I recently completed my undergraduate degree in business marketing at 38 years of age. I’ve always wanted to work in marketing, however, I’ve been working as a paralegal for the past 15 years. How do I pursue business marketing without completing an internship?
–A. McAllister
Baghdad
For seasoned professionals who are interested in changing professions, externships are becoming a popular option. Externships are experiential learning opportunities similar to internships, but they’re much shorter, ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Externships are for professionals (or students) interested in entering fields that require personal contacts, such as event planning, communications, marketing, or fashion. An externship will help you gain legitimate experience and broaden your network base to help you secure a job in the desired industry.
Join the American Marketing Association, the largest marketing association in North America, which offers seminars, workshops, and topical events focused on the immediate needs of marketers worldwide. As an international citizen, you can fill out the AMA’s international application and join the Iraq chapter. Make sure to check out AMA’s job board for available listings worldwide.
Also, read DMNews.com, a Website that provides industry content and marketing coverage.
Annya M. Lott is the careers editor at Black Enterprise.