Careers in Marketing

1. Careers in Marketing Chapter 23

2. Importance of Marketing Careers • Available in all areas of business • Improve the economy • New product advancement • Products would not be distributed • Packaging would not be improved • New, cheaper was would not be established

3. Why Choose a Marketing Career? • Benefits • Many Choices – exist in every industry in every part of the US • Interesting Work – usually not boring, in fact very busy and demanding • Financially Rewarding – some one with an education in marketing will earn lots as they gain experience • Stable Employment – every company, no matter how they are doing will need some sort of person to market their business

4. Career Paths • Most people will change jobs many times during their lifetime • Marketing skills are useful in a number of jobs • Entry-level jobs usually lead to other jobs • Store clerk to dept manager, store manager, regional manager • Survey specialists to product and brand development • Sales associate to VP of sales

5. 23.2 Job Progression in Marketing • Consider a career area first • Accounting, marketing, information management, production, etc • Then choose a career path • Series of related jobs with increasing knowledge and skill requirements and greater responsibilities • Choose a career plan • Identifies the progression of jobs in your career path, your plans for education, training, and experience to meet the requirements for those jobs, and a tentative time schedule

6. Employment Levels • Entry-level – limited authority and responsibility, limited education and experience, lots of these jobs are held by those still in high school (store clerks, office staff, etc) • Career-level – variety of tasks, more responsibility, specific knowledge and skills needed, problem-solving and decision-making, supervise some entry-level employees, view their work as more than a job, 2 or 4 year degree

7. Specialist-level • Perform very specific work that requires knowledge of a particular area, special training and considerable experience • Considered the most skilled and experts in their field • Brand and product managers, advertising account executives, lead sales representatives, marketing research specialists, buyers • Supervisor/Manager level • Start as a supervisor over a few people • Move up to management • Sales manager, inventory manager, customer service manager, marketing information systems

8. Executive/Entrepreneur • Top marketing positions • Vice President of marketing, President of international marketing operations • Usually have worked their way up through the levels and have lots of training, skills, and knowledge in their area

9. Marketing Foundations • Understanding business fundamentals will allow people from across the company to communicate and work effectively together • Business principles – based on economics, accounting, law, technology, and management • Interpersonal skills – working with co-workers, and clients • Skills needed communications, teamwork, human relations, decision-making, problem-solving • Academic Preparation – most require a 4-year degree • Need strong skills in mathematics, writing, public speaking, science, psychology, technology

10. Marketing Functions • Building on the foundations they learn in high school and early in college, people planning on a marketing career usually specialize in one or more of the 7 functions of marketing • Product/Service Management – make sure products are safe and easy to use • Pricing – responsible for the profitability of a product • Distribution – where and to who • Financing – financial planning of the overall marketing plan • Promotion – making consumers aware of the product • Selling – personal and direct communications with customers • Marketing/Information Management – gathering info on customers, and competitors as well as trends in the industries

11. 23.4 Developing a Career Plan • Without a plan you are less likely to achieve your goals, employers will be impressed with an effective career plan • Complete an assessment of your current knowledge, skills, and interests • Study marketing careers in depth to determine the industries and types of marketing jobs available that you would be interested in • Identify the education and experience necessary • List the knowledge and skills you will need to develop • Prepare a written career plan, if it is written you are more likely to follow it, revise it every 2-3 years

12. Obtaining the Job You Want • Preparing a Career Portfolio • Common tool used by artists, models, ad reps, teachers to demonstrate their abilities and past work • Portfolio is a organized collection of information and materials developed to represent yourself, your preparation, and your accomplishments • Select and organize those items that you believe provide the best evidence of your knowledge and skills – reports, projects, tests, art work, websites, etc.

13. Applying for the Job You Want • Identify Jobs that are available in which you meet the criteria • Make a Career Match – try to match jobs to fit within your career plan • Complete application materials • Complete a successful interview • Practice interview questions, send a personal thank you note when finished • Make a Decision