The most exciting aspect of
marketing may be the possibility of creating your own job: you can "find a need and fill
it." By filling an unmet need, you
can prosper as an entrepreneur/marketer - this may be as simple as giving
massages in malls to weary shoppers or as complex as creating new software for
helping companies to invest. As long as
there are individuals or groups with needs, there will be a need for new
marketers.
There are many interesting and
challenging jobs for those with marketing training. In fact, because the economy has been good for a number of years,
there are more entry-level job opportunities than there have been in many
years. You may not know it, but 60
percent of graduating college students take their initial job in a sales,
marketing, or customer service position regardless of their stated major. So, you will have a head start because you
have been studying marketing, and companies are always looking for people who
already have skills in place. The sky
is the limit for those who enter the sales and marketing profession prepared
for the future!
Of the many career paths chosen by
business graduates, marketing is the single largest employment category in the
U.S. labor force, and job growth in the field is expected to accelerate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
estimates that the number of jobs in marketing, advertising, and public
relations management will grow much faster through 2008 than the average for
all occupations (Please see Table 2 below). Every successful organization - profit-seeking or not-for-profit
- recognizes the necessity of effective marketing for accomplishing its goals
of providing customer satisfaction by hiring highly motivated, professionally
educated marketing specialists to design and implement these customer-driven
programs.
Table 2
Employment Projections for Selected
Marketing Positions through 2008
|
Occupation
|
Recent Employment
|
Projected Growth Through 2008
|
|
Marketing, advertising, and public
relations managers
|
122,000
|
24.6
|
|
Purchasing agents and
managers
|
176,000
|
7.1
|
|
Real-estate agents, brokers,
and appraisers
|
285,000
|
9.0
|
|
Sales Workers:
|
|
|
|
Insurance
|
387,000
|
2.2
|
|
Retail
|
4,056,000
|
13.9
|
|
Securities and financial ser-
vices sales representatives
|
303,000
|
41.0
|
|
Service sales representatives
|
612,000
|
35.0
|
|
Wholesale and retail buyers
|
118,000
|
-0.4
|
Source: In Boone & Kurtz (2002), data downloaded from Bureau of Labor
Statistics at www.bls.gov/asp/oep,
January 14, 2000.
Starting salaries in marketing
compare favorably with many other fields. They are lower
than those in such fields as computer science and electrical engineering where
college graduates are currently in demand.
But, marketing jobs open to college-level students do pay well! At the time this went to press, marketing
undergraduates were being offered starting salaries around $30,000 - with a
range from about $18,000 to $40,000 a year.
Students with a Masters in Marketing averaged about $45,000; those with
an MBA averaged about $55,000. Starting
salaries can vary considerably - depending on your background, experience, and
location. The American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries ranks the median
income of marketers number 10 in a list of 125 professions.
There is even better opportunity for
personal growth, variety, and income in many marketing positions. Nationwide,
average top sales and marketing executive salaries increased 61 percent between
1997 and 2000. Since salaries are at
optimum levels, job applicants frequently focus on additional benefits such as
the opportunity for professional growth and family-friendly organizations
that offer high quality of life.
While compensation is always an issue, employees want to feel recognized
for their achievements, be assigned new responsibilities, and work
in continuous-learning environments.
In addition, many companies recognize the importance of loyalty
and now offer employees an equity stake in the company.
How far and fast your career and
income rise above the starting level, however, depends on many factors -
including your willingness to work, how well you get along with people, and
your individual abilities. But most of
all, it depends on getting results - individually
and through other people. And this
is where many marketing jobs offer the newcomer great opportunities. It is possible to show initiative, ability,
creativity, and judgment in marketing jobs.
And some young people move up very rapidly in marketing. Some even end up at the top in large
companies - or as owners of their own businesses.
Because marketing is so vital to a
firm’s survival, many companies look for people with training and experience in
marketing when filling key executive positions. In general, chief executive officers for the nation’s largest
corporations are more likely to have backgrounds in marketing and distribution
than in other fields such as production, finance, and engineering. In terms of
upward mobility, more CEOs have come from the sales and marketing side than all
other fields combined. Marketing
supplies about 50 percent of the people who achieve senior management ranks.
A recent survey by executive
recruiter Korn/Ferry International revealed that the best route to the top
of the corporate ladder begins in a company’s marketing division: Three of every eight CEOs are chosen from a
company’s marketing division because the growing global economy demands proven
market leaders in winning the fight to increase their firms’ worldwide market
shares. Finance, which had long
dominated as the top career path for senior executives, fell to third place,
and executives who had completed international assignments – many of the assignments
being marketing related – came in second.
An encouraging trend in marketing
job choices is the increased diversity of the job market (Please see Table 3 below). Ethnic minorities and women of all races
have increased their presence and will continue to do so. While the battle of equality is not over
yet, there has been progress for women, African-Americans, and Hispanic
Americans. According to the Small
Business Administration, women are starting small firms at twice the rate of
males. Women-owned businesses in the
United States employ more people than all of the Fortune 500 companies
combined. However, employment of
African-Americans and Hispanics in marketing is not proportionate with their
shares of the total population.
Table 3
Female and Minority Employment in
Selected Marketing Occupations
|
Percentage of Total Employees
|
|
Occupation
|
Female
|
African-American
|
Hispanic
|
|
Purchasing
Managers
|
40.9%
|
6.4%
|
4.6%
|
|
Marketing, adver-
tising, public
relations
managers
|
34.6
|
3.7
|
4.8
|
|
Sales occupations
|
50.2
|
8.1
|
7.6
|
|
Supervisors
/proprietors
|
38.4
|
4.8
|
6.8
|
|
Sales
representatives:
|
|
|
|
|
Advertising sales
|
56.6
|
10.0
|
4.2
|
|
Insurance sales
|
42.8
|
7.7
|
4.7
|
|
Real estate sales
|
50.0
|
4.6
|
5.1
|
|
Retail/personal
Services
|
65.7
|
11.9
|
10.0
|
|
Securities/financial
Services
|
44.0
|
6.9
|
4.5
|
Source: In Boone & Kurtz (2002), from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical
Abstract of the United States, 118 edition (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999),
405-406.
Marketing is where the action is!
In the final analysis, a firm’s success or failure depends on the
effectiveness of its marketing program.
This does not mean the other functional areas are not important. It merely reflects the fact that a firm will
not have much need for accountants, finance people, production managers, and so
on if it cannot successfully meet customers’ needs and sell its products.
You may choose a career in marketing.
Marketing-related occupations account for 25 to 30 percent of the jobs
in the typical highly industrialized nations.
History has shown that the demand for effective marketers is not
affected by cyclical economic fluctuations.
To help you in finding
your right job or career, the following topics are provided:
1.
How to Choose a Career
2.
How to Succeed in
Marketing
3.
Where Are Marketing
Career Opportunities and Jobs?
4.
A Description of
Marketing Positions
5.
Additional Sources of
Career Information
How to Choose a Career
One of the most significant
decisions you will ever make is choosing a career. This career decision will influence your future happiness,
self-fulfillment, and well-being. Yet,
unfortunately, career decisions often seem to be based on insufficient
information, analysis, and evaluation of alternatives.
Early in the career-decision
process, everyone should spend some time in introspection. Introspection is the process of looking into
yourself and honestly assessing what you want and what you have to offer. Let us look briefly at what this involves.
What Do You Want?
Perhaps this question would be better worded as, “What is important
to me in my life?” or “What do I like?” To answer these broad questions, you must answer several more
specific ones, such as the following:
▪
Do you want your career
to be the main event in your life? Or
do you see a career only as the means of financing leisure-time activities?
▪
How important are money
and other financial rewards?
▪
How important are the
social surroundings, climate, and other aspects of the environment in which you
live?
▪
Would you prefer to
work for a large company or a small organization?
▪
Would you prefer living
and working in a small town or in an urban area?
▪
Are you willing to relocate
to another part of the country? How
often would you be willing to move?
▪
How important is the
social prestige of your career?
▪
Do you prefer work that
is evenly paced or occasionally hectic?
