Marketing is a diverse and growing field. Here are 10 career paths you can aspire to if you have foundational skills based on a marketing degree.
Marketing is a diverse and growing field, with a variety of different opportunities to leverage your creative, analytic and problem-solving skills. If you’re interested in business, but looking for a way to employ your creativity, then a career in marketing could be a good fit for you.
Here are 10 jobs you can aspire to if you have foundational skills based on a marketing degree:
1. Marketing assistant
A marketing assistant is an entry-level position designed to expose you to a wide variety of roles and responsibilities on a marketing team. As a marketing assistant, you might be involved in communicating with clients, assisting with project management, or helping develop new campaigns and internal communications. With experience, you can advance to specialized roles in a particular marketing area, such as social media, advertising or analytics.
2. Market research analyst
Market research analysts look at consumer and market trends to help companies create campaigns or new products. These insights can also help a company understand their position in the marketplace, how they are faring against their competitors, and what their customers’ motivations and needs are. Analytical skills are essential for this job.
Employment for market research analysts is projected to grow 23 percent from 2016 to 2026, due to an increased use of data and market research across all industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
3. Advertising sales
Advertising sales professionals work for media companies and agencies that sell ad space to other businesses. For example, if a company wants to run a commercial during primetime television, they have to work with sales representatives to secure and buy a time slot on a specific network. Advertising reps can also help a client determine the right advertising channels to reach their target audience at the right time.
Building and developing relationships with clients is a key part of this job. If you are a people person with strong communication and problem-solving skills, this job could be a good fit for you.
4. Media coordinator or planner
Media planners help businesses decide which advertising channels will be most effective for reaching their target audiences. They often work for a marketing agency and correspond with third-party advertising reps on behalf of their clients. Their job is to develop and implement a media plan that achieves the client’s goals.
For example, a media planner might recommend a social media-driven strategy for a company that wants to sell to millennials. If the company wants to reach an older audience, then traditional channels like print and TV advertising might be appropriate. This position requires advanced data analytics skills, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
5. Public relations specialist
Public relations (PR) specialists, also called communications specialists or media specialists, help raise awareness for the organizations they represent. They can work for a specific company, or for a PR agency that represents multiple companies. As a PR professional, you will craft press releases, respond to information requests from the media, secure earned media coverage for your clients, manage events, develop social media programs, and more. Strong writing skills are especially important for this job.
In the age of social media, public opinion can shift quickly and brands need to be ready to respond to a crisis or take advantage of a trending moment. As a result, employment for PR specialists is expected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to the BLS.
6. Graphic designer
Graphic designers help design the look and feel for a company’s logo, website and marketing collateral, such as brochures and reports. They can also work for a marketing or creative advertising agencies to design campaigns for a variety of different clients.
This job requires creativity and knowledge of graphic design tools and software. If you already have a background in art and design and are familiar with these tools, a marketing degree can help you position yourself for advanced design or leadership roles.
7. Social media specialist
Social media is a key component of any company’s marketing strategy today, and there is a growing demand for individuals to create content for and monitor conversations on a company’s social media channels.
The day-to-day duties of a social media specialist vary widely and you won’t necessarily do the same thing every day. You’ll respond to customer reviews and questions, manage sponsored posts and ads, create engaging organic content and monitor the competition. Due to the real-time demands of responding to consumer comments, this can be a challenging position, but it’s a rewarding one and new enough that demand is still growing.
8. Content marketing specialist
Content specialists strategize, write and edit content for websites, blogs, emails, and more. Many companies have their own content production team in-house, but you can also find content writing roles at advertising and marketing agencies that assist with content management and strategy for their clients. If you are a creative individual with strong writing skills, this could be a good position for you.
9. Jr. Copywriter
A copywriter writes advertising campaigns, including slogans, jingles, emails, and catchphrases designed to break through the clutter and engage a potential buyer or consumer. Copywriters know how to tap into what motivates their audience and drive them to action. You might enjoy this role if you like creative writing and thinking outside the box. With experience, copywriters can advance to leadership roles on a marketing team, overseeing campaign strategy and creative direction.
10. Marketing manager
Marketing managers are involved in strategic planning and management of a marketing campaign or client relationship. This is a higher-level job that requires experience in managing budgets, timelines and teams of people, as well as industry expertise and knowledge. Employment for marketing managers is expected to grow by 10 percent through 2026, adding more than 22,000 new jobs, according to the BLS.
A bachelor’s degree in business or marketing is the first step to pursuing any of these fast-growing and competitive careers. Herzing University’s Bachelor of Science in Marketing program combines real-world business coursework with hands-on marketing exercises and projects to help students develop the creative, strategic and management capabilities needed to succeed in a variety of marketing roles.
