There are few degrees more versatile and in demand than a marketing degree. This degree will take you far, and can lead to careers in business, entrepreneurship, and others. If you are a creative critical thinker, marketing is right for you! But what can you do with a marketing degree? Let’s explore all the possibilities.
What’s In A Marketing Degree?
Marketing is all about the branding, presentation, and promotion of products or services in the hopes that people will buy, interact, and engage with them. There are so many aspects to marketing — from analysis, to design, to advertising, to strategy and promotion — so a marketing degree encompasses many pieces of the puzzle.
Marketing majors study communications, public relations, market research, data analysis, strategy, sales, management, consumer behavior, and more.
Are You Right For Marketing?
Marketing isn’t for everyone. You need to have certain innate skills and characteristics that make you right for marketing. You must be self-motivated, a team player that’s both ready to lead and follow when necessary, and a planner who is also flexible.
To excel in marketing, you need to be well-rounded, with both left-brain and right-brain skills. Commonly needed skills for marketing include creativity, analytical skills, communication, organization, and knowledge of media trends.
Best Jobs For Marketing Majors
1. Marketing Manager
Marketing managers must be good big-picture thinkers, great leaders, and have vast experience in marketing. As a marketing manager, you may be managing others in campaigns, design, strategy, and more.
Product marketing managers are focused on everything start to finish on one specific product, compared to a widespread marketing campaign that a general marketing manager might be in charge of.
Fundraising coordinators or managers work in education or non-profit sectors to help find ways to get donations for an organization or program. They may develop marketing tools or materials for fundraising as well.
Working for companies or in non-profits, event planners must be highly organized and detail-oriented, but also able to see the big picture. Event planning also involves marketing skills such as design, advertising, and promotions.
A marketing assistant, or marketing coordinator, is a great job to start at if you want to get a feel for the field of marketing. Likely, you will be on a team of other marketers who can show you the ropes of how the marketing process works in a company.
Market research analysts collect and analyze data, create reports, and make suggestions to companies on where to spend their marketing money and efforts. They may also help with campaign executions well.
Media planners work on the marketing team and are responsible for helping to coordinate how best to publicize information. They help promote new or updated products and services.
Those who work on PR may help design and execute public relations campaigns for a company. They may also help to be or elect a spokesperson for the company, and respond to public opinion and to crises.
Social media is an essential part of marketing strategies for any company in any industry. Social media managers manage company’s accounts, design and execute on social media advertising, and seek to maximize engagement.
Sales representatives and sales managers work on sales teams of a company to resolve customer complaints, sell products and services, and review records and reports. Sales managers may have teams of sales representatives to lead.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is an important way for companies to get visitors to their website. SEO managers do so by optimizing site copy, code, and links on a website.
If you are interested in making a difference, try working for a nonprofit. Nonprofits and charitable organizations have special considerations when it comes to marketing — with many relying on a well-received digital presence for donations and influence.
A marketing degree can lead to many types of jobs — and not only in marketing. Marketing degree graduates are creative people who can work in a wide variety of sectors, including education, fashion design, product design, environment, tourism, and more!
Growing trends such as virtual reality, mobile use, artificial intelligence, and big data offer new opportunities for those with a knack for marketing. You may find new roles in creative technology design, mobile marketing, AR marketing, and content archives.
Employment Outlook And Careers
Work Experience
In order to get work experience in marketing, start with an internship or a part-time entry-level job while you’re in school. Start to think about what path you want to take, and get the skills you need early on in your career.
Try to make connections during your first positions in the field, and see where they lead.
Typical Employers
All industries need marketing — across nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Marketers are needed in all fields, from technology to medicine, education, government, and more.
What Kind Of Marketing Degrees Are There?
If you are interested in getting a marketing degree, there are several options for you to pursue. Certificates in marketing can be general or specific. For example, you can find digital marketing certificates, SEO certificates, social media marketing certificates, and more.
For full degree programs, you can find associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees in marketing. One popular marketing degree that can get you far is an MBA in Marketing.
University of the People offers a tuition-free MBA program that is fully accredited and fully online. If you are really looking to get ahead in your marketing career, an MBA at UoPeople is a great affordable option for you.
So if you’re asking, “what can you do with a marketing degree?” The answer is…Pretty much anything you want!
At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone. Read More
