When you're learning marketing cloud, getting lost in the weeds is easy.
There's so much to learn.
It can be overwhelming at times.
You might have thought:
"There's no proven path to getting a high-paying Marketing Cloud job."
Or maybe you're chasing your next cert - thinking that'll be the answer.
But the entire time you're on this journey, you're wondering:
"Is any of this going to help me achieve my goal of landing a Marketing Cloud job?"
The path to landing a Marketing Cloud job may seem complicated.
But there's a step-by-step path.
Today, I want to give you the exact steps to land a Marketing Cloud job.
Let's dive in.
1. Understand what MC is (Starting in Marketing Cloud)
The first step to landing a Marketing Cloud job is knowing what Marketing Cloud is.
You also need to know WHY companies use Marketing Cloud.
If you can't articulate what marketing cloud is and why companies use Marketing Cloud, then are you ready to dive into this ecosystem?
So the first thing you need to do is:
Understand what Marketing Cloud is
What it's capable of
And how it fits into the Salesforce ecosystem
If you want to understand what Marketing Cloud is...
Do the 3-day Marketing Cloud challenge.
2. Understand what it takes to land your first MC job
Once you understand what Marketing Cloud is, and can articulate it in an easy-to-understand sentence, the next step is:
Have a proven game plan to land your first job.
The best way to do that is:
Continue reading this article because the path is laid out below)
Do the 3-day challenge if you haven't already.
3. Know which Cert to study for first
Now is the time to understand which marketing cloud cert you should get first.
In order to know which cert to get first, you must know which path you want to go down in Marketing Cloud.
If you want to become an expert at building emails, campaigns, and journeys, you should focus on becoming an email specialist.
If you want to run the system and administer the entire environment, you should become a Marketing Cloud Admin.
If you want to code emails and webpages with SSJS, AMPscript, HTML, etc., you should focus on becoming a Marketing Cloud Developer.
If you want to work with clients and build customer implementations,n you should become a Marketing Cloud Consultant.
The main thing is to know which path you want to take.
Just remember this:
The Email Specialist Cert is the pre-requisite to MC Developer Cert.
The MC Admin cert is the pre-requisite to the MC Consultant Cert.
4. Find your Marketing Cloud Tribe
This step is so underrated.
It's essential to surround yourself with like-minded people on your journey.
The people you surround yourself with will help you learn Marketing Cloud much faster than if you do it alone.
Your tribe will also help you land jobs wayyyy faster.
You have to find people who are on the same path as you.
If you find your tribe, you'll have the following:
Study partners
Accountability partners
And a network of people on the same mission as you.
Plus, these are people that you could end up working with.
These people are also future innovators in the Marketing Cloud ecosystem.
So learn who they are now.
5. Pass your first MC Cert
You have to pass a cert if you want to land a marketing cloud job - especially if you're a beginner.
Employers will be looking for a certification.
All you need is one, though.
You don't need all four marketing cloud certs to land a job.
You just need something that will get your foot in the door.
Once you get your foot in the door, it'll be up to you to be able to talk the lingo to prove that you know what you're talking about.
Once you know which Marketing Cloud path you want to take, you can focus on the cert required for that path.
I recommend getting the Email Specialist cert first since it's the most foundational cert to get.
You can learn anything in Marketing Cloud after you get that cert.
6. Build your Marketing Cloud Resume
When you pass your first cert, you'll want to put all your skills on your resume.
As a matter of fact, you should build your resume as you're studying for your marketing cloud cert.
For example, when you take the Email Specialist course - everything you learn while doing the course should go on your resume.
It's important that you put everything you learn on your resume.
If you learn something, write it down as a skill or experience on your resume.
That way, you can talk about those skills in interviews.
Everything you learn is a new opportunity for you.
You are putting in the work to learn these skills.
So don't forget to add them to your resume.
And don't wait until you have passed your cert to add your skills to your resume.
Add your skills as you're learning.
That way, you don't forget what you've learned.
By the time you pass your cert, you should go back and review everything on your resume and make sure you can speak to those skills in an everyday conversation.
If you can speak to those skills with the people in your network and keep up with the conversation, you can do the same thing in an interview.
But you have to ensure those skills are on your resume to get your foot in the door when the job algorithms are scanning it.
To learn more about how your resume gets scanned by job posting algorithms, read "Get Hired Now.".
"Get Hired Now" is a book by the founder of ZipRecruiter.
