How do I start my Growth Marketing career from scratch?

Starting a career in growth marketing can feel overwhelming, especially without a formal background.

But the first thing I want you to know is:

• Many Marketers don't have a Marketing background: Over 53% of marketers do not possess any marketing-related academic or professional qualification. Marketing is a diverse field that attracts individuals from various academic backgrounds - such as English, communications, or education - who often leverage transferable skills like writing, research, and analytical thinking to succeed in the industry.

  
  

• Many of those who study Marketing don't go into a Marketing career: Marketing degrees are often viewed as versatile, providing analytical and relationship-building skills that are applicable across many industries. Nearly 6 out of 10 marketing students are not in marketing five years after graduation and some graduates go into Business roles, sales or other marketing-adjacent roles. The industry has become increasingly data-driven and specialized. As AI handles more "grunt work" the barrier to entry for junior roles has risen, often requiring specific technical skills or experience that a degree alone may not provide.

Take my career for example. My degree was in Travel & Tourism and I only had one Marketing class. But I enjoyed it so much that I did my Capstone on Neuromarketing: the application of neuroscience and cognitive science to marketing. Marketing is one of those disciplines that can be used for the wrong purposes - I wanted to dedicate my career to help people by sharing solutions that would make them happier, I wanted to get involved in having a positive impact on people's lives. I wanted to use Marketing for the right purpose.

And I went into Marketing with my degree. No Marketing experience, but a Hospitality company offered me the possibility to prove I could drive revenue, and I took it.

But how does the 53% get into Marketing then?

Successful marketers have built their path by focusing on data-driven experimentation, mastering foundational marketing skills, and gaining hands-on experience.

Whether you want to break into tech, B2B marketing, or B2B SaaS marketing, this guide will walk you through practical steps to launch your career from zero.

Growth marketing is about understanding the full customer journey, running experiments to improve key metrics, and using data to make decisions.

This post will help you build the right skills, create a portfolio, and find opportunities to break into SaaS or tech marketing.

Growth marketing analytics dashboard on laptop screen

Master the Basics

Hands-on experience is the most effective way to master marketing because it shifts your knowledge from abstract theory to actionable execution. By applying strategies like SEO, content creation, and paid ads to real-world projects, you learn how to solve actual problems, quantify results, and adapt to the trial-and-error nature of the field. This practical work is essential for building a portfolio that proves your competence to potential employers.

But the most important skill for a growth marketer is data-driven decision-making.

While growth marketing requires a diverse toolkit - including creativity, strategic planning, and technical proficiency - the ability to rigorously analyze data, design experiments, and objectively act on performance insights is what separates successful growth strategies from mere intuition. Mastering this allows you to prioritize high-impact initiatives, optimize conversion rates, and consistently deliver measurable business growth.

I am naturally analytical, very solutions driven. I always wanted to understand the "why" behind everything, like the one person that likes solving puzzles or mysteries, and I the face of adversity, I tried to have a positive attitude and would always think "how can I solve this?".

A little about how I started:

I didn't know I was developing in Growth Marketing just by having this behaviour which translated into the very basic routine of "where are the clients coming from?" and "how can we get more exposure in those places?". We didn't have analytics back then, so I asked Sales if they could write the Leads in post-its for me - back then prospects would not submit a form on the website, they would call in. And with that information, I advertised us in those sources. That single logical initiative grew revenue so much for that business, that I was offered a full time role and grew my team to 4 in less than 6 months. We were only 4 people when I started - do you know how much revenue I would have driven for the business to have the capacity to invest in doubling and eventually tripling their headcount? They ended up having the biggest short term rental portfolio in the city.

Part of how you start in this field can come with your personality, but the other part is what you do with it. Start with an internship that gives you the opportunity to make the impact that will allow you to impress your next employer.

Getting Certified

But let's say you haven't thought of that and you have taken a different direction and want to pivot. Later in my career and considering I never studied Marketing formally (only PR and Comms in my Masters), when I specialized in Paid Search, I felt the need to get a certification and this can also be helpful if you want a career in a single Marketing channel.

Find free, reputable courses that cover the foundations in depth, hands-on:

• Hubspot Academy offers certifications in inbound marketing, content marketing, and email marketing. Some of the platform features can be used for free as well, making it great to practice at no cost, but you do need to register.

  
  

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4) certification teaches you how to track and analyze website traffic and user behavior. I got this one back in the day.

  
  

• Google Ads certification helps you understand paid advertising basics. I also got this one.

  
  

These certifications not only teach you skills but also boost your resume when applying for entry-level roles. They show employers you are serious about starting your career in tech marketing. However, note that I have evolved in my role and entry-level requirements have evolved too - consider hands-on experience with AI tools such as Make.com or n8n for agents, Zapier, etc. You can partially use them for free and AI tools also give away a small amount of money ($5) for you to test on it - just make sure you don't go over the token limits, otherwise it can be very costly. If you'd like to learn more about how to use practice with AI tools, get in touch.

