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what skills should i learn when going to marketing, business and advertising industry??
im 17 jr high and don't know where to start.
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4 answers
Updated
Rick’s Answer
Paris,
You’ve already received below some excellent technical advice, what software to learn, what classes to take, what certifications might help. That’s all useful.
But I’m going to answer you a little differently.
When I was young, I didn’t begin by mastering marketing theory. I began by trying to understand people. That became my greatest advantage.
I started in investments within bank environments and became successful, not because I memorized scripts or knew every minute product detail, but because I learned how to sit across from someone and truly listen.
Marketing, business, and advertising are not first about products. They are first about people.
If you want to thrive in any industry, here are the deeper skills to begin building now:
Learn human behavior.
Why do people buy? Why do they hesitate? What fears hold them back? What dreams pull them forward? Study psychology even more than persuasion.
Learn how to communicate clearly.
Not fancy. Not clever. Clear. If you can explain something simply, you will always have value.
Learn to observe without judging.
In business, you’ll meet all kinds of personalities, confident leaders, insecure managers, bold risk-takers, cautious thinkers. Understanding them gives you influence without conflict.
Learn resilience.
You will succeed. You will also be misunderstood, overlooked, and sometimes even resented for doing well. That happened to me more than once. The industry rewards performance , but not always comfortably. Stay steady anyway.
Learn yourself.
What energizes you? Strategy? Creativity? Data? Leadership? Writing? Speaking?
The earlier you understand your natural strengths, the faster you can build around them. I have always believed everyone is brilliant at something. Most people simply never discover what that is because they don’t look for it. But now you know this truth, you are brilliant at something. Look for it. When you find it, embrace it, and it will guide you toward lasting success.
And last, perhaps most important, understand that love is one of the most powerful human forces. Draw from that well. First, learn to respect and value yourself. When you do, your goals and desires begin to align more naturally because you are no longer working against yourself. This was my greatest life lesson, though it took me many years to learn it. You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to understand it much earlier.
Go forward with confidence.
You can prosper greatly.
— Rick
You’ve already received below some excellent technical advice, what software to learn, what classes to take, what certifications might help. That’s all useful.
But I’m going to answer you a little differently.
When I was young, I didn’t begin by mastering marketing theory. I began by trying to understand people. That became my greatest advantage.
I started in investments within bank environments and became successful, not because I memorized scripts or knew every minute product detail, but because I learned how to sit across from someone and truly listen.
Marketing, business, and advertising are not first about products. They are first about people.
If you want to thrive in any industry, here are the deeper skills to begin building now:
Learn human behavior.
Why do people buy? Why do they hesitate? What fears hold them back? What dreams pull them forward? Study psychology even more than persuasion.
Learn how to communicate clearly.
Not fancy. Not clever. Clear. If you can explain something simply, you will always have value.
Learn to observe without judging.
In business, you’ll meet all kinds of personalities, confident leaders, insecure managers, bold risk-takers, cautious thinkers. Understanding them gives you influence without conflict.
Learn resilience.
You will succeed. You will also be misunderstood, overlooked, and sometimes even resented for doing well. That happened to me more than once. The industry rewards performance , but not always comfortably. Stay steady anyway.
Learn yourself.
What energizes you? Strategy? Creativity? Data? Leadership? Writing? Speaking?
The earlier you understand your natural strengths, the faster you can build around them. I have always believed everyone is brilliant at something. Most people simply never discover what that is because they don’t look for it. But now you know this truth, you are brilliant at something. Look for it. When you find it, embrace it, and it will guide you toward lasting success.
And last, perhaps most important, understand that love is one of the most powerful human forces. Draw from that well. First, learn to respect and value yourself. When you do, your goals and desires begin to align more naturally because you are no longer working against yourself. This was my greatest life lesson, though it took me many years to learn it. You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to understand it much earlier.
Go forward with confidence.
You can prosper greatly.
— Rick
Updated
Neil’s Answer
That's a great question, and you're brave for asking. While the three businesses overlap, each has its own industry. My expertise is mainly in advertising, especially the creative side. The world can seem complicated with social media, but a good idea is always valuable, whether it's for Instagram, TV, or TikTok. This also applies to smart marketing campaigns or business strategies.
My advice is to find what interests you in each industry and research that area. If you want to be a writer or art director, look for summer programs and colleges with advertising, art, or writing classes. The same goes for marketing and business.
A fun exercise is to think about a campaign that grabs your attention on social media or TV. Consider why it stands out to you and what parts of the message you remember. Creating something relatable and memorable is the heart of advertising and marketing. Understanding why it works and learning to recreate that feeling for others is a rewarding journey. It's challenging and involves a lot of trial and error, but it's worth it.
My advice is to find what interests you in each industry and research that area. If you want to be a writer or art director, look for summer programs and colleges with advertising, art, or writing classes. The same goes for marketing and business.
A fun exercise is to think about a campaign that grabs your attention on social media or TV. Consider why it stands out to you and what parts of the message you remember. Creating something relatable and memorable is the heart of advertising and marketing. Understanding why it works and learning to recreate that feeling for others is a rewarding journey. It's challenging and involves a lot of trial and error, but it's worth it.
Updated
Linda’s Answer
Hi Paris.
Starting out broadly, I would suggest becoming a student of life. That is, become an avid reader and observer... of world news, current affairs, trends in society, and so on...don't just rely on social media, but seek out real and factual information. I think the more you broadly educate yourself, the better able you are to develop your own perspective and points of view. When you are in advertising, you will be asked to develop points of view and recommendations. Being knowledgeable and well read will help with this.
Like Daniel said, I also highly recommend taking a public speaking and/or debate course. For advertising, you'll be called on a lot to give presentations. It is ok to be nervous--you just can't show it. And finally, I'd say work on your writing. I feel like the more everyone relies on spell check and AI, the worse we are getting as communicators. Effective communication is the key to being successful in any role, in my opinion. Also, I think it couldn't hurt to take art classes--again, to help you understand how to objectively critique art and provide productive feedback. I wish you much success moving forward.
Starting out broadly, I would suggest becoming a student of life. That is, become an avid reader and observer... of world news, current affairs, trends in society, and so on...don't just rely on social media, but seek out real and factual information. I think the more you broadly educate yourself, the better able you are to develop your own perspective and points of view. When you are in advertising, you will be asked to develop points of view and recommendations. Being knowledgeable and well read will help with this.
Like Daniel said, I also highly recommend taking a public speaking and/or debate course. For advertising, you'll be called on a lot to give presentations. It is ok to be nervous--you just can't show it. And finally, I'd say work on your writing. I feel like the more everyone relies on spell check and AI, the worse we are getting as communicators. Effective communication is the key to being successful in any role, in my opinion. Also, I think it couldn't hurt to take art classes--again, to help you understand how to objectively critique art and provide productive feedback. I wish you much success moving forward.
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
People and customer service skills. These are they key for any business field. Everyone thinks numbers or math or any of those type skills are the most important, but no matter how smart you are, or how good with math you are, if you can't speak well you will have trouble succeeding. I also recommend taking public speaking courses etc.