How do you deal with the pressure of deadlines?
▪
Do you need tangible
signs of results on a job to feel fulfilled?
▪
Do you prefer to work
alone or as part of a team?
Another way to approach the question
of what you want from a career is to identify - in writing - your goals in
life. List both your
intermediate-term goals (3 to 5 years from now) and your long-term goals (10
years or more). By the way, writing
down your goals is correlated more highly with obtaining these goals compared
to not writing them down.
Still another approach is to simply
describe your self in some detail. By
writing a description of your personality, likes and dislikes, and hopes and
fears, you may be able to identify various careers that would (or would not)
fit your self-image. Also, remember
that your professors and the Career Planning and Placement Center (with its
extensive career oriented web site) are available to help you with this
self-identification process.
What Can You Offer?
Next, you need to identify in some detail your strong and weak points. Why would anyone want to hire you? What skills have you developed? What experience - work, education,
volunteer, extracurricular activities - do you have that might be attractive to
prospective employers?
An important consideration is your
work experience. Employers are less
concerned with where you have worked than they are with the initiative you
demonstrate in finding a job and your performance on the job. To gain some
exposure to what goes on in business, consider a job with a temporary help
agency. Manpower Inc., for example,
employs 100,000 people in the summer.
Another option is an internship.
Many students make an extra effort to find an internship in the summer
before their last year of college.
Firms often use these positions to groom future employees. For example, Burlington Industries assigns
mentors to all its interns, and each is given two formal evaluations during the
summer. Also, Internships with
America’s Top Companies (Winston-Salem, N.C.: Career Education Institutes, 2001) can be used to help you get an
internship with a national company.
Since the attributes sought by
business are not acquired overnight, you should start developing them early in
your college program. However, keep in
mind that prospective employers are much more interested in what a person accomplished in various roles than
how many different titles he or she had.
So be selective, and do a few things well. And, remember to ask for those reference letters.
How to Succeed in Marketing
Each type of marketing job requires
a particular set of professional skills, but those outlined here are important
in all areas of marketing.
A few years ago, the U.S. Secretary
of Labor appointed a commission, the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary
Skills (SCANS), to identify the skills that students need to succeed in the
marketplace of the 21st century. The
commission named five types of skills - the ability to (1) allocate time,
money, and resources (resource skills); (2) work on teams and serve customers
(interpersonal skills); (3) acquire and evaluate information
and use computers to process information (information
skills); (4) understand social, organizational, and technological
systems and improve on such systems (systems
skills); and (5) apply technology to specific tasks (technology skills). Beyond these basic skills, job seekers in
the marketing field also need motivation skills. The following sections expand on several of these key skills.
Interpersonal and Communication
Skills
Being able to interact effectively
with people is
perhaps the most important marketing skill - not simply interacting with
customers but being able to work with peers on a team or knowing how to
supervise other employees. Marketers
must be able to present their thoughts and ideas clearly, both in oral
presentations and in written reports.
They also need to listen closely to customers so they can identify
wants, needs, and expectations.
Building long-term relationships
with customers and other stakeholders is one of the most important aspects of marketing. Therefore, interpersonal skills must be
combined with the ability to respond quickly to customers' suggestions, wants,
and complaints, especially in service recovery. Learning to say "I apologize for the mistake and will make
it right" is often as important to marketing as any other skill. Customers may be more loyal to a firm that
has made a mistake and then gone out of its way to correct it than to a firm
that has not had to prove itself in that way.
Information, Problem-Solving, and
Technology Skills
A marketer must be able to use
technology to find information and apply that information in the
decision-making process. Today,
this means being familiar with surfing the Internet, using e-mail, and
conducting information searches by computer, including database research. Beyond simple information gathering is the
pursuit of learning - the successful marketer must acquire both general and
job-related knowledge in order to guide future decisions. Finally, the marketer must be a flexible
thinker. Two quite similar problems
will probably require different solutions, as the different dynamics
surrounding each problem affect the solution choices. Marketers must be able to recognize these differences and come up
with creative ideas to address the unique factors in each marketing situation.
Motivation Skills
Two types of motivation are required
in marketing. From the outset, a
marketer must be highly self-motivated, taking the initiative in a project
and following it through until completion.
As the marketer begins to take on a leadership role, often within a
cross-functional team, the ability to motivate others becomes
essential. In another light, the
marketer must “sell” his or her ideas.
Sixteen Traits Recruiters Seek In
Job Prospects
1. Ability to communication.
Do you have the ability to organize your thoughts and ideas
effectively? Can you express them
clearly when speaking or writing? Can you
present your ideas to others in a persuasive way?
2. Intelligence.
Do you have the ability to understand the job assignment? Learn the details of operation? Contribute original ideas to your work?
3. Self-confidence.
Do you demonstrate a sense of maturity that enables you to deal
positively and effectively with situations and people?
4. Willingness to accept
responsibility. Are you someone who recognizes what needs to
be done and is willing to do it?
5. Initiative.
Do you have the ability to identify
the purpose for work and to take action?
6. Leadership.
Can you guide and direct others to obtain the recognized objectives?
7. Energy level.
Do you demonstrate a forcefulness and capacity to make things move ahead? Can you maintain your work effort at an
above-average rate?
8. Imagination. Can you confront and deal with problems that may not have standard
solutions?
9. Flexibility.
Are you capable of changing and being receptive to new situations and ideas?
10. Interpersonal skills.
Can you bring out the best efforts of individuals so they become
effective, enthusiastic members of a team?
11. Self-knowledge. Can you realistically assess your
own capabilities? See yourself as
others see you? Clearly recognize your
strengths and weaknesses?
12. Ability to handle conflict.
Can you successfully contend with stressful situations and antagonism?
13. Competitiveness.
Do you have the capacity to compete with others and the willingness to
be measured by your performance in relation to that of others?
14. Goal achievement.
Do you have the ability to identify and work toward specific goals? Do such goals challenge your abilities?
15. Vocational skills.
Do you possess the positive combination of education and skills required
for the position you are seeking?
16. Direction. Have you
defined your basic personal needs? Have
you determined what type of position will satisfy your knowledge, skills, and
goals?
Where Are Marketing Career Opportunities and Jobs?
There are tremendous opportunities
available in marketing!! Please see Table 1 above for a
flowchart of various jobs and opportunities in marketing.
In this section a description is
provided of the major types of companies and organizations that provide jobs in
marketing. For example, Table 4 below
shows selected employers of marketing personnel.
Table 4
Selected Employers of Marketing Personnel
|
Advertising agencies
Agents and brokers
Agricultural firms
Broadcast & cable industries
Common carriers
Computer & technology firms
Computer service bureaus
Consulting firms
Credit bureaus
Delivery firms
Direct marketing businesses
Educational institutions
Entertainment firms
Environmental protection
Exporting companies
Financial institutions
Food processing industries
Franchisees
Franchisers
Fund-raising organizations
Global firms
Government
Health-care firms
|
Industrial firms
Internet
firms
Manufacturers
Marketing research firms
Marketing specialists
Media
Multinational firms
Not-for-profit institutions
Product-testing laboratories
Public relations firms
Raw material extractors
Real-estate firms
Recreation & travel industries
Retailers
Self-employed
Service firms
Shopping centers
Sports teams
Telecommunications firms
Transportation firms
Warehousing firms
Wholesalers
Wireless Industries
|
This section also includes comments
on jobs in service marketing, global marketing, not-for-profit marketing,
entrepreneurship, starting your own business, and Internet marketing. In addition, a comparison of job
opportunities in large versus small organizations is provided.
Types of Organizations
Literally millions of organizations
provide jobs and career opportunities in marketing. These organizations can be grouped into the following categories:
Manufacturing:
Most manufacturing firms provide career opportunities in many of the
marketing positions discussed in the following section entitled “A Description
of Marketing Positions.” In their
promotional mix, some manufacturers stress personal selling while others rely
more on advertising. Even small
companies offer job opportunities in most of the marketing position categories.
