How to be Successful in Your Marketing Career: Advice from Marketing Leaders

Brain Martin interviews marketers who have been very successful in their marketing careers and asks if there is any advice they would give someone who would like to someday get to their position. Here are their suggestions:

John Scalzo, CEO, White Wave Foods
You have to have a passion for marketing and want to make a difference. Bring a great attitude every day. Believing the business will be better at the end of the day because of you is very important. Great marketers have to work well on a team. Enjoying what you do keeps you fresh and keeps you going.

Robert Swaigen, Director of Marketing, Jelly Belly
Approach you job like you're running your own business. Seek out new opportunities to learn. Learn by your mistakes as well as your successes. Really understand the math behind the metrics. Marketing is an art and a science, make sure you develop both the right and left side of the brain. Go on sales calls with your sales team.

Jeri Finard, CMO, Kraft Foods
Stay close to your consumer and always be curious about them. Focus on what will really move the business and make the rest go away. If you're not having fun, do something else.

Chris Nemeth, Vice President of Global Marketing, Coleman
Having great passion for what you are working on will help you get noticed and move up quickly in the organization. Be able to speak effectively in front of people is really valuable to being successful.

Manos Spanos, Product Director Johnson & Johnson
Know where you want to be and plan for it. Take advantage of the opportunities that are given: sometimes you have to jump on a bus even if you don't know exactly where it goes. Work hard. Be open to learning.

Christopher Baldwin, President of US Commercial Group, Hershey
Demonstrate ability to change the company. Show an ability to get things done.

David Verklin, CEO, Carat
Never forget where you came from. Take it one step at a time.

Jay Popli, Senior Marketing Manager, Lunesta
Passion is one of the most important traits. Ability to shift through data. Don't settle for good enough.

Nicole Hayes, Partner and Group Planning Director, Mindshare
Find a good mentor. A strong work ethic is important. Don't be afraid to ask questions, speak out, and try new things.

Peter Klein Officer at Gillete
Find out what is expected of you and get results that you can point to. Be rigorous in having analytical support.

Steve Wallace, Director of Marketing, CV Technologies
Know the consumer. Focus on the benefits. Have fun.

Tom Denford, Director of Communications Planning, JWT
Don't be afraid of being a generalist. Keep on top of the latest research on consumer behavior. Consume as much media as you can. Always ask questions. Find out what people in other disciplines at your company do. What gets measured really gets done.