Build a Portfolio Through Real Projects

I didn't have one back in the day. But I did build a very robust story about my initial experience in Marketing. I wrote down my achievements, my impact on Business KPIs and told my story in a way that my new British audiences understood, having just moved to the UK. And that is how I ended up in Automation... 15 years ago.

But with the reality of today, theory alone may not be enough:

1. The marketing job market is tougher due to economic uncertainty and hiring freezes.

2. The rise of AI is shifting job expectations toward specialized, tech-adjacent skills.

3. Rejection fatigue is normal, and job hunting can impact motivation.

4. Freelancing, community, and self-alignment are powerful ways to stay grounded.

5. You are not alone. There is a path forward - even if it's different than you expected.

   
   

Let's go over path options. You need to demonstrate practical skills by working on projects.

Here are some ideas:

• Create your own website or blog. Write about marketing experiments, SEO techniques, or case studies. If you have read more on my blog, you will know I am a big proponent of multi-use initiatives - building your website can:

  • Build your SEO authority

  • Be used as a Portfolio

  • Build your personal brand

  • Be leveraged as a Marketing tool on Linkedin

  • Help you learn about organic channels

  • Help you get jobs just by exposure if you make it rank (full-time, contract, part-time, temp...) and look professional.

• Manage social media or run small campaigns for a local non-profit or community group. Make sure you write down the achievements that impact Business KPIs - if you don't know how to do this, get in touch.

• Volunteer to help startups or small businesses with digital marketing tasks. Same as above, write down those achievements, frame them correctly and use them in your interviews.

  
  

Each project adds to your portfolio and shows you can apply marketing concepts in real situations. This is especially important when you want to break into B2B marketing or SaaS, where practical experience matters.

Learn to Think Data-Driven

Growth marketing depends on analyzing data to improve results. Develop your analytical skills by learning:

• Deeply understanding the Customer journey and how they transact (Sales). So many marketers have never picked up a customer call, or looked at NPS scoring, or spent time with prospects at events or sold a pair of sneakers at the store. I led UK Performance Marketing for the largest Sports retailer in the World... and once a month I would pick up Customer Service calls or work at the closest store for 1 or 2 hours. Research how many long-term successful CEOs or Founders or large corporations do this, you will be surprised. This is not a nice to have, it's a must have in my eyes.

  
  

• Analytics platforms: from visualization to data manipulation. Understand how to pull and trust the source data to come up with solutions that impact Business KPIs. The a story with it.

  
  

• Excel or Google Sheets. Yes, you will have Analytics available and automation models, but the value that will help you differentiate you from thousands of candidates will not be on how you can play around with an analytics platform - it will come from how you can build insights when those tools are not available. Learn Macros, BVA.

  
  

• SQL to query databases and extract meaningful insights. This wasn't necessary back then but I am seeing it being required more and more. I didn't really look into it until I wanted to build reporting on Google Studio for MasterClass and learnt the basics on SoloLearn which was free back then. I am someone who learns by doing and I preferred it over learning on Youtube or with a AI GPT.

  
  

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) techniques to improve website or campaign performance. As mentioned above, yet another benefit of building your own website with the purpose of making it rank.

  
  

Understand key metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), and Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). But most importantly, understand the challenges on measuring them. These numbers tell you if your marketing efforts are profitable and sustainable.

Study Key Resources and Industry Leaders

Reading foundational books and following experts helps you stay informed and inspired. Granted I didn't read any, I followed a lot of specialist blogs (focus on Paid Search, on Affiliate Marketing, etc). to get my daily dose of training with real challenges and up to date solutions to them.

But some recommended reads include:

• Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis, which explains growth marketing principles and case studies. A B2B SaaS CEO once asked me in the final stage of my interview process if I had read this book. I said no. I still got the offer, but that was a good job market and much of what I read these days I had already done as I had been working in Growth Marketing for over 10 years. But in a market where you have so much competition and you are just getting started, it might benefit you to read what CEOs read. And this one seems to be one of them.

  
  

• Traction by Gabriel Weinberg, focusing on how startups find and grow their customer base.

  
  

I preferred blogs because I have always believed Online Marketing is constantly evolving and I felt I was getting more up to date information than books, but it can help provide you with a good foundation. Some of these resources will feel more valuable that your own Marketing degree... Follow growth marketers on the Social Media channels that are easier for you to digest, including LinkedIn. I particularly like bite-size engaging and relevant content and find Instagram quite useful to learn. Join B2B marketing communities to learn from peers and find job leads - investigate free Slack groups, you will be shocked how much opportunity can be found in Slack.

Notebook with handwritten growth marketing strategy notes

Network and Apply for Entry-Level Roles

I know to many of you starting your career it is very intimidating to talk to people you don't know. Much of our lives we have been told to not speak to strangers, right? But once you start looking for your first job after college, you need to network like it is a degree on its own. I didn't do it for many reasons (cultural, education, location, etc.) and I regret it. Don't feel intimidated, CMOs are just like you, they have interests, they want to learn, they were once in your shoes. You will find that if you are relevant to them, people will be more open to chat than you think - it will shock you how open people are to networking in the US.