Because most manufacturers make
products that are used by other businesses, their names are not familiar to the
general public. Unfortunately many
college graduates overlook some of these potentially excellent employers just
because they do not recognize their corporate names. Starting salaries are often higher in manufacturing firms than in
retailing and the other organizations described next.
Retailing:
Retailing firms provide more marketing jobs by far than does any other
organizational category, but most of these jobs are not intended for college
graduates. Careers in retailing are not
well understood by college students, who may equate retailing with clerking in
a department store or filling shelves in a supermarket. Students often perceive that retail pay is
low and that retail work hours include a lot of evenings and weekends.
Actually a career in retailing
offers many attractive features for college graduates. There are opportunities for very rapid advancement
for those who display real ability.
Performance results, such as sales and profits, are quickly and highly
visible. If you can produce, management
will generally note this fact in a hurry.
While the starting pay in many (but
not all) stores is lower than in manufacturing, the compensation in
higher-level retailing jobs typically is excellent. There are good retailing jobs in virtually every geographic
area. Also, large retail chains (such
as the May Company and Wal-Mart) generally have excellent management training
programs for newly hired college graduates.
Perhaps the main attractions in
retailing are less tangible. Retailing
can be an exciting field. You are
constantly involved with people - customers, suppliers, and other workers. And there are challenges in merchandise
buying, especially finding out what will sell well - what customers really
want.
It is easier to start a career in
retailing than in many other fields. In
large stores there are jobs involving personnel management, accounting
controls, and store operations (receiving, credit, and customer service departments). However, the lifeblood of retailing is the
buying and selling of merchandise or services.
Thus, the more numerous and better-paying positions are in merchandising
and store management.
Wholesaling:
Career opportunities in wholesaling generally are less well understood
and appreciated than those in retailing or manufacturing. Wholesaling firms typically do not recruit
on college campuses, and they generally have a low profile among students.
Yet opportunities are there. Wholesalers of consumer products and
industrial distributors provide many jobs in buying, personal selling,
marketing research, and physical distribution.
Manufacturers’ agents, brokers, and the other agent middlemen also offer
jobs and careers. Wholesaling intermediaries
are increasing in numbers and in sales volume, and their future is promising.
Entry-level jobs with merchant
wholesalers typically fall into one of two categories. The first is in the logistics area – working
with transportation management, inventory control, distribution customer
service, and related activities. The
other category usually involves personal selling and customer support. Agent wholesalers typically focus on
selling, and entry-level jobs often start out with order-taking
responsibilities that grow into order-getting responsibilities. Many wholesalers are moving much of their
information to the Internet, so marketing students with skills and knowledge in
this arena may find especially interesting opportunities.
Other Business Areas:
Besides the general types of organizations just described, more
specialized business firms hire college graduates for marketing-related positions. Entry-level opportunities can be found with
communications media (such as TV stations), advertising agencies, franchise
systems, participation and spectator sports organizations, public utilities,
and transportation firms (such as truck lines).
Service Marketing:
The broad array of service industries provides a bonanza of job and
career opportunities in marketing. Many
of these fields are expected to experience rapid growth. The travel, hospitality, education, finance,
entertainment, health care, communications, computer, technology, and
professional services fields are prime examples. Recognizing the importance of marketing, many of these industries
and the organizations within them are now adding marketing-related personnel. Most of these firms really are retailers of
services. Consequently, many of the
statements we made earlier about retailing careers are relevant here.
Global Marketing:
Students who
like to travel and experience different cultures may want to work at least part
time in foreign countries. They may be
interested in careers in international marketing, and they may even major in
international business in college.
Typically, however, companies do not hire college graduates and
immediately assign them to jobs in international marketing. People are normally hired for entry-level
positions in the domestic divisions of a company’s operations. Then, after some years of experience with
the firm, an employee may have an opportunity to move into the firm’s
international divisions. Often, these
positions go to MBA graduates. However,
that is changing as more and more firms are pursuing international
markets.
If you have international
aspirations, begin looking for companies that have or are developing
international markets. You also would
be wise to study a second language and take advantage of opportunities to learn
about other cultures. International
courses and exchange programs would help in these areas. Graduates aiming for a career in
international marketing usually must spend time mastering the firm’s domestic
marketing operations before being sent abroad.
So a good way to start is to focus on firms that are already involved in
international marketing, or who are planning to move in that direction
soon. On the other hand, there are many
web sites with listings of international jobs.
For example, you might want to visit http://www.overseasjobs.com/.
Nonprofit Organizations:
Nonprofit organizations are realizing that marketing is the key to their
success. Consequently, it is likely
that jobs and careers in many nonprofit organizations will open up in large
numbers. Consider the wide variety of
nonprofit organizations - hospitals, museums, educational institutions,
religious organizations, foundations, charities, and political parties, among
others. Given this diversity, you can
expect to find a wide range of marketing-related positions in nonprofit
organizations.
Nonprofit hospitals, charities,
government organizations, schools, trade associations, arboretums, and other
nonprofit groups need marketers as much as do profit-making firms. For example, some motor vehicle departments
have become more customer-oriented and some cities and counties have improved
their services through consumer surveys.
Working in a nonprofit organization often has its own rewards because it
usually entails work that directly benefits others and society. But the financial rewards can be substantial
as well. Do not ignore this important
area when considering a marketing career.
Government:
Countless federal and state government organizations hire people for
marketing positions. Here we include the major cabinet departments - agriculture,
defense, human services, and the others.
We also include all the regulatory agencies. Government organizations employ people in purchasing, marketing research,
public relations, physical distribution, consumer affairs and protection, and
even advertising and sales promotion.
Sometimes students tend to overlook the many marketing career
opportunities in government.
Large Versus Small Companies: Should you go to work for a large
company or a small firm? Or should you
go into business for yourself upon graduation?
For over a decade now, more and more students have been saying that they
want to work for a small company. They
feel that there is more freedom of action, more rapid advancement, and less
restraint on their lifestyles in smaller firms.
Perhaps so. And certainly no one should discourage you
from a career in small business. But, we typically recommend to students
(who ask for advice) that they start their careers in a big company. Then, after a few years, they can move into
a smaller firm. There are three reasons
for this recommendation:
1. A large firm is more
likely to have a good training program in your chosen field of activity. Many students have little or no practical
marketing experience. The fine training
programs provided by numerous large manufacturers, retailers, and major
services marketers can be critical in launching a career.
2. You can learn something
about how a big company operates. After
all, when you go into a smaller firm, large companies will be your
competitors. So the more you know about
them, the better able you will be to compete with them.
3. After working for a while
for a big company, you may change your mind and decide to stay with the larger
firm after all. On the other hand,
suppose that you want to go to a small company after you have worked a few
years at a big firm. At that point it
will be relatively easy to move from a large company to a smaller one. If you start in a small firm, however, and
later want to move into big business, it is not so easy to move.
Entrepreneurship and Starting Your
Own Business: Are you the type of person who wants to own your own
business, to buy a franchise, to control your own destiny? Or maybe you have a great idea for a new
product. If so, the knowledge and
skills you acquire from your marketing education will put you right on
track. Entrepreneurship is not for
everybody. It requires people who are
willing to risk losing everything (not just their business but their savings,
their home - everything) in order to have a chance at being their own boss and
making their dreams come true. Being an
entrepreneur involves a lot of risks, but there also are no limits on what can
be achieved.
Most successful entrepreneurs would
agree that it is a good idea to start by getting a job: working for someone else is a great training
ground. You learn how a business operates,
you see things that are done well, and you see things that you would do
differently. In fact, for most of us,
getting a job for a while is mandatory because starting a business requires
capital - and one of the best ways to get that money is to work and save.
There is nothing quite so rewarding
and exciting as running your own business, and no college degree better
prepares you for starting your own business than a degree in marketing. You learn how to pick a good site for your
business, how to assess the market and competition, and how to serve customers
well. You also need to understand
business operations, accounting, human resources management, and other
functions. You may want to work for
another small business for a while to learn business management and marketing
skills.
