17 thing marketing majors should do in December to help their 2026 job search

The push for AI familiarity remains and will likely continue to be a strong talking point, but, notably, I’m finding it increasingly important for marketers to have certifications and/or experience with specific platforms in this highly competitive market.

If you’re looking for a career in an agency (which I highly recommend for new grads, as it’s a great way to learn early in your career), you should acquire Google certifications. Many of them are free, and if you choose them wisely, you can demonstrate familiarity with paid search, SEO (especially local SEO, which is increasingly relevant to most small agencies), and overall account setups. Even if you’re an internal marketer, these certifications will help you better understand the world’s largest search engine, which your prospective employer most certainly uses.

HubSpot and Salesforce are also very common CRM marketing tools. There’s obviously no guarantee that your employer is using these platforms specifically, but they’re the biggest and most popular tools in that space. Earning certifications from one or both will demonstrate your ability to work with them if that’s what the employer needs, or at least your ability to learn new CRM software, which is a desirable skill.

Finally, some sort of professional certification or affiliation with regard to communication will not only make your resume stand out, but will probably help you become a better communicator. I don’t believe that new grads are bad at communicating — I’ve seen a lot that suggests the contrary — but some employers have that preconception. If you’re applying for a junior or entry-level role and you’re a standout communicator by certification or ability, you’re likely to impress the hiring manager.

Discourse about the job market might make you feel like it’s all doom and gloom. It’s not. I remember very well giving advice to a new grad just a year or so ago that he should apply for a more junior position. He didn’t listen; he got the better job, proved me wrong, and I was absolutely thrilled for him.

Organizations are hiring fresh grads, and they want hungry employees who are eager to learn and excited to collaborate. Demonstrate, through certifications and through your attitude, that you are exactly that, and you’ll be just fine.

Marketing majors have witnessed the explosion of AI during their college years. To them, AI is likely a standard tool. While everyone is talking about AI, most businesses are still experimenting with this technology. This is particularly true of non-enterprise businesses. These companies tend to be conservative. They see the potential benefits of AI but are also cautious because they do not fully understand the risks or implementation processes.

In December, students should practice gauging a business’s perspective on AI. When talking to a potential employer, avoid going too deep into AI discussions. When the topic comes up — and it will — start by asking whether they have a written AI policy, then ask questions to understand the company’s past experience, current level of comfort with AI, and expectations for its use.

Graduates should position themselves as creative thinkers first and AI users second. They can reassure employers that, while AI is important and potentially beneficial for the position and the business, it cannot replace the critical decision-making and creativity they provide.

When students ask me this, I tell them to stop “being a marketing major” and start acting like a junior marketer for three specific companies. Pick a niche you like, then run tiny campaigns for them on your own time. Send a cold email to a founder with a rough landing-page rewrite or a simple ad concept. Attach a Loom walkthrough. That kind of outreach gets replies that generic resumes never receive.

Second step: Turn those experiments into a tight portfolio: one page per experiment. Include the problem, your hypothesis, what you did, what moved, and what did not. That proof of skill matters more than your GPA in most hiring conversations now. 2025 numbers back this shift toward skills-based hiring for marketing roles.

I recruit young marketing professionals year-round for SEO and Digital PR positions in multiple countries. Therefore, I know what really makes recruiters say yes. Marketing majors should commit to running a full-scale campaign for a small business using actual dollars during December. It doesn’t matter if it is limited by budget, focused on a local coffee shop, or built around a student-based product/brand. As long as there are agreed-upon outcomes (such as additional website leads or 300+ new email addresses) and a set spend limit of $150, you will develop the skills needed to make strategic decisions similar to those of a paid marketer in today’s marketplace.

Then you will need to track all your actions. Track before-and-after numbers on traffic, sign-ups, and sales, and take screenshots of analytics and email tool data. Then compile them into a single-page case study that shows the company’s status before you implemented changes, what changes were made, and how the company’s numbers changed by the end of the month. By January 2026, this will likely be your most valuable asset when interviewing for jobs, as you can demonstrate to potential employers that you are not simply talking about school projects. You will also show that a business owner was willing to trust you with their money and that you are able to view targets, trade-offs, and outcomes through an objective lens. A strong December project like this may do more for your job search than additional unpaid internships.

