Personal Marketing Plan Current Marketing Situation: I am graduating school and entering the workforce. My previous work experience is somewhat limited, mainly to retail work, but I have a solid education from a great school. I have a degree in marketing and this has prepared me for a career in marketing, advertising or possibly sales management. My present job is inadequate for my new education level. I like the people I work with, but the pay and the nature of the tasks are more suitable for someone with less experience and education. I believe that with a better education, I am prepared to take on positions of responsibility and to begin a progressive career path.

SWOT Analysis: I have a lot of different strengths upon which I draw to succeed. I am organized and intelligent, and this allows me to accomplish the things that I need to accomplish, on time and to a high standard. I work hard, and take my responsibilities seriously. This means I do not let people down very often. In addition, I have a creative mind and a good set of communication skills, both written and oral. As such, I have the ability to convey messages -- I understand how to do this with different types of recipients as well, a function of my marketing background. My main weakness at this point is a lack of practical experience. I have not worked extensively in marketing, and as such I am prone to beginner's mistakes. I feel that this is the most significant drawback that I have right now, and the one that is my biggest impediment. There may also be practical skills that I lack -- and I may not even...

I am in a position where I can build my marketing career in any direction I want. This is where my lack of experience works in my favor -- I am not pigeonholed into one or two specific marketing disciplines. I feel that this gives me the freedom to view my opportunities with as much creativity as I would a marketing campaign. I can even expand my horizons geographically in order to find my best role. There are threats, however. Unemployment is high, so I may be competing for jobs with experienced, talented people who are currently in the job market. In addition, any further decline in the economy would hit marketing departments hard. I need to be prepared to address these threats.
Objectives and Issues: My objective is simple -- I want to gain as much experience as possible in the marketing field. I want to find myself in a position with a great company that allows me to experience a number of different types of marketing jobs so that I have a better idea of how I might fit into the workforce. I do not feel that I will do this through my present employer, however; I will need a new company. Five years from now, I would have to have accumulated a body of work experience in a number of fields, know what field I want to pursue, and be well on my into a junior management position. At that point, I may even be considering an MBA to sharpen my career trajectory. I feel I can do right into the executive suite given enough time,…