The hardest part of it all is relevance and the "how to" approach your target audience. If you'd like to learn how to improve engagement with who you'd like to have an intro call with, reach out.

Networking is key to breaking into tech marketing in the US. Key. Join online groups, attend webinars, and participate in forums related to B2B SaaS marketing or tech marketing. Platforms like LinkedIn and specialized Slack communities are great places to connect. And something that is not talked about enough is cold outreach. Which, if done effectively, can be a brilliant way of expanding your network with Executives - but also build meaningful relationships that will be with you the rest of your life.

Look for internships, apprenticeships, or junior marketing roles. Even if the job title isn’t “growth marketer,” once you have put your career path together (if you haven't, that is always the first step), consider roles in content marketing, SEO, or paid ads can be stepping stones. I started in automation, but my stepping stone was Paid Search.

Focus on a Niche to Stand Out

Finding a niche or a "lane" is very difficult at the start of your career. Many of us didn't fully know what we wanted to do when we chose the college degrees we pursued. This is why the career path exercise is so important. It forces you to decide a general direction.

But I didn't have it when I started either, so what I did instead is look for internships that would enable me to:

1. Have exposure to multiple departments

2. Have exposure to multiple disciplines within Marketing

That would help me choose my initial niche, Travel, which is an extremely complex industry from a Marketing perspective (dynamic pricing, personalization, brutal amounts of SKUs, etc). This led me to the automation agency, where I led accounts with the largest Travel and Retail clients, and eventually decided to in the Retail direction, specializing in Paid Search at first. The career path exercise is not a set it and forget it document, it helps you visualize where you want to go and define how you can get there. But it's a live document that you can edit as many times as you like throughout your career.

Specializing in a niche like B2B SaaS marketing or a specific industry helps you tailor your skills and applications. Employers prefer candidates who understand their market and product.

Learn about the product, user personas, and buyer journey in your chosen niche. Define the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and map the marketing funnel from awareness to conversion.

Master Key Metrics and Marketing Channels

Let's talk about KPIs. In Marketing, we are taught to care about traffic, CTR, CPA, etc. at the start of our careers. We are so engrained in our own Marketing channel world, in our Marketing world, that we forget the part we play in the Business.

As a Human Resource, we are not hired to increase CTR by 2%. We are hired to drive Revenue, to reduce Cost or to increase ROI. That's it. If you can't tie your Performance to these metrics, you will struggle progressing in your career, especially in Marketing where we aren't always seen as a Revenue generating function.

Focus on metrics that impact business growth tied to Revenue, Cost and ROI:

• Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

• Productivity or eNPS

  
  

Think about how you can get to that final step in your career path, 20 years from now, 40 years from now. Think of it like the Business Plan of your career. If you build plans for the companies you work for, why aren't you building it for your career? In some cases you can start with one or two marketing channels to master, such as SEO, paid search, email marketing, or LinkedIn outreach. In some cases, you can start on agency side which can help you understand multiple channels at once for multiple industries. In some cases you can start your own Business and set up small experiments and A/B tests on these channels to sharpen your skills for bigger corporate roles.

But you will also need to learn the initiatives and metrics typically used in Tech B2B SaaS:

• Practice creating valuable content such as interactive tools, detailed guides or even webinars.

• Intent data helps identify companies actively searching for solutions like yours. Use this data to prioritize leads and tailor your outreach.

• These assets attract and educate potential customers, moving them through the funnel.

• Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) are stages in the lead funnel. Define clear criteria for each to improve lead quality and handoff between marketing and sales.

• Use lead scoring models based on engagement, company size, and behavior to prioritize follow-up.

  
  

Build a T-Shaped Skill Set

A T-shaped marketer has broad knowledge across many areas and deep expertise in one or two. For example, you might know basics of SEO, content, and paid ads but specialize in data analysis or CRO.

This approach makes you versatile and valuable to employers, especially when breaking into SaaS or B2B marketing. Like we said earlier: find your niche. And as you evolve in your career, your niche might change from SEO to Owned Media, and from Owned Media to Media and Commercial, and from there to multi-business model specialist.

Always have a niche where you find little competition.

Learn About Product-Led Growth and Account-Based Marketing

Product-Led Growth (PLG) focuses on using the product itself to drive customer acquisition and retention. Understanding PLG is crucial for many SaaS companies.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) targets specific companies with personalized campaigns. It’s common in B2B marketing and requires skills in lead scoring, intent data, and tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator. ABM may focus on SMBs, Mid-market or Enterprise depending on the growth stage the company is in and it evolved over time.

Experience in these different models can be your niche and help you differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Final thoughts on how to start your Growth Marketing career

Starting your growth marketing career requires a mix of learning, doing, and connecting. Focus on building foundational skills, gaining practical experience, and understanding the metrics that matter. By targeting a niche and mastering key channels, you can break into tech marketing and build a strong start to your career. And if you need an expert that you can use a sounding board throughout, your know where to find me.