You’ve Got the Degree. Now What?

A recruiter’s honest take on why great candidates are getting passed over and what to do differently.

By Nancy Gamble

Every spring, I meet with dozens of recent graduates who are sharp, talented, and genuinely excited about their careers in marketing, design, communications, and PR. And every spring, I watch some of them make the same avoidable mistakes that cost them opportunities they absolutely could have had.

I’m not writing this to be harsh. I’m writing this because I want you to land the job, and because no one else is going to tell you this stuff directly.

Here’s the reality: entry-level marketing roles are limited, and employers expect candidates who can contribute immediately. A degree is not enough. You need proof. Whether you graduated in May, have been searching for a few months, or are still finishing your degree, this is the conversation I wish every candidate would have before their first recruiter call or hiring manager interview.

The Market Is More Competitive Than You Think

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employer hiring of new college graduates has been declining, with communications and liberal arts fields among the most affected. Meanwhile, the number of marketing and communications degree graduates continues to climb.

In Atlanta, one of the Southeast’s largest creative and marketing hubs, that means more candidates competing for a strong but selective pool of roles. The Georgia Department of Labor consistently ranks marketing and advertising among the top growing professional sectors in metro Atlanta, but entry-level openings attract high application volumes.

The technical bar is being met by more people every year. What separates candidates now is professionalism, preparation, and presence. None of those has anything to do with your GPA.

What I See on Recruiter Calls (And What It’s Costing You)

The first impression you make with a recruiter often determines whether you ever meet the hiring company. We are your first filter. The details matter more than you think.

Your camera angle is not a small thing.

If I’m looking up your nose, or your laptop is balanced on your knees, that is what I remember. Position your camera at eye level. It is a two-minute fix that communicates you take this seriously. And please reschedule if you are driving, in a noisy coffee shop, walking, or otherwise in a poor environment for focused conversation.

Lighting tells me how prepared you are.

A dark room, a window behind you that turns you into a silhouette. These are not neutral signals. A well-lit, forward-facing setup tells me you did the basic homework it takes to show up professionally on video. What I see is what I assume my client will see and experience. Treat the recruiter as if they were the hiring manager.

Wet hair and a T-shirt send a message.

Not the one you want. I understand you may be working from home or between classes. But business casual is still the standard for any professional conversation, even virtual ones. Hiring managers notice. Every time.

Reading from a script is the fastest way to lose my attention.

I can always tell. Your eyes drop, your energy drops, and the authenticity disappears. Practice your story out loud until it is genuinely yours. You should be able to answer “Tell me about yourself” in two minutes without glancing at a single note.

5 Moves That Will Actually Get You Hired

I work with a lot of great candidates. The ones who land roles, especially in a market like Atlanta, are not necessarily the ones with the most experience. They are the ones who approach the search with strategy and intention. Here is what that looks like in practice.

Move 1: Run Your Job Search Like a Marketing Campaign.

Define your target and go after it with intention. Identify 20 to 30 companies you genuinely want to work for. Customize your resume and outreach for each one. Track your activity like a pipeline, because it is one. Focus beats volume, every time. Register with and/or connect with qualified 3rd-party recruiting agencies. Firms like ours can help you uncover hidden opportunities and freelance assignments that could lead to work experience and a possible job.

Move 2: Build a Portfolio. No Experience Required.

Employers hire based on demonstrated ability, not potential alone. If you do not have client work, create your own. Develop a mock campaign for a real brand. Audit a company’s marketing presence and write up your recommendations. Launch a small project, a blog, a newsletter, or a social channel. Show your work, even if you built it yourself. That initiative alone separates you from the majority of applicants.

Move 3: Network Like It’s Your Job.

Connections open doors that applications cannot. Reach out to alumni and professionals in roles you want. Request short informational interviews. Most people will give you 20 minutes if you are specific and respectful of their time. Follow up. Stay visible. Research shows that referrals significantly increase interview rates, and up to 85% of jobs are filled through networking. Most candidates only start building their network when they are actively searching. That is too late.

Atlanta has a strong ecosystem of marketing and creative events, including AMA Atlanta (American Marketing Association), IABC (International Association of Business Communicators), AAF Atlanta (American Advertising Federation), agency open houses, portfolio reviews, and industry meetups. Show up. Ask good questions. Become a familiar face before you expect someone to hire you.

Move 4: Learn AI and Marketing Tools Now.

This is no longer a differentiator. It is the new baseline. Employers in 2026 expect immediate productivity gains, including familiarity with tools like ChatGPT, Claude, HubSpot, and Google Analytics. Learn to apply AI to content creation, research, and campaign ideation, and be ready to demonstrate it. If you are waiting until someone asks, you are already behind.

Move 5: Be Flexible. Get Experience First.

Your first role is a stepping stone, not a destination. Consider freelance, contract, or adjacent positions. Look for smaller teams where you will get broader exposure across functions. Prioritize learning over title. Early experience accelerates every opportunity that comes after it, and in a market where proof matters more than credentials, a year of real work is worth more than you think.

The Preparation Problem

Before any recruiter call or hiring manager conversation, you should be able to answer three questions without hesitation:

1. What does this company do, and who are its customers?
2. What have they launched or announced recently?
3. What specifically interests you about their brand or culture?

This is not optional. It is baseline professionalism. And in a market where everyone has a degree, it is one of the fastest ways to stand out or to be forgotten.

A thank-you note after an interview. A follow-up message after a networking event. A LinkedIn connection request with a personal note. These are not formalities. They are data points that hiring managers and recruiters collect, consciously or not, about who you are and how seriously you take your career.

The Bottom Line

To get hired in this market, you need to prove three things: that you can do the work, that you can learn fast, and that you can build relationships. Everything above is in service of those three things.

The degree got you to the starting line. Everything else is up to you.

Show up prepared. Show up professionally. Build the portfolio. Work the network. Learn the tools. And treat every interaction with a recruiter, a hiring manager, or a LinkedIn connection like the opportunity it is.

Because it is.

---