Guide for Graduates - In-House vs. Agency vs. Freelance Marketing
You’re a graduate now or soon going to be and the time has come to choose your next challenge - for some that may be getting your first full-time job in the marketing industry. But, what are your options after graduation and their pros and cons?
The Types of Marketing: What are your career options?
What is in-house marketing and who are in-house marketers?
In-house marketing is when traditional and digital marketing activities are solely completed within an organisation or business by in-house marketers rather than external people i.e. freelancers and/or agencies. This is also known as industry marketing. In-house marketers are professionals employed by a company/brand to complete marketing activity for that specific company/brand. Some in-house marketing teams have several specialists focussing on one specific channel of marketing each, while others may have one individual or several people focussing on a variety of channels at the same time - but they are all doing it for the same brand and only that brand.
What is agency marketing and who are agency marketers?
Agency marketing is when some or all traditional and digital marketing activities are delegated to an agency that specialises in a range of marketing services such as:
➔ Strategy
➔ SEO, SEM and Local Search
➔ Paid Search Marketing
➔ Social Media Marketing
➔ Email Marketing
➔ Content Marketing
➔ Public Relations
They may also provide other services that sit adjacent to marketing such as:
➔ Branding & Identity
➔ Website Design & UX
➔ Website Development
➔ Website Hosting
➔ Website Maintenance
➔ Video Production & Marketing
Agency marketers are professionals employed by a marketing agency to complete marketing activities for a range of clients in a specialist area as mentioned in the lists above. Graduate and junior marketers may spend the first 6 months working in an agency figuring out which channel best suits their expertise and skill set as well as their passion.
What is freelance marketing and who are freelance marketers?
Freelance marketing is when an individual works with different clients on a project or contract basis, as opposed to being employed full-time by one specific client. Freelance marketers are normally individuals who have a specialist skill set, i.e. SEO, and provide that service to specific clients as and when they require it - but generally do not provide multiple services - although this may still occur, i.e. a marketer may provide social media management and SEO as a service.
The Benefits of Working in Any Type of Marketing
While it may seem like “marketing is the same no matter where you work” or you may have been told that - it definitely is not the same and there are pros and cons to each. However, what I do what to mention, is that you can have the following benefits in any of the different types with the right employer and circumstances including:
➔ Flexible Working
➔ Adequate Pay/Salary
➔ Job Diversity
➔ Remote Working
➔ Autonomy
Flexible Working
Flexible working is when you work outside of the typical 9-5 routine. Many employers’ approach this differently, i.e., you may have to work during a “core” set of hours but have a flexible start and end time; or your employer may be completely flexible and you just have to complete your work in a time that best suits you; or in some cases you may have a 4 day working week. However, this varies from company to company and some employers don’t offer flexible working at all, so you will have to decide how important this is to you.
Adequate Pay/Salary
Pay for graduate roles will 9 times out of 10 depend on your employer, their location and their size, as well as how much effort they will have to put into training you on the basics. The right employer will pay you at least what the market rate is for your expertise. One way you can increase your pay options, is by doing internships and work experience, while studying to show that you have practical experience and are going to be worth the investment. If you are unsure about pay, you can speak to people who are currently working in the industry on social media, speak to recruiters in your area and look at LinkedIn Salary Insights.
Job Diversity
Job diversity means something to different people. For in-house marketers, it could mean working on lots of different marketing channels. For agency marketers, it could mean working for a load of different clients. For freelancers, it could mean just having the freedom to really do whatever you want, period.
Remote Working
The pandemic opened up many different opportunities for job seekers and employers alike, especially in marketing, because now employees can work from anywhere in the world and still achieve fantastic work. However, this is more common for agency and freelance work and less common in-house; because as an in-house marketer, you may have to be at specific events local to your employer - so in this case, hybrid working is more likely.
Autonomy
Autonomy refers to the degree to which a job gives an employee the freedom to schedule their work and decide how it will be completed. There are different types of autonomy and it normally depends on your seniority or proven knowledge. However, it will also depend on your manager and if they trust you to do your job. These are questions you might want to ask about during the interview if this is something you care about.
The Pros of Working as an In-House Marketer
The pros of working as an in-house marketer include:
➔ Development of Deep Industry Expertise
➔ Structured Workload/Predictability
Development of Deep Industry Expertise
Working in-house means that you have a lot more time to deep dive into your organisation’s industry, simply because you are living and breathing it every day. There are many large travel brands who hire travel bloggers that help with content marketing, who live and breathe travel and can easily list off the safest places to visit, the best places to visit at different times of the year and more. You are also surrounded by individuals that are experts in what you are marketing, who are normally a lot more accessible and who you can ask questions to at any time. This means you can gain first-hand experience on how all functions of the business you work for operates.
Structured Workload/Predictability
Working in-house means you are less likely (although it may still occur) to have stuff dropped on you sporadically during the month. Having your whole time dedicated to one company/client also means you have more time to plan ahead and execute.