A small project that demonstrates clear thinking and measurable results shows employers far more than a few extra lines on a resume. When I suggest how to improve your chances of getting hired, I recommend picking one company and fixing one element of its online presence — such as weak landing pages or poorly performing articles — and then tracking the resulting increase.

This shows that you take initiative, are curious about digital marketing, and follow through. This type of work eliminates the guesswork for employers, since they can see proof rather than claims. Candidates can enter January with material that has substance and polish and that will appear much more credible than another generic job application.

The most important thing for marketing majors to do in December is to run a data-backed personal content audit. Share 6-8 pieces of polished portfolio content — campaign breakdowns, analytics snapshots, SEO wins, or trend predictions — and use performance tracking from tools like Google Analytics or a social scheduler to prove that your work drives outcomes, not just aesthetics. Start December with a mini thought-leadership sprint to build digital proof before January’s competition spikes, so that when hiring opens in early 2026, your story is already indexed, credible, and momentum-ready. Practice what you preach, and drink your own Kool-Aid!

For marketing majors, December is a time to focus on a marketing niche, because managers do not want generalists; they want early-career specialists who can solve a specific marketing issue from day one. I tell our interns and new hires the same thing I tell my junior team members: your niche is your edge. Whether that’s SEO, paid social, email automation, or analytics, you’ll give yourself a quantifiable jump-start.

For example, someone leaning into SEO can devote December to building a portfolio — optimizing a blog, auditing a site, and conducting keyword research — and back it up with certifications that demonstrate serious commitment. With that clarity alone, you’ll stand out in January interviews.

ALWAYS update your portfolio with real examples of your work, not just school projects. Since hiring begins in January, companies use December as a prep month. Here is what you can do:

1. Pick a few companies you admire and create 2-3 sample marketing campaigns. Then create a professional marketing campaign that includes ad designs, social media posts, and emails.

2. If you have prior work experience, such as internships, include what you accomplished. For example, if you created social media posts that received many likes or significantly helped a local business, include screenshots and other metrics.

3. Use these samples to update your LinkedIn profile if you haven’t already. Make sure the photo you use is professional.

4. Consolidate everything into a simple website or a free portfolio website, such as Google Sites.

In January, hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes. If you showcase real marketing work, rather than just coursework, you will stand out immediately. Spend December building proof that you can do the job; January will become much easier.

December tends to be a busy month for marketing professionals. But can you be more productive in December when it comes to personal branding? There is virtually no competition in this space, and because most people do not start their job search until January, December is a great opportunity to build a strong personal brand. You might be asking yourself why you should build a personal brand in December. Hiring managers and company founders start looking for candidates then. Start scouting early and capitalize on this opportunity.

Here’s the single most impactful action: Build a public portfolio of real marketing work and publish it before January 1st.

Getting a job in marketing does not rely solely on your resume, class projects, or anything like that. A marketing job is yours if you create a visible body of work or projects that prove you can think, create, and execute a marketing strategy.

That means:

• Think of three brands you admire and do a mini case study on how you would grow their audience, improve their marketing messaging, or fix their marketing funnel.

• Publish your analyses on LinkedIn or a personal portfolio site.

• Employers want to see how you think through a strategy and how you execute it.

• Make a marketing post every week in December, and target your posts to marketing professionals and founders.

Most marketing applicants talk about what they know. Very few show what they can do. When a hiring manager comes across a student who demonstrates true strategic thinking, creativity, and execution, that student jumps to the top of the January hiring list.

If you want a great job in early 2026, don’t wait for the job market to open.

The most vital December step for a marketing major is building or refining a portfolio that reflects practical, applied thinking, rather than simply listing classroom experience. In 2026, employers will still prioritize applicants who can demonstrate how they dissect audiences, frame messages that inspire, and make an impact with scarce resources. And December is actually a perfect time to curate this work: everything from academic projects and internships to freelance gigs and even personal brand experiments can be documented and organized into a narrative that says, “I’m ready.” A good portfolio doesn’t have to be a big one; it just has to demonstrate clear thinking and an ability to turn ideas into action.

The underrated benefit of putting a portfolio together in December is that it challenges you to articulate what you’ve learned, how you work, and where you still have room to grow. That confidence carries over into your interviews and makes it easier for you to be yourself when speaking with hiring managers. It also means that, when opportunities arise in January or February, you’re not scrambling to develop your story. You start the year with materials that reduce employer hesitancy to say yes, since your strengths are clear from the outset.