Marketing is used by every successful business in the world. Marketing can be used to inform people of specific products or services they may be interested in. Most colleges and universities will offer some sort of marketing program to their students. Choosing the right marketing program can be the difference between excelling in your marketing career or being an average Joe the rest of your life.
What to Expect From Your Marketing Program
Marketing is a very broad field and many different things can be done with it. With the increase in technology, marketing has evolved and so have marketing programs across the country. Every marketing program is going to have different aspects associated with it. However, there will be some themes that should remain consist with all top marketing programs.
Business Basics
Every top marketing program should include courses that deal with the basics of business. These courses usually consist of classes that focus on the basic accounting and finance principles. If students understand a little bit of finance and accounting, they will be able to do a lot more with marketing and be more successful in the real world. Once these basic classes are completed, students will be able to dive into the bulk of their marketing classes.
Group Work
College and university professors love group work. Depending on what kind of student you are, you may love it, you may hate it. Regardless of whether you love it or hate it, get used to it! Professors love assigning group work and projects because it is a great way to prepare for future internships and jobs. Marketing in the real world involves a ton of group work. Marketing professionals work with clients all the time to create the best marketing campaigns, so it is valuable to gain this experience while still in school.
Case Studies
What better way to learn material than to look at real world situations? Case studies consist of detailed scenarios about a campaign or a company that has happened in the past. Students will be given different information regarding the case and will most likely be asked to work in groups to solve the problem. The nice thing about working with case studies is you can see how the problem was handled and whether it was the right call or not. Hindsight is always 20/20 – students can learn from the mistakes made in the case studies and apply it to their professional careers post-graduation.
Data
Big data is all the rage right now. Companies are racing to stockpile as much data as possible on their customers. Companies are looking for prospective employees that are comfortable working with data. Any good marketing program will have a course or two that helps students become more comfortable working with data and will teach them different skills and techniques to analyze the data. Many schools have successfully added some sort of data or statistical analysis class to their marketing program curriculum.
Clubs
Many schools will have clubs on campus that students can join. These clubs are usually student run, but may be run with the assistance of faculty members. Clubs are a great way for marketing students to learn more within their field and meet like minded individuals in their field. Some examples of clubs could include a sales club, market research club, or consulting clubs that work on “live” projects for local businesses. Clubs are also a great way to network and meet people in the industry.
Dual Major
It is always a good idea to add another major if possible. Some courses in your marketing program may cross over with other programs like finance, accounting, management, etc. If you have the time management skills to add another major to your marketing major, go ahead! The more background knowledge you can acquire in the business realm, the more successful you will be! Not only will you have more knowledge, employers will look at you more favorably.
Characteristics
A marketing professional needs many characteristics and traits to be successful. Marketing isn’t for everyone. Some people do not like working in group settings or interacting with others. While you can be an introvert and be a successful marketer, someone with a more outgoing personality may be better suited for a marketing profession. Some of the most important characteristics for a marketing professional include:
Creativity
You have to be able to think outside the box. You need to be able to come up with new ways to convince people to buy your product. If you are not creative, your marketing campaign will not stand out from the others and will get lost in the shuffle.
Communication
This is not communication between you and your colleagues, although that will help! Communication in the marketing world is between you and the consumers. You need to be able to reach out and connect with your consumers. You have to be able to identify your target audience and find the best ways to communicate with them.
Team Player
Marketing majors need to be able to work well in teams. Marketing departments tend to work in teams so that they are able to bounce different ideas off of each other. You need to be able to lead a team when necessary but also be able to follow direction if someone else takes the lead.
Trendy
Marketing is always changing. The way companies market their products changes depending on new trends. For example, when Twitter launched in 2006, companies instantly had a new platform to market their products and reach a new audience. You need to be able to adapt to new marketing ideas before it is too late.
Marketing Job Titles
Marketing is huge in the United States. Almost every company will have someone in charge of marketing their products or services. If you have ever been out of the country, you have probably realized that these big U.S. companies still have their names out there in foreign countries. That is marketing in a nutshell.
These big companies have awesome marketing departments that allow them to get their name out there and grow their business. A marketing degree will always be applicable in the United States because companies will always need someone to get their name, products, and services out to the public. Below we have listed some potential jobs in the marketing field.
Market Research Analyst
A market research analyst studies market conditions to look for potential sales. This position involves a lot of research and following industry trends and current events. It will be important for someone to be comfortable working with data in this position.
| Average Pay | $63,120 |
| Education | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Number of Jobs (2018) | 681,900 |
| Job Outlook (2018-2026) | 20% |
| Employment Change (2018-2026) | 139,200 |
Public Relations Specialist
A public relations specialist is in charge of creating and maintaining a good public image for an organization or company. A public relations specialist will develop media releases to shape the public’s perception of the company and to let the public know the goals or achievements of the company.
| Average Pay | $60,000 |
| Education | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Number of Jobs (2018) | 270,000 |
| Job Outlook (2018-2026) | 6% |
| Employment Change (2018-2026) | 17,300 |
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers are in charge of creating programs to produce interest for certain products or services. They may work with artists, film directors, sales agents, and members from the financial branch of the company to create this promotional project. They would meet with artists and film directors to help them express their ideas to the public, sales agents for extra help in promoting the product, and members of the financial branch of the company to create a budget for the promotional project.
| Average Pay | $132,620 |
| Education | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Number of Jobs (2018) | 286,600 |
| Job Outlook (2018-2026) | 8% |
| Employment Change (2018-2026) | 21,800 |
Sales Manager
A sales manager will manage a sales team and guide them in the right direction. A sales manager will set sales goals, analyze data, and be in charge of sales programs within a company to help develop other salesmen. Sales managers often travel a lot in order to meet with important clients and close deals.
| Average Pay | $124,220 |
| Education | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Number of Jobs (2018) | 405,700 |
| Job Outlook (2018-2026) | 5% |
| Employment Change (2018-2026) | 20,600 |
These are just a couple of job opportunities with a marketing degree. As you can see, marketing is a very broad field and even incorporates a sales aspect with it. In order to be successful in marketing, you should be creative, have good communication skills, be trendy, and enjoy working in a team setting.
Marketing will always be relevant in the United States because companies and organizations really value marketing and getting their name, products, and services out to the public.
*statistics from Bureau of Labor Statistics