So, I find myself evaluating what skills my students bring to the table once they graduate with a Masters in Marketing and/ or a concentration in Social Media Marketing or Digital Marketing. I am hoping that you, my loyal tribe will help give some insight to what you want from your marketing staff! What skills do they lack, what concepts of skills are under-developed,what skills do you see pertinent to business in the next year, 5 years? I see a lot of room to grow with analytics and big data as well as mobile, but I really want to hear your input. How can I improve the quality of the candidates out in the market?
What say you from deep in the business trenches?! Please leave a comment below ( brief is fine) and your business. You may also wish to share via Twitter @drjrogers.
Also, please share via your networks as I would love to get a lot of feedback over the next month.
photo credit: Victor1558 via photopin cc
Jessica Rogers, PhD. 
Suggest to your students that they should read or at least scan the WS Journal, NY Times and other leading dailies – not just trade publications. I know that I got my first job in travel marketing, in part, because I asked the interviewer about pending legislation (that would affect the cruise business) that I had read about just that morning in the NY TImes. Showing that you have curiosity and can make connections between your job and the outside world is important.
Steve Thank you! I try to stress the importance of making online connections, following a few blogs, and reading as much as possible. But your example is definitely a great one to share with them!
Most of the students in my classroom are either marketing majors or PR majors; what they universally lack are basic computer skills. They believe that because they know how to use their mobile devices, they “know computers.” But when a command such as “make a folder on your desktop” can stump the entire room, it’s not likely that they “know computers.”
So to your question; what skills do I believe college level students lack? Basic computer skills.
Wow that is surprising Ralph, but I have seen it in my undergrad courses that I teach online with a few of the older students.
LinkedIn is a valuable resource for networking. I utilize it often when searching for that perfect candidate. I’d also encourage students to join groups and participate in the conversation, make connections, and don’t be afraid to show off their skills, including community involvement and volunteer projects, on their profile.
Many Chamber of Commerce groups now have Young Professionals divisions. The YP groups plan fun socials, bring in excellent speakers for workshops, and offer all-around networking opportunities.
Analytics is crucial in this day of digital, non-traditional media. A candidate with an analytics mindset and knowledge, as well as the creative marketing side, is an ideal candidate in my opinion.
Thanks Allison. I suggest those same ideas in class (sometimes on deaf ears, sometimes not) and have also requested Analytics be further addressed in our degree program, as of last week. I see the need for Marketing folks able to make sense of all of this data we are accumulating. Our MS Mktg program is well on its way to being very relevant in those terms.