In the book, he shows how to land a job quickly.
You need to learn how companies look at your resume and respond accordingly.
7. Optimize your LinkedIn (to get seen)
Once your resume is on point, it's time to go ham on LinkedIn.
You need to be on LinkedIn and set your profile up to the point of domination.
Your profile pic needs to be on point.
Your banner needs to describe you in an easy picture.
You need to have a clear Bio that describes who you are and what you stand for.
Your work history needs to be on fleek so people can quickly scan your work history.
Take a look at my LinkedIn, for example.
There's a clear profile pic, banner, and bio that makes it easy to see what I'm all about.
If you're a ghost on LinkedIn, finding and figuring out who you are will be hard.
Being hard to find puts you at a major disadvantage.
Once you get on LinkedIn, you need to comment and post as much as possible.
The best way to grow your network on LinkedIn is to:
Follow other Marketing Cloud experts
Join Facebook Groups and follow the people in those groups on LinkedIn.
When people in your network post, leave a comment on that post (with valuable feedback).
Post what you're learning in Marketing Cloud.
If you learn how a data extension works, write about it on LinkedIn.
If you learn how an automation works, write about it on LinkedIn.
Document your journey, no matter where you're starting.
Remember, someone is always one step behind; you never know who will look at your profile if you're active on LinkedIn.
Being active on LinkedIn is important because that's where most people land their jobs.
Recruiters and hiring managers constantly look for qualified people to interview on LinkedIn.
Plus - it's a great way to build social proof that you know what you're talking about.
You're missing out if you're not active on LinkedIn every day.
8. Search for Marketing Cloud jobs
The next step is to search for Marketing Cloud jobs.
The best places to search for Marketing Cloud jobs are:
And the list of consultant companies that offer Marketing Cloud Services on the AppExchange.
These are gold mines for searching for Marketing Cloud jobs.
This is where I tell everyone to go when they're looking for a Marketing Cloud job.
All of my friends have found jobs in these three places.
Double down on these areas, and you'll find a company looking to hire you within the next 3 to 6 months from these spots.
A few other honorable mentions are:
And my guy Khero Witey (Dude's a baller)
9. Crush your Marketing Cloud Interviews
The next step is to crush your interviews.
You NEED to be able to speak the lingo of Marketing Cloud before you show up for interviews.
This is where studying for your Marketing Cloud cert comes into play.
All the questions from the Marketing Cloud certifications are the same questions that you will be asked in interviews.
So if you genuinely know how Marketing Cloud works (By studying for and passing the exams), you learn how to answer the questions you get in an interview.
The key pieces of advice before your interview are:
Have confidence that you've studied Marketing Cloud (In-Depth).
Build Rapport in the interview (Don't be robotic)
Ask genuine questions and get to know the interviewer.
Become friends with the interviewer.
Research the company before the interview (to learn how they do business).
This puts you at a significant advantage over your competition.
Most people aren't willing to do this simple step.
Ask the interviewer how they see you coming in and making a difference.
This future paces the interviewer to envision you working at the company and gives you a leg up on the competition.
Come in with energy.
Don't be boring.
Too many people come in with no personality, and it shoots them in the foot.
The person with energy wins because people want to work with fun people.
Also - be prepared to be asked the following questions:
Tell me a little bit about yourself
Tell me why you're interested in this job
Tell me what your marketing cloud experience is
Tell me about a difficult time you had in marketing cloud and how you overcame that.
The last question is the scariest.
But it shouldn't be.
Just think about a time that you didn't know how to do something in marketing cloud and walk them through how you figured out how to do that thing.
Then talk about what you learned about yourself during the process.
People love to hear about transformations.
10. Negotiating Marketing Cloud interviews
The next step is to negotiate what you want.
You have to do your research on the job you're interviewing for.
If you're interviewing for a Marketing Cloud Email Specialist job, you need to do your homework on how much Email Specialists get paid.
Do a quick Google search of:
Marketing Cloud Email Specialist Job Salaries
Open up 10 websites and write down each salary.
Then do a Google search of those salaries in your state.
For example, if you live in Texas, type:
Marketing Cloud Email Specialist Job Salaries in Texas
Open up 10 websites and see what these jobs are paying.
Once you know the salary range, you know what to say to the hiring manager when they ask how much you want to get paid.