As an entrepreneur, you can use the
eight universal marketing processes to successfully build relationships with
customers in consumer or organizational markets. Environmental and market analysis can lead you to business
opportunities; segmentation, targeting, and positioning can help you determine
the appropriate market and approach; product development and differentiation
will result in a unique product for your small business to market; valuation
and pricing are used to set a price for a mutually beneficial marketing
exchange; channel and value-chain management can help you make connections with
suppliers, resellers, and customers; integrated marketing communication is the
key to maintaining a dialogue with customers; and relationship building will
allow you to attract and keep customers over the long run. You will really use what you have learned in
your marketing classes!
Emerging Marketing Fields - Internet
Marketing and More: One exciting aspect of a career in
marketing is that new jobs are constantly emerging. For example, one of the hottest areas in the new millennium is
the development, analysis, and maintenance of Web sites for companies wanting
to market on the Internet.
The Internet and wireless technology
are creating new opportunities for artists who can design a creative web site;
for copywriters who can draft the content for a compelling web site; for
marketing researchers who can find ways to measure and analyze web site
traffic; for advertising and sales promotion specialists who can devise ways of
drawing surfers to the web sites; and for product managers and entrepreneurs
who can develop new products geared to the needs, interests, and interactivity
of Internet visitors.
More job opportunities are being
created by a trend toward non-store selling through catalogs, vending machines,
interactive kiosks, and television home shopping. Catalog marketing is more than 100 years old, but new
technologies such as CD-ROM and video catalogs are opening doors for more job
seekers. Also, Japan and other
countries are far ahead of the Unites States in selling goods through vending
machines. Everything from pasta to
popcorn can be sold this way, creating profit opportunities for all types of
entrepreneurial business. Creative and
technical people are in demand for designing and implementing interactive
kiosks, another emerging marketing channel.
Growth in television home shopping has resulted in more jobs for
telemarketers to take inbound customer orders as well as for communication
experts who can help marketers do a better job presenting their products to
viewers.
Marketing is now entering the era of
mass customization. Future marketers
must be able to develop a customer database, use that database to learn what
customers are buying, and then develop value packages that will retain those
customers over time. Database
management is becoming a critical part of marketing, as is establishing
linkages in the value chain through electronic data interchange and wireless
mobility. Those who understand the
technology and the concepts - and can apply them - will have long and
successful careers in marketing.
Marketing offers a wide range of
diverse career opportunities. All kinds
of organizations need people with marketing skills (Please see Table 4
above). Some jobs will put you in
direct contact with external customers while others involve functions that
satisfy internal customers. No matter what
kind of marketing career you are considering, your success will depend, in part,
on your commitment to both internal and external customer satisfaction. As part of a team - working collaboratively
with other employees, with suppliers, and with channel partners - you can move
beyond customer satisfaction and delight your customers, forging an enduring
relationship that competitors cannot easily disrupt.
A Description Of Marketing Positions
Listed below are descriptions of
various marketing positions. In
addition, a description of selected job titles in marketing is contained in the
attached Table 5. Also, many marketing
positions are available through or at least posted with the various marketing
trade associations (Please see the attached Table 6). The attached Table 7 lists some career paths and salary ranges
for marketing positions.
Marketing Management
Marketing management spans a range
of positions, including vice president of marketing, marketing manager, sales
manager, product manager, advertising manager, promotion manager, and public
relations manager. The vice president
directs the firm’s overall marketing policy, and all other marketers report
through channels to this person.
Sales managers direct the efforts of
sales professionals by assigning territories, establishing goals, developing
training programs, and supervising local sales managers and their
personnel. Advertising managers oversee
account services, creative services, and media services departments. Promotion managers direct promotional programs
that combine advertising with purchase incentives in order to increase the
sales of the firm’s goods or services.
Public relations managers conduct publicity programs and supervise the
specialists who implement these programs.
Top marketing-management positions
often involve long hours and extensive travel.
Work under pressure is also commonplace. For sales managers, job transfers between headquarters and
regional offices may disrupt one’s personal life. Approximately 460,000 marketing, advertising, and public
relations managers are currently employed in the United States.
For most marketing, sales, and
promotion management positions, employers prefer degrees in business
administration, preferably with concentrations in marketing. In highly technical industries, such as
chemicals and electronics, employers prefer bachelor’s degrees in science or
engineering combined with master’s degrees in business administration. Most managers are promoted from positions
such as sales representatives, product or brand specialists, and advertising
specialists within their organizations.
Skills or traits that are most desirable for these jobs include high
motivation, maturity, creativity, resistance to stress, flexibility, and the
ability to communicate persuasively.
Retailing and Store Management
Retailing is second only to personal
selling in terms of number of job opportunities for new college graduates. Not long ago, most entry-level marketing
positions in retailing involved some kind of sales work. That has changed rapidly in recent years
because the number of large retail chains is expanding and they often recruit
graduates for their management training programs.
The two primary areas of opportunity
in department store, specialty, and discount chains are in merchandising or
buying and store management. Store
managers have a great deal of responsibility and authority. A store manager’s authority related to acquiring
merchandise (the buying function) varies greatly from one firm to the
next. However, once the merchandise
arrives in the store, the manager has the responsibility and authority for
displaying, selling, and controlling the inventory. Store managers in most companies, either directly or indirectly
through department heads, oversee personal selling, promotion, credit,
personnel management, and store security.
The entry-level position for store
management is typically assistant department manager, department manager, or
assistant store manager, depending on the size of the store. The performance of a store or department
manager is directly measurable in terms of sales or profits. Therefore, speed of advancement into higher
positions is determined primarily by the quality and quantity of results
produced by the manager.
Retailing positions tend to offer
lower-than-average starting salaries – but they often provide opportunities for
very rapid advancement. In a
fast-growing chain, result-oriented people can move up very quickly. Most retailers require new employees to have
some selling experience before they can manage others or buy merchandise. A typical marketing graduate can expect to
work as an assistant manager or do some sales work and manage one or several
departments before advancing to a store management position – or to a staff
position that might involve buying, advertising, location analysis, and so on.
Buying and Purchasing
The two key marketing functions of
buying and selling are performed by trained specialists. Just as every organization is involved in
selling its output to meet the needs of customers, so too must all companies
make purchases of goods and services required to operate their businesses and
turn out items for sale.
Modern technology has transformed
the role of the purchasing agent. The transfer
of routine tasks to the computer now allows contract specialists, or
procurement officers, to focus on products, suppliers, and contract
negotiations. The main function of this
position is to purchase the goods, materials, supplies, and services required
by the organization. These agents
ensure that suppliers deliver quality and quantity levels that suit the firm’s
needs; they also secure these inputs at reasonable prices and make them
available when needed.
Purchasing agents must develop good working
relationships both with colleagues in their own organizations and with
suppliers. As the popularity of
outsourcing has increased, the selection and management of suppliers have
become critical functions of the purchasing department. In the government sector, this role is
dominated by strict laws, statutes, and regulations that constantly change.
Most medium-size and larger
organizations employ people who specialize in buying, as opposed to selling,
goods and services. In one type of
position, people select and acquire merchandise for resale. In another type of position, people purchase
goods and services not for resale but for use in a manufacturing process or in
operating the organization.
Every retail organization needs
people to buy merchandise for resale.
Frequently the route to the top in retailing is through the buying (also
called merchandising) division of the business. Large retailers have many positions for buyers and assistant
buyers. Each merchandise department
normally has a buyer. Consequently, you
often have a chance to work with particular products that interest you. There are also centralized buying offices
that buy for several different stores or chains. These resident buying offices are usually in New York City and a
few other large cities.
A purchasing agent is the business
market counterpart of the retail store buyer.
Virtually all firms in the business market have purchasing
departments. People in these departments
buy raw materials and supplies for the production, office, and sales departments
in their firms. Retail buyers and
purchasing agents need many of the same skills. They must be able to analyze markets, determine merchandising
needs, and negotiate with sellers. It
is also necessary to have some knowledge of credit, finance, and physical
distribution.
Organizations prefer
college-educated candidates for entry-level jobs in purchasing. Strong analytical and communication skills
are required for any purchasing position.
