You’ve got the degree. You’ve polished your resume. You’ve applied for a bunch of entry-level roles. And yet… crickets.
After a month, you’ve been lucky to get an automated ‘thanks, but no thanks’ from the 50+ companies you’ve applied to.
Harsh? Welcome to job hunting in 2026.
So how can you prove you can do the job as a new grad? I’ll let you in on a little secret – it’s all about how you market yourself.
1. Build a portfolio that proves you can do the job
Let’s talk about the thing that separates the grads who get interviews from the grads who keep shouting into the void – your portfolio!
Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t credibly claim you’re ‘passionate about marketing’ if you’ve got nothing to show for it. Employers won’t buy it.
A portfolio fixes this problem. Think of it as your proof-of-work folder. A place where you can show real examples of campaigns, projects and collateral that show you know how marketing works.
And the best part? It doesn’t need to be big or fancy. Maybe you built a blog and experimented with SEO. Or maybe you started a TikTok account and grew a following. Even analysing an existing brand’s strategy and suggesting improvements can demonstrate your thinking.
With a portfolio, you immediately stand out in a sea of grads.
2. Get experience before you get the job
One of the fastest ways to get a job as a new grad is surprisingly simple: do the job before someone actually hires you to do it.
Sounds backwards, but stay with me.
A lot of grads fall into the same trap. They spend months applying, hoping someone will give them a chance. Meanwhile, employers are scanning resumes looking for actual experience.
This is where proactive intitiaves like volunteering, freelancing and interning come in. (Pssst: check out the Marketing Internship Unit if you haven’t already.)
With that experience, suddenly, you’re not just a new grad saying, ‘I studied marketing.’ You’re also saying, ‘I helped a small business increase its social engagement by 40% over three months.’ You hotshot.
3. Find your niche and own it
Time for a reality check. Positioning yourself as a ‘marketing graduate’ is a bit like walking into a buffet and announcing you like food. It’s true, but not exactly memorable.
Marketing is a diverse industry. When you’re just starting out, it’s tempting to think you need to be good at everything. You don’t. So find your area of interest. Whether that’s data analytics, paid ads, copywriting or brand custodianship.
Once you know where you want to be and start building your portfolio and experience around your niche, you become a compelling candidate.
And remember, your niche doesn’t have to be forever. It’s simply a starting point. Once you’re in the industry, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore other areas of marketing.
4. Fix your LinkedIn attitude
Your LinkedIn profile is not a place to park your resume online. Smart grads treat it as an opportunity. Start with these two tips.
- Write a specific and compelling headline. If it says ‘New graduate seeking opportunities,’ it’s doing you no favours. Swap it for something specific to your niche. ‘Junior Paid Ads Specialist | Meta + Google Ads’ (or your equivalent) instantly says what you actually do.
- Stop spraying-and-praying with job applications. LinkedIn is one of the easiest ways to connect directly with hiring managers. A short, thoughtful message means you’re no longer just another faceless resume in a pile.
And here’s the real advantage: Visibility. Maybe a hiring manager doesn’t have the right role for you today. But if you keep sharing insights, you’ll keep popping up in their feed.
Which means when the right opportunity does appear… your name is already top of mind.
5. Learn the tools marketers actually use
Marketing today runs on tools. Campaigns are launched, tracked and optimised through software.
Give yourself an edge and get familiar with the platforms marketers actually use. Tools like Google Analytics, Meta Ads Manager, HubSpot, MailChimp, Canva and ChatGPT appear in job descriptions all the time.
You don’t need to master them all. But showing you’ve explored a few – either through work experience, a personal project or an online tutorial – displays your initiative to employers.
And that’s exactly what companies want: someone who can hit the ground running.
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