Tell them a number higher than what you saw on Google if you want to get paid more. (Usually, 10K more to give you negotiating room)
Tell them a lower number if you don't think you should get paid that much.
I don't recommend that, but if you feel comfortable with that, then, by all means, go for it).
Either way, you need to get a ballpark range of how much you want to get paid by doing your research and sticking to that range.
Don't go in without doing your research.
11. Land Your First Marketing Cloud Job
This is where the rubber meets the road.
Once you've gone through the interview process, you should start getting responses from hiring managers.
If you've done a good job showing them:
That you know what you're talking about in interviews.
And you show them that you're a good team player.
You will start to get offer letters.
This is the point where you'll read over your contract and determine if this is a good fit for you.
At this point, your hard work has paid off, and you land your dream Marketing Cloud job.
Bonus Step Number 1
Success in your first 90 days on the job
Alright, here's bonus number 1.
To have success in your first 90 days, you need to do the following:
Join every meeting to learn how the business works.
You have to know how the company does business if you want to provide as much value as possible.
I see a lot of people go into their first job and only focus on technical skills.
They don't ask, "How does my job affect the entire business?"
If you're a gear in the wheel, you'll always be replaceable.
But if you learn how the business works inside and out, you'll be a valuable asset they won't want to eliminate.
Bonus Step Number 2
Advancing on the job (Getting promotions and bonuses)
Bonus number 2 - This is where you start to shine on the job.
If you go into the business and learn how the company works, you're off to a good start.
The next step is to constantly be asking, "How can I help?"
If you are always helping other people:
Your manager
Your co-workers
People in other departments
Then you'll be so valuable, that you will be asked to do bigger and better things.
Doing bigger and better projects is a result of being valuable.
Being valuable is a universal skill.
The more people need you, the more they will pay you.
Give value and watch your monetary value go up.
The more value you give, the more money you'll make 💰
If the company you're working for doesn't see your value - then you need to switch jobs, which we'll talk about next.
Bonus Step Number 3
Switching jobs (Growing your MC career)
Bonus number 3 - This is when you've outgrown your job.
After about 2 -3 years, you should have a good handle on how your job works and you should be a master at it.
When you feel like you've mastered your job, you should be looking for a new opportunity.
This new opportunity can be in the company, or it can be outside the company.
Either way, you should be growing.
If your company will help you grow, then do that.
If they won't, it's time to bounce and go somewhere else.
Either way, this is your career and your responsibility to continue growing.
Once you have experience under your belt, you can go anywhere.
Now your resume should be at the point of "expert," and you can walk the talk with confidence that you have tons of experience under your belt.
But remember, this comes from hard work and dedication to your craft.
Just because you're at a job for 2-3 years, doesn't mean you'll be good.
You have to be putting in work every day.
If you put in work - Life will be at your fingertips, and you'll get to decide which direction you want to go!
Where you go in life depends on what your life goals are.
Alright, on to the last bonus step.
Bonus Step Number 4
Giving Back to the Community (Thinking Bigger)
Once you have work experience, you'll have the unique opportunity to give back to others behind you.
This is your chance to make a difference in someone else's life.
People are looking for new ways to advance in their careers - and you can help them.
At this point in your life, you can:
Be a mentor
Coach other people
Start a YouTube channel or share on Linkedin
Share courses with other people to help them kickstart their journey
It's all up to you, but the best way for you to continue learning is to give back.
It's a part of life.
We're designed to replicate our genes to the next generation.
And one of the best ways to do that is to teach others.
Conclusion
Alright, those are the steps (along with some bonuses).
Remember, the path to landing your Marketing Cloud job doesn't have to be confusing.
Many people have done it before you, and there is a proven path to accomplish it.
TL: DR
Understand what MC is (Starting in Marketing Cloud)
Understand what it takes to land your first MC job
Knowing which cert to study for first
Finding your Marketing Cloud tribe
Passing your first MC Cert
Building your MC Resume
Optimizing your LinkedIn (to get seen)
Searching for MC jobs (Job Search)
Crushing MC Interviews
Negotiating MC interviews
Landing your first job
Success in your first 90 days on the job
Advancing on the job (Getting promotions and bonuses)
Switching jobs (Growing your MC career)
Giving Back to the Community Thinking Bigger
This is the path I've taken to land my own Marketing Cloud job(s).
This is also the path other people have taken.
If this resonated with you - leave a comment and let me know!
Kaelan Moss - MinuteAdmin Out ✌🏽