Often, new hires in the field enroll in extensive company training
programs to learn procedures and operations; training may include a production
planning assignment. In private and
public industries, professional certification is becoming an essential
criterion for advancement.
Buyers working for wholesalers and
retail businesses purchase goods for resale.
Their goal is to find the best possible merchandise at the lowest
prices. They also influence the
distribution and marketing of this merchandise. Successful buyers must understand what appeals to consumers and
what their establishments can sell. Bar
codes on products and point-of-purchase terminals have allowed organizations to
accurately track goods that are selling and those that are not; buyers
frequently analyze this data to improve their understanding of consumer
demand. Buyers also check competitors’
prices and sales activities and watch general economic conditions to anticipate
consumer-buying patterns.
Approximately 361,000 people are
currently employed in the United States as wholesale and retail buyers and
merchandise managers. These jobs often
require substantial travel, as many orders are placed on buying trips to shows
and exhibitions. Effective planning and
decision-making skills are strong assets in this career. In addition, the job involves anticipating
consumer preferences and ensuring that the firm keeps needed goods in
stock. Therefore, the job requires
resourcefulness, good judgment, and self-confidence.
Physical
Distribution/Logistics/Marketing Channel Management
Many jobs exist in the field of
physical distribution, and the outlook is even brighter into the future. Additionally, more and more firms are
expected to adopt the systems approach in physical distribution to control the
huge expenses involved in materials movement and warehousing.
Careers in physical distribution and
logistics involve a variety of activities designed to make sure the right
products get to the right place at the right time. Often jobs in distribution include the management of incoming
materials as well as outgoing products.
Career position titles under the heading of logistics include material
receiving, scheduling, dispatching, materials management executive,
distribution operations coordinator, distribution center manager, and
transportation manager. The logistics
function includes responsibilities for production and inventory planning and
control, distribution, and transportation.
Distribution channel management is
typically handled or directed by sales managers and therefore is not an
entry-level position. However, many
firms form teams of specialists who work closely with their counterparts in
other firms in the channel to strengthen coordination and relationships. Such a team often includes new people in
sales or purchasing because it gives them exposure to a different part of the
firm’s activities.
Career opportunities in physical
distribution may be found with manufacturers of both consumer and industrial
goods, in wholesaling operations, and of course, in companies such as UPS and
Federal Express that are in the distribution industry. Approximately 3.8 million people are
employed in logistics positions in the United States today, including material
receiving, scheduling, dispatching, and distribution. These positions demand good communication skills and the ability
to work well under pressure. Computer
skills are highly valued in these jobs.
Employers look for candidates with degrees in logistics and
transportation. However, graduates in
other business disciplines may succeed in this field.
It also is not unusual for people to
start working in a particular industry and then take a different job at a
different level in the channel. For
example, a graduate who has trained to be a store manager for a chain of
sporting goods stores might go to work for a manufacturers’ representative that
handles a variety of sports equipment.
Product/Brand Management
Product and brand management
positions are very important in consumer goods companies. Typically, a brand manager is responsible
for directing the entire marketing process for an individual brand -
determining demand, establishing goals, working with advertising and other
promotion agencies, contracting for marketing research services, and so
on. Product managers have even more
responsibilities; they are in charge of an entire line of related products, and
the job many entail coordinating marketing efforts for a number of different
brands. Both brand and product managers
often deal with budgets of several million dollars. Individuals who believe they would enjoy a career path directed
toward product management positions should consider entry-level jobs with
consumer goods companies.
Many multi-product firms have brand
or product managers handling individual products – in effect, managing each
product as a separate business. Some
firms hire marketing graduates as assistant brand or product managers, although
larger firms typically recruit MBAs for these jobs. Many firms prefer that recent college graduates spend some time
in the field doing sales work or working with an ad agency or sales promotion
agency before moving into brand or product management positions.
Product planner is usually not an
entry-level position. Instead, people
with experience on the technical side of the business or in sales might be
moved onto a new-product development team as they demonstrate judgment and
analytical skills. However, new
employees with winning ideas for new products do not go unnoticed – and they
sometimes have the opportunity to grow fast with ideas they spearhead. Having a job that puts you in contact with
customers is often a good way to spot new needs.
Advertising
Advertising is often perceived as an
exciting and glamorous marketing career.
And it is often true that people in the advertising industry are
exceptionally creative and interesting.
Advertising jobs can be found in advertising agencies, the media (TV
stations and networks, radio, and newspapers) and with any organization that advertises.
Advertising is one of the ten
hottest career fields in the United States today. Many firms maintain small groups of advertising specialists who
serve as liaisons between those companies and outside advertising agencies. The leader of this liaison function is
sometimes called a marketing communications manager. Positions in an advertising agency include the categories of
account services, creative services, and media services. Account services functions are performed by
account executives who work directly with clients. An agency’s creative services department develops the themes and
presentations of the advertisements.
This department is supervised by the creative director, who oversees the
copy chief, art director, and their staff members. The media services department is managed by the media director,
who oversees the planning group that selects media outlets for ads. Here are some of the traditional types of
jobs available in advertising:
1. Ad
agency account executives act as the liaison between client and agency. Their job is to understand the needs of the
client, communicate those needs to the other agency departments, and coordinate
the agency services for the client.
2. Media
planners and buyers develop media schedules and negotiate the purchase of media
time and space.
3. Copywriters,
graphic artists, and others in the creative department actually create the
advertisements and other promotional materials.
4. Full-service
advertising agencies often have research, sales promotion, and public relations
departments as well.
Jobs in advertising encompass a
number of aptitudes and interests - artistic, creative, managerial, research,
and sales. The advertising field holds
real opportunity for the artistic or creative person. Agencies and advertising departments need copywriters, artists,
photographers, layout designers, printing experts, and others to create and
produce ads.
Account executive is a key position
in advertising agencies. People in this
position are the liaisons between the agency and its clients (the
advertisers). Account executives
coordinate the agency’s efforts with the clients’ marketing programs.
Another group of advertising jobs
involves the placement of ads. On the
advertisers’ side, this entails allocating the advertising budget by planning
an advertising schedule and selecting the media. On the media side, every TV and radio network and station, all
newspapers and magazines, and every other advertising outlet employ sales people. Advertisers and agencies also often need
people who can conduct buyer-behavior studies and other marketing research.
Job opportunities in this area are
varied and highly competitive. Most new
hires begin as assistants or associates for the positions they hope to acquire,
such as copywriters, art directors, and media buyers. Often, a newly hired employee must receive two to four promotions
before becoming manager of these functions.
Entry-level salaries in advertising
are typically low. There are sometimes
good opportunities to get started in advertising with a retail chain that
prepares its advertising internally.
Another way to get more experience with advertising is to take a job
with one of the media – perhaps in sales or as a customer consultant. Selling advertising space on a web site or
cable TV station or newspaper may not seem as glamorous as developing TV ads,
but media salespeople help their customers solve promotion problems and get
experience dealing with both the business and creative sides of advertising.
Sales Promotion
Jobs in sales promotion are usually
to be found in advertising agencies or with manufacturers of consumer and
business-to-business products. Sales
promotion specialists are responsible for developing overall sales promotion
plans and for creating the individual purchase incentives used to increase
sales. In addition to planning for
consumer sales promotions such as coupons or a sweepstakes, sales promotion
specialists develop programs aimed at building relationships with wholesalers
and retailers.
The number of entry-level positions
in the sales promotion area is growing because the number of specialists in
this area is growing. For example,
specialists might help a company plan a special event for employees, figure out
procedures to distribute free samples, or perhaps set up a database to send
customers a newsletter. Because
clients’ needs are often different, creativity and judgment are required. It is usually difficult for an inexperienced
person to show evidence of these skills right out of school; so entry-level
people often work with a project manager until they learn the ropes. In companies that handle their own sales
promotion work, a beginner usually starts by getting some experience in sales
or advertising.
