Almost a third of all Americans are employed
in marketing-related positions. Thus, the number
of possible marketing careers is enormous.
Because of the knowledge of products and
consumers gained in these jobs, marketing
provides excellent training for the highest
levels in the organization. A recent study by a
recruiting firm found that more top executives
have come out of marketing than of any other
area.
Marketing salaries vary by company and position.
Beginning salaries usually rank only slightly
below those for engineering and chemistry, but
are equal to or exceed those for economics, finance,
accounting, general business, and the liberal
arts. If you succeed in an entry-level marketing
position, you will quickly be promoted to higher
levels of responsibility and salary.
Marketing has become an attractive career for
some people who have not traditionally
considered this field. One trend is the growing
number of women entering marketing. Women have
historically been employed in the retailing and
advertising areas of marketing. But they now
have moved into all types of sales and marketing
positions. Women now pursue successful sales
careers in pharmaceutical companies, publishing
companies, banks, consumer products companies,
and in an increasing number of industrial
selling jobs. Their ranks are also growing in
product and brand manager positions.
Another trend is the growing acceptance of
marketing by nonprofit organizations. Colleges,
arts organizations, libraries, and hospitals are
increasingly applying marketing to their
programs. They are beginning to hire marketing
directors and marketing vice-presidents to
manage their varied marketing activities.
Advertising is an important business activity
that requires skill in planning, fact gathering,
and creativity. Although compensation for
starting advertising people tends to be lower
than that in other marketing fields,
opportunities for advancement are usually
greater because of less emphasis on age or
length of employment. Typical jobs in
advertising agencies include the following
positions.
Copywriters
help find the concepts behind the written words
and visual images of advertisements. They dig
for facts, read avidly, and borrow ideas. They
talk to customers, suppliers, and anybody who
might give them clues about how to attract the
target audience’s attention and interest.
Art directors
constitute the other part of the creative
team. They translate copywriters’ ideas into
dramatic visuals called “layouts.” Agency
artists develop print layouts, package designs,
television layouts (called “storyboards”),
corporate logotypes, trademarks, and symbols.
They specify style and size of typography, and
arrange all the details of the ad so that it can
be reproduced by engravers and printers. A
superior art director or copy chief becomes the
agency’s creative director and oversees all its
advertising.
Account executives
are liaisons between clients and
agencies. They must know a great deal about
marketing and its various components. They
explain client plans and objectives to agency
creative teams and supervise the development of
the total advertising plan. Their main task is
to keep the client happy with the agency.
Because “account work” involves many personal
relationships, account executives are usually
personable, diplomatic, and sincere.
Media buyers
select the best media for clients. Media
representatives come to three buyer’s office
armed with statistics to prove that their
numbers are better, their costs per thousand are
less, and their medium delivers more audience
than competitive media. Media buyers have to
evaluate these claims. They must also bargain
with the broadcast media for best rates and make
deals with the print media for good ad
positions.
Large ad agencies have active marketing research
departments that provide market information
needed to develop new ad campaigns and assess
current campaigns. People interested in
marketing research should consider jobs with ad
agencies.
Brand and product managers plan, direct, and
control business and marketing efforts for their
products. They are concerned with research and
development, packaging, manufacturing, sales and
distribution, advertising, promotion, market
research, and business analysis and forecasting.
In consumer goods companies, the newcomer--who
usually needs a Masters of Business
Administration degree (MBA)--joins a brand team
and learns the ropes by doing numerical analysis
and watching senior brand people. This person
eventually heads the team and latter moves on to
manage a larger brand. Many industrial goods
companies also have product managers. Product
management is one of the best training grounds
for future corporate officers.
People interested in industrial marketing
careers can go into sales, service, product
design, marketing research, or one of several
other positions. They sometimes need a technical
background. Most people start in sales and spend
time in training and making calls with senior
salespeople. If they stay in sales, they may
advance to district, regional , and higher sales
positions. Or they may go into product
management and work closely with customers,
suppliers, manufacturing, and sales engineering.
As
US firms increase their international business,
they need people who are familiar with foreign
languages and cultures and who are willing to
travel o or relocate in foreign cities. For such
assignments, most companies seek experienced
people who have proved themselves in domestic
operations.
Supply chain management and logistics is
responsible for managing the supply chain or
“pipeline” that plans and coordinates the
delivery of products and services to customers
all over the world. Logistics professionals
manage and coordinate activities in this global
pipeline to ensure an effective and efficient
flow of materials and information from the time
a need arises until it is satisfied and beyond.
Some of the many activities involved in supply
chain management and logistics careers include:
• Logistics planning and analysis
• Transportation management
• Warehouse operations management
• Inventory planning and control
• Purchasing and materials management
• Information systems and control
• Logistics services marketing and sales
For more information on supply chain management
and logistics career trends, including salary
ranges and typical entry level positions for
college graduates in the field, go to
Marketing researchers interact with managers to
define problems and identify the information
needed to resolve them. They design research
projects, prepare questionnaires and samples,
analyze data, prepare reports, and present their
findings and recommendations to management. They
must understand statistics, consumer behavior,
psychology, and sociology. A master’s degree
helps. Career opportunities exist with
manufacturers, retailers, some wholesalers,
trade and industry associations, marketing
research firms, advertising agencies, and
governmental and private nonprofit agencies.
People interested in new-product planning can
find opportunities in many types of
organizations. they usually need a good
background n marketing, marketing research, and
sales forecasting; they need organizational
skills to motivate and coordinate others; and
they may need a technical background. Usually,
these people work first in other marketing
positions before joining the new-product
department.
Marketing logistics, or physical distribution,
is a large and dynamic field, with many career
opportunities. Major transportation carriers,
manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers all
employ physical distribution specialists.
Courseware in quantitative methods, finance,
accounting, and marketing will provide students
with the necessary skills for entering the
field.
Most
organizations have a public relations person or
staff to anticipate public problems, handle
complaints, deal with media, and build the
corporate image. People interested in public
relations should be able to speak and write
clearly and persuasively, and they should have a
background in journalism, communications, or the
liberal arts. The challenges in this job are
highly varied and very people-oriented.
Purchasing agents are playing a growing role in
firms’ profitability during periods of rising
costs, materials shortages, and increasing
product complexity. In retail organizations,
working as a “buyer” can be a good route to the
top. Purchasing agents in industrial companies
play a key role in honing down costs. A
technical background is useful in some
purchasing positions, along with a knowledge of
credit, finance, and physical distribution.
Retailing provides people with an early
opportunity to take on marketing
responsibilities. Although retail starting
salaries and job assignments have typically been
lower than those in manufacturing or
advertising, the gap is narrowing. The major
routes to top management in retailing are
merchandise management and store management. In
merchandise management, a person moves from
buyer trainee to assistant buyer to buyer to
merchandise division manager. In store
management, the person moves from management
trainee to assistant department (sales) manager
to department manager to store (branch) manager.
Buyers are primarily concerned with merchandise
selection and promotion; department managers are
concerned with sales force management and
display.
Sales and sales management opportunities exist
in a wide range of profit and non-profit
organizations and in product and service
organizations, including financial, insurance,
consulting, and government organizations.
Individuals must carefully match their
backgrounds, interests, technical skills, and
academic training with available sales jobs.
Career paths lead from salesperson to district,
regional, and higher levels of sales management
and, in many cases, the top management of a
firm.
