Quick backstory: After years in the corporate marketing trenches, I've not only been trained to train, but I've also had to create training materials for my team (and even, bless their hearts, our agency). Yes, I once had to give a marketing and branding 101 to our marketing agency. I'm a giver, what can I say? Especially since I've been on that side of the fence.

Anyway, that's the intro. The real question is: what exactly does a Marketing Officer do? Especially in the corporate wild? And, for that matter, what does any "officer" do, in any job?

The Big Three (and Yes, They Involve Paperwork):

1. Communication & Delegation (aka, Email 101):
• Surprise! You need basic communication skills. Writing, reading, and (if we're lucky) speaking. It's an entry-level gig, but don't let that fool you. It's often a baptism by fire.
• You're basically the external email guru, talking to agencies and other external folks. Internally, you're shuffling tasks and requests. Think: "Please find attached the design/document for your review (first draft)." and "Please approve."
• You tell people what to do (requests) and you tell people who should do it (delegation). Revolutionary, I know.
2. Minutes Taking (aka, The Meeting Scribbler):
• Meetings happen. You write down the important stuff: key points, changes, feedback.
• Then, you put it in a Word doc or email and send it to the relevant people, after showing it to your boss, of course.
3. Making Sheets & Documentation (aka, Paperwork Palooza):
• You don't analyze the data (that's for someone else), but you make the documents. Think reports, spreadsheets, presentations - the lifeblood of corporate existence.

The Officer Hierarchy (A Mini-Guide):

• Officer: The paperwork ninja.
• Executive: The doer. Makes the manager's plans a reality.
• Manager: The planner. Manages the executives.
• Director: The visionary. Directs the whole operation.

A Word of Caution (Based on Personal Trauma):

I'm writing this because my last two officers... well, let's just say they redefined "basic skills." I'm talking "couldn't use a computer" and "struggled with language" (any language) levels of basic. So, if you're applying for an officer role, please, for the love of all that is holy, know how to use a computer and communicate.

This isn't meant to be a formal training document. It's a (hopefully) helpful and slightly sarcastic guide to the officer life. Good luck. You'll need it.

Trust me I’ve wrote this formally too many times that I care to replicate, I know my “corporate” version of this is a training material and a job description in one of my previous companies.