Graduate Marketing Schemes

How do they work?

Graduate marketing schemes are structured, paid training programmes offered by companies to help recent graduates kickstart their careers in marketing. These schemes usually last 1 to 3 years and give you the chance to rotate through different marketing departments, like digital, brand, social media, or research, so you can find out what suits you best. 

You’ll receive on-the-job training, mentorship, and sometimes even study for professional qualifications (like CIM). They’re competitive, but a great way to build experience, grow your network, and often lead to a full-time role after the scheme ends.

Here’s a quick summary of the difference between a grad scheme and a normal graduate job:

Just like a placement or internship, marketing graduate jobs have you working in a team, focusing on areas such as:

• Copywriting

• Social media

• Email marketing

• Paid search

• Events

Marketing graduate jobs or schemes aren’t exclusive to those with a marketing degree. Anyone can do them. You’ll likely start your career in an entry-level role and move up the ranks once you learn the ropes. Having experience or a website/portfolio will boost your job prospects massively.

Types of graduate marketing jobs

There are lots of different areas of marketing you could choose a graduate job in, but to help you get an idea, we have listed some below: 

The marketing industry offers such a varied career and you can keep your work more general or even specialise in one area. Either way, you can rapidly climb the career ladder with marketing experience under your belt. 

Ready to see what opportunities we have?

How much do you get paid in a marketing graduate scheme?

This will depend on your employer and your location. If you’re based in London, you will normally get paid a bit more to help cover your living costs. Sometimes, this is the same for other major cities like Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham.

On average, marketing graduates earn around £30,000 to £35,000 a year. But, it’s always best to check with the employer before you work out your living arrangements.

Also, once you have finished your scheme, with your new skills and experience, you can progress through your company or industry to become a marketing director or the head of a department. Those titles especially earn big, so definitely something to work towards.

What qualifications do you need for a marketing graduate job?

Most employers will ask for at least a 2:2, but some will prefer a 2:1. Sometimes employers will also ask for specific degree disciplines like marketing or business. 

However, it’s always best to check with the employer what their entry requirements are. Normally, they are listed on the job description. 

Having an internship or placement year will also help you stand out, especially if you have done one in the marketing industry. 

When should I apply?

That will depend on when you want to start your graduate job. Know that a lot of companies hire graduates up to two years after they graduate from university, so you don’t have to start right away. You can go travelling for a bit if you want.

However, if you want to start the same year you graduate, it’s best to start looking at the beginning of the academic year. So around September/October, the year before you want to start. But don’t stress yourself out if it’s already past that, we have plenty of marketing grad roles on Higherin all year round.

Scroll down to browse our open graduate roles.