Would I need a degree to work in marketing and advertising?

Hi Tilly-Elizabeth. You will absolutely need a degree, preferably in Marketing, and essentially work experience through summer internships or a placement year. Marketing requires numerical, presentation and creative skills which can all be learnt at a good university with help from live work experience. Also, whether rightly or wrongly, the best employers value higher education. With the sheer amount of students in the UK with a degree in relevant subjects, not having one would go against you, just as lack of experience would.

I really hope this helps you make an informed decision. I know some people will disagree with what I've said, but I've been there and done it - it's the brutal truth. In the current market place, it's common for those without a degree experience the 'glass ceiling' in the best jobs in business. Of course there are the few exceptional employees who we don't here about, but to give yourself the best opportunity at achieving what you want from your career, higher education would be a good decision.

Actually a lot of degrees include the CIM qualification.

If you are up against thousands of people with both of these qualifications surely not being on the same level will not go in your favour? Not saying experience is not important but a lot of grads have BOTH these days through placements in marketing management.

In fact many places require a degree or studying towards one in order to even get your foot in the door. Then again, only from the experience of myself and many others who work for large international corporations

You need the whole package. It would be very naive to expect to have an equal chance as someone who has the whole package, which many do these days.But the I guess it depends what you consider to be marketing. You probably could get a job making leaflets for a local double glazing company without one by why not aim as high as possible to to work somewhere really cool and get paid a lot more for the pleasure!

Okay, it's not impossible to work in marketing without a degree but why not want to give your career the best opportunity and do a degree? It really will open so many more doors. Having been through the process many times and now on the other side of the table interviewing, top companies will very rarely consider employing someone who has no degree and experience over a candidate with a relevant degree and experience. Whether right or wrong, or whether you like it or not - that is what's happening. They can afford to be picky and they are.

This may not have applied to the older generation therefore allowing them to build a wealth of experience from employment and hence qualify for more senior position in Marketing. Sadly this isn't the case in entry-level jobs. In order to build up experience in a good company, sometimes you may even need to be working towards a degree to get your foot in the door!

By all means the best of luck to anyone and belive what you want to believe - just some brutal yet honest advice from the industry that if you want to give yourself the best opportunity, go to a good uni, do a placement year and summer internships, get your CIMs and keep up to date with the industry

Uni + Experience is awesome but you make it sound so easy, like everyone that goes to uni just jumps on a placement with a big firm. A degree does not get you a job, it gets you an interview, I think a lot of people forget that tbh.