Professional Selling
Many of the entry-level positions
with producers of industrial and consumer products are in professional
sales. For this reason, many of the
jobs available for new college graduates are in the sales field. But that does not mean that sales jobs are
not important to a firm. Because sales
are the only source of a company's profit, a qualified, effective sales force
is essential to the health of many organizations. Most salespeople find selling jobs both personally stimulating
and financially rewarding.
For qualified individuals, sales
jobs are a great opportunity.
Professional selling jobs demand people who are self-directed and able
to manage themselves and their time effectively. Many sales jobs not only offer high levels of income but also
include such added benefits as a company car, a cellular phone, home computers,
Internet access, and interesting travel.
Some individuals see sales jobs as a training ground for other
jobs. One reason is that many sales
jobs provide opportunities to attend motivational and other sales
seminars. Activities such as attendance
at trade shows provide excellent opportunities for finding out about other jobs
and for networking. Of course, many
salespeople find a career in sales as an end in itself and choose to remain in
sales for their entire careers. Also,
to aim for top management, it is imperative that the selling function be
understood and mastered.
All salespeople must fully
understand and be able to competently discuss the products offered by the
company. Salespeople usually develop
prospective client lists, meet with current and prospective clients to describe
the firm’s products, and then follow up.
In most cases, the salesperson must learn about each customer’s business
needs in order to identify products that best satisfy these needs. These professionals answer questions about
the characteristics and costs of their offerings and try to persuade potential
customers to purchase these offerings.
After the sale, many representatives revisit their customers to ensure
that the products are meeting their needs and to explore further business
opportunities or referrals with these customers. Some sales of technical goods and services involve lengthy
interactions. In these cases, a
salesperson may work with several clients simultaneously over a large
geographical area. Those responsible
for large territories may spend most of their workdays on the phone or on the
sales floor.
Work as a sales representative can
be rewarding for those who enjoy interacting with people, enjoy competition,
and feel energized by the challenge of expanding sales in their
territories. Successful sales
professionals should be goal oriented, persuasive, self-motivated, and
independent people. In addition,
patience and perseverance are important qualities for a sales representative.
The background needed for a sales
position varies according to the product line and market. Most professional sales jobs require a
college degree, and many companies run their own formal training programs that
can last up to two years for sales representatives. This training may take place in a classroom, in the field with a
mentor, or most often a combination of both methods.
Salaries for sales positions vary
widely. In a recent year, annual
earnings for senior sales representatives averaged $89,400; those selling
technical services typically earn more than those selling non-technical
services.
Many students are reluctant to get
into personal selling – but this field offers benefits that are hard to match
in any other field. These include the
opportunity to earn extremely high salaries and commissions quickly, a chance
to develop your self-confidence and resourcefulness, an opportunity to work
with minimal supervision – almost to the point of being your own boss – and a
chance to acquire product and customer knowledge that many firms consider
necessary for a successful career in product/brand management, sales
management, and marketing management.
On the other hand, many salespeople prefer to spend their entire careers
in selling. They like the freedom and
earning potential that go with a sales job over the headaches and sometimes
lower salaries of sales management positions.
Sales Management
For the salesperson who wants to
advance with a firm, a job in sales can lead to promotion to sales
management. Although many salespeople
are not interested in a management job because they enjoy the freedom of working
on their own out in the field, others feel that their abilities would be better
used in overseeing the sales function, and some may aspire to even higher levels
of management.
The activities of sales managers
include recruiting, selecting, training, supervising, motivating, and
evaluating members of a sales force. It
is also the responsibility of the sales manager to plan the firm's territory
structure and to develop objectives for the sales organization and for the
individual salespeople.
Sales management jobs, like some salesperson
jobs, require a lot of travel that can disrupt family life. Successful sales managers, however, are good
candidates for promotion to higher levels of management.
Public Relations
The public relations department is a
valuable connection between an organization and its various publics. The department must deal with, or go
through, the news media to reach these publics. Public relations people may assist management in drafting
speeches, arranging interviews, overseeing company archives, responding to
information requests, and handling special events, such as sponsorships and
trade shows, that provide promotional value to the firm. They must be especially good in communications. In fact, public relations people often have
college degrees in communications or journalism, rather than in marketing.
In essence, the job of public
relations is to project the desired company image. More specifically, public relations people are responsible for
telling the public about the company - its products, community activities,
social programs, environmental improvement activities, labor policies, and
views regarding controversial issues.
Public relations specialists are particularly important - and very
visible - when a company responds to adverse publicity. Such publicity may come from a governmental
investigation or a charge of unethical practices or unsafe products, as when
Johnson & Johnson dealt with the Tylenol tampering and Wal-Mart responded
to charges of selling goods made with child labor. Whether disseminating favorable publicity or responding to
adverse publicity, the company’s position must be stated in a clear, understandable,
and - above all - believable fashion.
Public relations specialists
normally work a standard 40-hour week, but sometimes they need to rearrange
their normal schedules to meet deadlines or prepare for major events. Occasionally they are required to be on the
job or on call around the clock to respond to an emergency or crisis. Over 109,000 public relations specialists are
employed in the United States; two-thirds of them in service industries. Public relations positions tend to be
concentrated in large cities near press services and communications
facilities. However, that
centralization is changing with the increased popularity of new communications
technologies, such as the Internet, which allow more freedom of movement. Many public relations consulting firms are
located in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
Essential characteristics for a
public relations specialist include creativity, initiative, good judgment, and
the ability to express thoughts clearly and simply – both in wringing and
verbally. An outgoing personality,
self-confidence, and enthusiasm also are recommended traits of public relations
specialists.
Marketing Research
Careers in marketing research
require expertise in the collection and analysis of data from a variety of
sources. Marketing researchers must
have a thorough knowledge of research methods and statistics and need considerable
expertise in using statistical and data management software. In addition, they should have strong interpersonal
and problem-solving skills; they need to be able to get to the root of a
problem and to communicate what they have found in actionable terms to others
in the firm. The activities of an
individual with a job in marketing research range from supervising interviewers
to conducting sophisticated statistical analyses. Although a strong foundation in research methodology and
statistics is usually required for entry-level marketing research positions,
much of what marketing researchers do day-to-day is learned on the job.
Firms that specialize in marketing
research and management consulting employ the majority of the nation’s market
research analysts. Positions are often
concentrated in larger cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Those who pursue careers in marketing
research need to work accurately with detail, display patience and persistence,
work effectively both independently and with others, and operate objectively
and systematically. Significant
computer skills are essential for success in this field.
A bachelor’s degree with an emphasis
in marketing provides sufficient qualifications for many beginning jobs in marketing
research. Because of the importance of
quantitative skills, this education should include courses in calculus, linear
algebra, statistics, sampling theory and survey design, computer science, and
information systems. Students should
try to develop experience in conducting interviews or surveys while still in
college. A master’s degree in business
administration or a related discipline is advised for improving opportunities
for advancement.
Customer or Market Analyst
Opportunities as consumer analysts
and market analysts are commonly found in large companies, marketing research
organizations, advertising agencies, and some consulting firms. Investment banking firms also hire
entry-level analysts; they want to know what the market for a new business is
like before investing. Beginning market
analysts start in thing-oriented jobs until their judgment and people-oriented
skills are tested. The job may involve
collecting or analyzing secondary data or preparation of reports and
plans. Because knowledge of statistics,
computer software, Internet search techniques, and/or behavioral sciences is
very important, marketing graduates often find themselves competing with majors
from statistics, sociology, computer science, and economics. Graduates who have courses in marketing and
one or more of these areas may have the best opportunities.
Customer Relations/Consumer Affairs
Most firms consider the customer
relations function an essential part of marketing activities. Additionally, they are becoming more
concerned about their relations with customers and the general public. Whereas many firms have always recognized
the importance of customer relations, other companies have added this important
function as they have adopted total quality management programs. Although the responsibilities of customer
relations vary widely across companies, the purpose is usually the same: to enhance the value of the company and its
products to its customers. For the job
candidate, jobs in customer relations are often an excellent entry point for
other jobs with the company. Employees
in this kind of work, however, usually have held various positions with the
firm before doing customer relations.
