1: Get onto a good graduate training scheme at a blue-chip company fabled for its marketing, such as Procter & Gamble or Unilever.
2: Don't specialise too early. Get as much experience of every marketing function as you can, from written communications to pricing proposals.
3: Build good relationships with your creative and media agencies, as they are marketing's sole responsibility.
4: Befriend the salesforce, try to get them on your side. As a marketer, it's your job to influence the companies they pursue.
5: Be interested in the measurements and metrics of your brand. Showing tangible financial results will prove your work's been effective.
6: Think beyond your marketing function, understand the broader business context. It's vital to know what drives your company's P&L and shareholder value.
7: Be creative, but have a business head too. It's no longer sufficient to work on intuition alone, figures matter.