The Cons of Working as an In-House Marketer
The cons of working as an in-house marketer include:
➔ Lack of Cover
➔ Isolation
Lack of Cover
If you are working in-house it tends to be one of two things:
You are the only marketing professional in the company.
You are the only marketing professional in your team who knows your expertise.
This means that it may be difficult for other people to cover your workload, which means you may have to put in extra effort to plan ahead or feel stressed when you take time off in case something bad happens, i.e., a post went out that shouldn’t have; the website had some technical issues; or something similar.
Isolation
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get buy-in from the whole company when you work in-house because many of the people you work with won’t be marketers and won’t understand the importance of marketing. This can create a feeling of isolation or disconnect.
It’s your job and the job of the leadership team to try and ensure they understand its importance, but even when you’ve exhausted all of your options, there will still be some people who aren’t keen to help out, because they either don’t get it or don’t think it’s important to them. It also means that while you may be excited about something marketing related or a cool campaign you are planning, you may have to be excited about it on your own or maybe with just 1 or 2 other people. This can mean you feel disconnected from the rest of the company and alone.
However, it’s important to mention that this isn’t the case with every in-house position, and I recommend asking people who have previously worked there; are currently working there; or even ask in your interview about how many marketing people they have hired in the last few years to get an idea of staff turnover in the marketing department.
The Pros of Working as an Agency Marketer
The pros of working as an in-house marketer include:
➔ Training and Development
➔ Career Portfolio
Training and Development
There are a lot of opportunities to train and develop your skills when you work in an agency. In an agency environment, you are literally surrounded by industry experts who are keen to upskill you and share their knowledge. Most agencies also have a decent amount of training budget set aside for each employee (normally £1K annually) that you can use to broaden your skills or specialise in a specific marketing, since it is in their best interest to ensure you’re sharp and up to date, because you are the product they are selling. As well as all this, in an agency it’s a lot easier to focus your training and development into a specialist area and become a specialist in this area fairly quickly.
Career Portfolio
Working in an agency means that not only are you exposed to a lot of different clients across various industries, you also have a lot of opportunity to encounter different problems that different industries/sectors/websites/clients face. Every time I have audited a website or boarded a new client in my career, I can tell you that there is always something new to learn - but more importantly - it has helped validate that my skill set is transferable to any project I work on - which is a USP you can utilise with agency experience.
The Cons of Working as an Agency Marketer
The cons of working as an agency marketer include:
➔ Can Be High Pressure
➔ Budget Barriers
Can Be High Pressure
Agency life is not for everyone - especially if you do not like change or are not adaptable. Sometimes you will get a piece of work that needs to be completed with a short deadline and will have to manoeuvre your schedule around to fit it in. Or, your business development team is on-point and keeps winning clients and you have to help with additional work while they try and recruit someone else with your level of experience.
It’s important that when you work in an agency, that you pay strong attention to your organisational skills, time management, project management and communication skills; as all of these will help you navigate the pressure of agency life. However, working in an agency can be a fun experience and pressure creates diamonds, so that’s also important to remember.
Budget Barriers
Unfortunately, there may be instances where you have loads of ideas and things you want to implement, but not all of them can be done due to the budget or the scope of work that has been paid for. However, it’s important to remember the long game and the impact you can make, even with the budget you have been set and that as you help your client grow - hopefully so will their investment.
The Pros of Working as a Freelance Marketer
The pros of working as freelance marketer include:
➔ You Are Your Own Boss
➔ Choose Who You Work With
You Are Your Own Boss
If you are someone who prefers your independence, you will never have more independence than if you work for yourself. This has many benefits including being able to choose your work hours, salary and more.
Choose Who You Work With
You have little to no say in who you work with as an employee and your supervisor will hire people who he or she believes are the best fit for the company. As a freelancer, you are not obligated to work for clients you despise or deal with a dreadful co-worker. You can create your own rules as a freelancer and work with people and clients who are a good fit for you.
The Cons of Working as a Freelance Marketer
The cons of working as freelance marketer include:
Irregular Income
When you leave a job, you leave behind the security that comes with a steady salary. This is undoubtedly one of the most significant disadvantages of working as a freelancer. Freelancers must always plan ahead and be concerned about the next task. To gain employment, freelancers must always be actively communicating and networking with potential clients, building their personal brands and posting on websites for businesses seeking freelancers.
Lack of Employee Benefits
You will not be compensated if you take a holiday or are forced to take time off for medical reasons. This means that freelancers should keep an emergency fund on hand in case they are unable to work or need to take time off. Other corporate advantages may include pension plans, private healthcare, and other perks that freelancers will not have access to and will need to pay out of pocket for.
The right choice, what’s best for you?
In my biased opinion, I think it depends on your current stage of life and your ultimate goals. Only you can decide what is best for you. If you are looking to upskill quickly and train or be surrounded by people like you, then I recommend working in an agency. If you are looking for more predictability, then I recommend working in-house. If you prefer to be independent and work for yourself, then I recommend becoming a freelancer. The truth is, only you will know what is right for you - but I hope this guide helps with your decision making process.
Kara Thurkettle - ISTN Board Member
