Finding a job in Marketing

I'm looking for some advise on the best way to job hunt for a position in Marketing.

A friend has a BComm and did a Masters in Food Marketing. They have done quite a few interviews with companies in the food intustry for entry level marketing positions but these have lead nowhere. It seems that in many cases companies are just going through the motions of interviewing when a candidate has already been selected for the position.

For example they had an interview last Monday. Company was about 4 hrs drive from home so had to take a day off work. Interview lasted all of 5 minutes. This is utter nonsense and leads me to believe the whole thing was a sham.

How do you weed out rubbish like this so you don't waste a huge amount of time going after opportunities that don't exist?

Is it appropriate to ask that the first interview be done over the phone?

Any advise would be appreciated.

Marketing can be tough to get into to (a good position anyway). Many people in marketing move around a lot and this is normally how positions are filled, when one person hears another is leaving etc. In all the cases I know anyway, which would amount to quite a high number!

Sure does seem to be tough to crack! Not knowing anything about this area myself it seems that a third level qualification is all theory but very little or no practical knowledge.

My daughter has a Masters in Marketing. She worked for several years with a large multinational and tried unsuccessfully on numerous occasions for a position in Marketing. She then asked for a transfer for their HQ in the U.K. about two years ago and is currently moving around in their Marketing Dept. gaining experience in various aspects of marketing. She hopes to be able to return to Ireland in a year or two.

Would this be a feasible option for your friend?

That's what we're trying to persuade him to do. Get some experience in a business environment in some industry and having gained experience to try to make the move into Marketing. At the moment he can't see that this might offer the most practical route into this area.

"Marketing" covers a pretty broad spectrum. Is there a specific stream withing marketing that is of interest? For example, advertising, direct mail, internet/new media, market research... etc.? It would be helpful to nail it down a bit perhaps.