Direct Marketing and e-tailing
Direct marketing involves the use of
advertising, telephone sales, catalogs, the Internet, or other communications
to elicit a direct response from consumers.
Because direct marketing is non-store retailing, traditional retailing
activities such as developing a merchandise assortment are part of the direct
marketing job. Database marketing is an
important aspect of a direct marketer’s job.
And, because the Internet is changing everything, much direct marketing
involves creating web sites and developing ways to attract shoppers to these
web sites.
Other Marketing Positions
Where might you find other marketing
jobs? Almost anywhere. For example, hospitals and health care
organizations often have sophisticated marketing departments. Hospital marketing specialists may be
involved in physician recruitment, advertising, and patient satisfaction
activities. A variety of professionals
- including physicians, law firms, accounting firms, architects, and designers
- are adopting the marketing concept and hiring marketing professionals to
improve their business. Marketers in
banking and other areas of the financial industry develop strategies to attract
new customers and to increase the utilization of services by existing customers. And the list goes on. Educational institutions from public schools
to private universities, the military, not-for-profit organizations such as
religious groups, the U.S. Post Office and other government agencies, private
and public parks and recreation facilities, publishers - all provide exciting
career opportunities for marketing professionals.
Table 5
Descriptions of Selected Job Titles in Marketing
............................................................................
Job Title Description
Account Executive Liaison between
an ad agency and its clients. This
person is employed by the agency to study clients’ promotion goals and create
promotion programs (including messages, layout, media, and timing).
Advertising Copywriter Creator of headlines
and content for ads.
Advertising Layout Person Producer of illustrations
or one who uses other artists’ materials to form ads.
Advertising Manager Director of a
firm’s ad program. He or she determines
media, copy, budget, size, ad frequency, and the choice of an ad agency.
Advertising Production Manager Person who arranges to have an ad
filmed (for TV), recorded (for radio), or printed (for newspaper, magazine,
etc.).
Advertising Research Director Person who researches markets,
evaluates alternative ads, assesses media, and test reactions.
Agent (Broker) Wholesaler
who works for a commission or fee.
Catalog Manager Person who
determines target market, products, copy, displays, and pricing for sales
catalogs.
Commercial Artist Creator of ads
for TV, print media, and product packaging.
This artist selects photos and drawings, and determines the layout and
type of print used in newspaper and magazine ads. Sample scenes of TV commercials are sketched for clients.
Consumer Affairs Specialist Firm’s contact with consumers. The person handles consumer (Customer
Relations Specialist) complaints
and attempts to have the firm’s policies reflect customer needs. Community programs, such as lectures on
product safety, are devised.
Credit Manager Supervisor
of the firm’s credit process, including eligibility for credit, terms, late payments,
consumer complaints, and control.
Customer Service Representative Person responsible for order status
inquiries, expediting deliveries, field sales support, and returns and claims
processing.
Direct-to-home (or office) Sales Person who sells goods and
services to consumers by personal contact at the consumer’s home or office.
Display Worker Person who
designs and sets up retail store displays.
Exporter Individual who
arranges for foreign sales and distribution, mostly for domestic firms having a
small presence internationally.
Fashion Designer Designer of
such apparel as beachwear, hats, dresses, scarves, and shoes.
Franchisee Person who leases or buys
a business with many outlets and a popular name. A franchise often has one outlet and engages in cooperative
planning and ads. The franchise sets
operating rule for all.
Franchiser Person who develops a
company name and reputation and then leases or sells parts of a firm to
independent business people. the
franchiser oversees the firm, sets policy, and often trains franchisees.
Freight Forwarder Wholesaler
who consolidates small shipments from many companies.
Industrial Designer Person who
enhances the appearance and function of machine- made products.
Industrial Traffic Manager Arranger of
transportation to and from firms and customers for raw materials, fabricated
parts, finished goods, and equipment.
International Marketer Person who works
abroad or in the international department of a domestic firm and is involved
with some aspect of marketing.
Positions are available in all areas of marketing.
Inventory Manager Person who
controls the level and allocation of merchandise throughout the year. This manager evaluates and balances inventory
amounts against the costs of holding merchandise.
Life Insurance Agent (Broker) Person who advises clients on
the policy types available relative to their needs. Policies offer insurance and/or retirement income.
Manufacturer’s Representative Salesperson representing
several, often small, manufacturers that cannot afford a sales force. The person often sells to wholesalers and
retailers.
Marketing Manager (Vice-President) Executive who plans, directs, and
controls all of a firm’s marketing functions.
He or she oversees marketing decisions and personnel.
Marketing Research Project Supvsr. Person who develops the research
methodology, evaluates the accuracy of different sample sizes, and analyzes
data.
Media Analyst Person who evaluates the
characteristics and costs of available media.
He or she examines audience size and traits, legal restrictions, types
of messages used, and other factors.
The effectiveness of company messages is also measured.
Media Director (Space/Time Buyer) Person who determines the day, time
(for radio and TV), media, location, and size of ads. The goal is to reach the largest desirable audience
efficiently. This person negotiates
contracts for ad space or airtime.
Missionary Salesperson Support salesperson who
provides information about new and existing products.
Order-Fulfillment Manager Supervisor responsible
for shipping merchandise. He or she
verifies orders, checks availability of goods, oversees packing, and requests
delivery.
Packaging Specialist Person responsible
for package design, durability, safety, appeal, size, and cost. This specialist must be familiar with all
key laws.
Political Consultant Person who
advises political candidates on media relations, opinion polling, fund raising,
and overall campaign strategy.
Pricing Economist Specialist who
studies sources of supply, consumer demand, government restrictions,
competition, and costs, and then offers short-run and long-run pricing
recommendations.
Product Manager (Brand Manager) Person who supervises the marketing of
a product or brand category. In some
firms, there are product (brand) managers for existing items and new-product
(brand) managers for new items. For a
one-brand or one-product firm, this manager is really the marketing manager.
Property and Casualty Insurance Person who evaluates client risks
from such perils as fire,
Agent (Broker) burglary,
and accidents; assesses coverage needs, and sells policies to indemnity losses.
Public Relations Director Person who manages
firm’s efforts to keep the public aware of its societal accomplishments and to
minimize negative reactions to its policies and activities. He or she constantly measures public
attitudes and seeks to keep a favorable public opinion of a firm.
Purchasing Agent Buyer for a
manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer.
He or she purchases the items necessary for operating the firm and
usually buys in bulk, seeks reliable suppliers, and sets precise
specifications.
Real-Estate Agent (Broker) Liaison who brings together
a buyer and a seller, lessor and lessee, or landlord and tenant. This salesperson receives a commission.
Retail Buyer Person responsible for
purchasing items for resale. The buyer
normally concentrates on a product areas and develops a plan for proper styles,
assortments, sizes, and quantities.
Retail Department Manager Supervisor of one retail department,
often at a branch store. This is often
the first job a college graduate gets after initial training.
Retail Merchandise Manager Supervisor of several
buyers. He or she sets the retailer’s
direction in terms of style, product lines, image, pricing, and other factors
and allocates budgets among buyers.
Retail Salesperson Salesperson for
a firm that sells to final consumers.
Retail Store Manager Supervisor of
day-to-day operations of a store. All
in-store personnel report to this manager.
Sales Engineer Support
salesperson involved with technical goods or services.
Sales Manager Sales force supervisor who is
responsible for recruitment, selection, training, motivation, evaluation,
compensation, and control.
Salesperson Company representative who
interacts with consumers. He or she may
require limited or extensive skills, deal with final or organizational
customers, work from an office or go out in the field, and be a career
salesperson or progress in management.
Sales Promotion Director Person involved with
supplementary promotional activities, such as frequent-shopper programs,
coupons, contests, and free samples.
Securities Salesperson Sales person involved
with buying/selling stocks, bonds, govern-
(Commodities Broker) ment securities,
mutual funds, and other financial transactions.
Traffic Manager Supervisor
of the purchase and use of alternative transportation methods. This manager routes shipments and monitors
performance.
Warehouser Person responsible for
storage and movement of goods within a firm’s warehouse facilities. He or she keeps inventory records and makes
sure older items are shipped before newer ones (rotating stock).
