Have you been thinking about starting a career in marketing but are wondering how to start? Worried that without a background or degree in marketing you won't be able to land your first role?
Marketing roles combine a mix of creativity, data-driven decision making, and calculated strategy. However what people usually forget is that their personal background inherently shapes a marketers career–and gives them their unique approach.
My name is Tala and as an example of this topic, I studied International Relations in university. To the outside eye, this major may seem to have nothing to do with marketing. However, I'd argue that the transferable skills I gained from my degree and hobbies (such as research, communication, analytical thinking, creativity, and storytelling) have positively shaped my experience in marketing.
And here I am: which is proof that you do not need a university degree in marketing to work in marketing! If anything, you can harness any skills from your previous background, hobbies, or jobs to work in such a multifaceted field. And this is precisely why you find marketers from a wide range of backgrounds everywhere you look.
I asked around Ironhack’s marketing team to see what our in-house experts had to say–and to see how their backgrounds influence their day-to-day work in digital marketing.
Asking the Team: How Has Your Background Shaped Your Marketing Career?
Ellie Merryweather, Organic Marketing Lead
My first job out of university was working an inbound call center above a bank in my middle-of-nowhere hometown. Not exactly glamorous! But it taught me the valuable lesson that sometimes you just need to roll your sleeves up and do things you don’t want to do. If there’s a job to be done, and you’re the one to do it, then grit your teeth and get on with it! In marketing, that might mean doing a lot of copy and pasting or spending hours in the same spreadsheet. It’s not all viral campaigns and fun team retreats, but it’s all worth it in the end.
Alvaro Macias, Email Marketing Lead
One of the most valuable lessons I've brought into my professional life stems from one of my hobbies: sports, and specifically team sports. Effective teamwork is crucial within a marketing unit to achieve set objectives—there's really no other way.
And professionally speaking, from all the experiences I've encountered, I’ve learned the importance of continuous adaptation. Markets, companies, and contexts can change rapidly in the short term, making it essential at a marketing level to possess the ability to adapt swiftly.
Silvia Gamboa, Director of Paid Media
My background has been incredibly valuable in shaping my marketing career. Working in France gave me the opportunity to learn from a variety of companies, from e-commerce to agencies and retailers. Each experience taught me something unique and helped me develop a well-rounded perspective on how different industries operate and succeed.
I did a tech bootcamp that used a peer learning system, which was a game-changer for me. It gave me a good understanding of tech topics and also taught me how to approach technical challenges in marketing. Now, I can better understand the technical aspects of marketing and even fix a thing or two when needed. I love diving into books and using them to build frameworks that I can apply to marketing strategies. It’s like having a toolkit filled with different approaches and ideas that I can draw from whenever I need to. And lastly, I’m a geek at heart. I’m always on the lookout for new tools and technologies that can help us work more efficiently or scale a task. I find it exciting to discover new ways to improve and innovate in marketing, and I think that curiosity has been one of my greatest assets.
Amanda Pereira, Email Marketing Manager
I don't know if I can say "background" yet; I'm at the beginning of my career. Three years ago, I graduated with a degree in business and my whole career has been about marketing, specifically growth marketing. I do think my education helped a lot, especially when I have to look at the big picture and think about strategy or revenue impact.
Ricardo Montoya, Paid Marketing Manager
My first degree was in graphic design, and later I transitioned to studying marketing for an additional five years. This combination of skills has been a major asset throughout my career. My design background allows me to not only execute visually compelling campaigns, but also ensure that the creative aligns seamlessly with strategic marketing objectives. After 15 years in marketing, I’ve learned that even the most well-crafted strategy can fail without the right implementation. Design has enabled me to better capture attention, but understanding marketing fundamentals—like consumer psychology, market segmentation, and data-driven decision-making—has been equally crucial.
Beyond design, my experience in UX has reinforced my belief in creating user-centered marketing strategies. However, my marketing expertise has been built on much more than just the creative side. I have extensive experience with data analytics, A/B testing, audience segmentation, and multichannel campaign management. These skills have allowed me to refine campaigns in real time, maximizing ROI and ensuring that every effort is both cost-effective and aligned with business goals. Understanding the full marketing funnel—from brand awareness to conversion—has empowered me to create campaigns that drive measurable business results while keeping the user experience at the center.
Adrian Romero, Digital Data Analyst
As a digital data analyst, a solid technical background focused on understanding marketing data and how tracking works has been crucial for me. Additionally, acquiring some programming skills during my education has allowed me to be able to implement complex tracking solutions and be a data-driven person as a marketer
Princess Cornelio, Product Marketing Manager
I used to think my chemistry skills would only help me in the lab, but it turns out they’ve been just as useful in marketing—analyzing data and trends is basically a different kind of experiment! Business school? That’s where I discovered marketing is the sweet spot where creativity meets strategy—a combo I never knew I’d enjoy so much.
Ferran Farled, Events Marketing Manager
I think the marketing field is broad and transversal. This means that all previous experience, no matter how unrelated it may seem, always helps to make a difference. In my case, each of the jobs I've had were connected to the next one, and even if they didn't have much in common, I was able to apply what I learned.Having skills in communication, public relations, knowing how to use social media and being curious about the marketing industry can help you to have more resources to be able to apply them in a job and face challenges with more resources.
What Now?
As we have learned from our fellow marketers, there is no single path into marketing. You can harness the powers of your background, no matter what it is. The learning does not stop there as marketing is all about growth.
The beauty of marketing is that it is so multifaceted and there’s room for all kinds of professionals. Tailoring the lessons you have learned and skills you have developed can be highly valuable in the digital marketing field, whether that be from previous experiences, hobbies, or interests.
Turn your everyday skills into digital marketing success as the impact and importance of your background can make the difference in breaking into the marketing industry.
Further Resources
About the Author
Tala Sammar is the Events and Content Marketing Intern at Ironhack based in Madrid, where she contributes to creating engaging content, assisting with blogs and organizing events. With a background in International Relations, she is passionate about social justice, humanitarian development, and writing. Moreover, she is always expressing herself artistically, seeking to unlock layers of creativity. Her strong sense of empathy, specifically within the marketing field, is one of her greatest strengths.
