobs, every marketing/PR/advertising job description seems to be things that I would enjoy spending my career doing. I don't have ANY experience in this field and a lot of local jobs (I live in the midwest) don't really have open doors for people who don't have marketing/comm experience. With my job its hard to volunteer or make time to gain any unpaid experience. I considered a certificate, since they are a bit cheaper but I am thinking a Masters might just be the best way to get the education needed to work in this field.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any advice to help me out? As an undergrad, I didn't put my all into school (was 17 when I started, did well but I believe something that truly interested me would have motivated me to intern, look for jobs, etc) and now having had a little time out I KNOW that I would put everything into school and go after my real goals :D</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Hey there. Worked in marketing/PR for a couple years. First thing of importance: know the difference between marketing, PR, and advertising. The three groups don’t necessarily get along, and if you go into a PR interview gushing about your love for marketing, it can be a red flag.</p>
<p>If you want to do Marketing: you’ll find that a master’s degree will help you, but only after a few years of work experience. Find an entry-level marketing job - doesn’t have to be with a big company or anything. Nonprofits will work well, since you have a Health/Human Services background. Work there for 2-3 years. Then apply for a MS in Marketing. You want the MS, not the MA. At the managerial and higher level, they increasingly want people who can do analytical/quantitative marketing.</p>
<p>If you want to do PR: you’ll be fighting an uphill battle, because PR undergrads have it drilled into them at a very early stage that INTERNSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING - most competitive PR students have 2-4 internships complete before they graduate. Most entry-level positions in PR agencies actually REQUIRE you to have 1-2 years of internship experience before they’ll even look at your resume… But not all is lost. This is an industry where the master’s degree is completely USELESS. No one cares. They care about your work experience and work experience only. So if you want PR, you’ll probably have to work an unpaid internship for 3-6 months. And yes, PR is one of the industries where unpaid internships are the norm. The upside is that most post-grad interns are offered full-time jobs upon completion. All you need is that foot in the door, and you’ll be set. If you want to do PR, do NOT do a master’s.</p>
<p>If you want to do advertising: tough industry to break into, and I have no experience in it, so can’t help you there :(</p>
<p>I’ve been a copywriter for 30 years, so I’ll let you know that if you want to be on the creative side of advertising or marketing, no one cares about a Masters. I’ve never applied for a job that asks for one, and it’s never been mentioned. I have a BA in Advertising and that’s it. It’s hard to break into copywriting. If you can volunteer to do some small projects for small, local businesses, then you can build up your portfolio and show prospective employers your writing skills. </p>
<p>Now, if I wanted to be a marketing manager I could do that without a Masters, but to keep moving up, it would be helpful to get an MBA. Thing is, actual experience is valued more - an MBA with no experience isn’t a great thing. I agree that you should get some kind of job - adminstrative is fine - in a marketing dept, maybe in a non-profit. I’ve seen lots of admins learn about a dept’s workings, help the marketing managers with tasks, and eventually get promoted. </p>
<p>And I agree with simplybaroque about pr - I have a friend whose daughter is a junior in college. She has already had two internships and intends to do another this summer. So she’ll have three by the time she graduates. But hers have been paid internships, at least.</p>