Wholesale Salesperson Salesperson
representing a wholesaler to retailers and other firms.
Table 6
Additional Sources of Marketing
Career Information
|
Information about Different Careers:
CPC
Annual (available at Placement Office)
Peterson's
Job Opportunities for Business and Liberal Arts Graduates
Occupational
Outlook Handbook developed by the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau
of Labor Statistics
Marketing
Careers by Boone & Kurtz (www.harcourtcollege.com/marketing/students/careers.htm)
Directories of Companies in Different Marketing Industries:
Standard
Directory of Advertising Agencies
International
Directory of the American Marketing Association and Marketing Services Guide
Fairchild's
Financial Manual of Retail Stores
Other Information on Marketing
Careers May Be Obtained from:
American Marketing Association Sales and
Marketing Executives International
250 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 200 458
Statler Office Tower, Number 977
Chicago, IL 60606 Cleveland,
OH 44115
(312) 648-0536 www.ama.org (216) 771-6650
American Association of
Advertising Agencies American
Advertising Federation
666 Third Avenue Education
Services Department
13th Floor 1101
Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 500
New York, NY 10017 Washington,
D.C. 20005
(202)
898-0089
Promotion Marketing Assoc. of
America, Inc. Council
of Sales Promotion Agencies
322 Eight Street 750
Summer Street
Stanford, CT 06901 Stanford,
CT 06901
(203)
325-3911
Public Relations Society of
America Food
Marketing Institute
33 Irving Place, Third Floor 800
Connecticut Avenue, NW
New York, NY 10003-2376 Washington,
D.C. 20006-2701
(212) 995-2230 www.prsa.org
The American Society for Health
Care National
Automotive Dealers Association
Marketing and Public Relations 8400
Westpark Drive
840 North Lake Shore Drive McLean,
VA 22102
Chicago, IL 60611
Marketing Research Association National
Association of Convenience Stores
2189 Silas Deane Hwy., Suite 5 1605
King Street
Rocky Hill, CT Alexandria,
VA 22314
(860) 257-4008
Council of American Survey
Research National
Retail Federation Organizations
3 Upper Devon 701
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Port Jefferson, NY 11777 Suite
710
Washington,
D.C. 20004
(202)
783-7971
National Management Association Product
Development and Management Assoc.
2210 Arbor Boulevard 401
North Michigan Avenue
Dayton, OH 45439 Chicago,
IL 60611
(513) 294-0421 (312)
527-6644
Women in Advertising and Marketing Women
Executives in Public Relations
4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite
106-238 P.O. Box
609
Washington, D.C. 20016 Westport,
CT 06881
(301) 369-7400 (203)
226-4947
National Council of Salesmen’s Organization Consumer Federation of
America
389 Fifth Avenue, Room 1010 1424
16th Street NW
New York, NY 10016 Washington,
D.C. 20036
(718) 835-4591
The Direct Marketing Education
Foundation Direct
Selling Association
1120 Avenue of the Americas 1776
K Street NW
New York, NY 10036 Washington,
D.C. 20006
Industrial Designers Society of
America Independent
Insurance Agents of America
1142 Walker Road 127
South Peyton Street
Great Falls, VA 22006 Alexandria,
VA 22314
American Council of Life Insurance National
Retail Grocers Association
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 1825
Samuel Morse Drive
Washington, D.C. 20004 Reston,
VA 22090
Council of Logistics Management American
Society of Travel Agents
2803 Butterfield Road 1401
New York Avenue NW
Oak Brook, IL 60521 Washington,
D.C. 20005
National Assoc. of Purchasing
Management Manufacturers’
Agents National Association
2055 East Centennial Circle 23016
Mill Creek Road
P.O. Box 22160 Laguna
Hills, CA 92654
Tempe, AZ 85282
National Association of Realtors Securities
Industry Association
777 14 Street NW 120
Broadway
Washington, D.C. 20005 New
York, NY 10071
International Mass Retailing
Association
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
|
Table 7
Some Career Paths and Salary Ranges for Marketing Positions
|
Selling
& Sales
Management
|
Marketing Research
|
Advertising
&
Promotion
|
Public
Relations
|
Retail
|
Production & Materials Management
|
|
VP
Sales or
Marketing
$120-$300,000
|
|
|
|
|
VP
Production
$95-$170,000 +
|
|
▲
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Sales Manager
$78-$120,000+
|
Market
Research
Director
$40-$100,000
|
Advertising
Director
$60-$135,000+
|
|
Retail Chain VP
$70-
$120,000+
|
▲
|
|
▲
Regional Sales
Manager
$60-$84,000+
|
▲
Research
Project
Manager
$44-$72,000
|
▲
Creative
Director
$60-$125,000
|
Public
Relations
Director
$42-
$100,000+
|
▲
|
Regional
Manager
$65-$95,000
▲
|
|
▲
|
▲
|
▲
Media/Product Manager
$60-$80,000
|
▲
|
Store
Manager
$32-
$75,000
|
Materials
Manufacturing Manager
$50-$60,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
▲
|
▲
|
|
District Sales Manager
$42-$72,000+
|
Market
Analyst
$36-$51,000+
|
▲
|
Public
Relations Specialist
$25-$55,000
|
Merchandise Manager
$32-
$55,000
|
Purchasing
Inventory
Management
$30-$55,000
|
|
▲
|
|
|
▲
|
▲
|
▲
|
|
Sales
Representative
|
▲
Research Trainee
|
Copywriter Artist
$20-$40,000
|
Public
Relations Trainee
$18-$25,000
|
Buyer
$22-
$38,000
▲
|
Purchasing Agent
$25-$40,000
▲
|
|
$17-$80,000
▲
|
$20-$30,000
▲
|
▲
Media Traffic
$14-$22,000
▲
|
▲
|
Assistant Buyer
$15-
$25,000
▲
|
Buyer
$16-$35,000
▲
|
|
Academic Training
|
Source: Perreault & McCarthy (2002), Basic Marketing,
Irwin-McGraw Hill, 687.
Table 8
2004 Median Total Cash Compensation
for Various Marketing Positions
|
Job Title
|
2004 Median Total Cash Compensation*
|
|
Top Marketing
Executive
|
$227,300
|
|
Top Communications
Executive
|
$180,000
|
|
Brand/Product Manager
|
$95,900
|
|
Electronic Marketing
Manager
|
$95,100
|
|
Communications Manager
|
$89,100
|
|
Marketing Manager
|
$88,500
|
|
Advertising/Marketing
Communications Manager
|
$88,100
|
|
Creative
Director/Design Manager
|
$87,300
|
|
Public Relations
Manager
|
$74,700
|
|
Writer
|
$53,000
|
|
Marketing Specialist
|
$51,300
|
|
Marketing Coordinator
|
$41,700
|
*Median total cash compensation includes base pay and
annual bonus.
Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting; 2004 Corporate Marketing and Communications Survey.
Other Salary Links
http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_narrowbrief_SM04.html
http://www.marketinghire.com/
http://www.careerjournal.com/salaryhiring/
http://jobstar.org/tools/salary/sal-prof.php
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,4-24-0-236,00.html#table%201
http://www.manpower.com/mpcom/files?name=MP_salarysurvey_SalesMkgt.pdf
http://www.marketingpower.com/content2811.php
http://www.mercer.com/summary.htm?siteLanguage=100&idContent=1323890
http://www.hr.com/SITEFORUM?&t=/Default/gateway&i=1116423256281&application=story&active=no&ParentID=1119278030013&StoryID=1119655186609&xref=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Median+Total+Cash+Compensation+for+Various+Marketing+Positions&start=10&sa=N
http://www.salary.com/careers/layouthtmls/crel_narrowbrief_SM04.html
http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_salaryrangenarrowjob_10_SM04.html
Table 9
Sales and Marketing Jobs List
(Source:
http://www.abbott-langer.com/index.cfm?title=Marketing
&fuseaction=SRSurveys.JobsList&ItemID=395&ALSurveyID=24&SurveyID=85&participate=0)
