What different career paths can a marketing bachelors degree provide?
I am interested in majoring in marketing because I am interested in the field of business and was wondering what potential careers could build off of this degree. #business #marketing #degree
8 answers
Lisa Misiewicz, DPT
Lisa’s Answer
Marketing is a great major if it is coupled with a minor that may narrow your focus... an example may be Marketing Major with a minor in international business or a language.
If you have an IT background you can market IT products or services.
Almost any position in business requires an understanding of marketing principles to some degree, however, Product Management is one position that would lend itself to a marketing degree. Product Managers work at every type of company, including consumer or medical products, computers to clothing. I have worked as a product marketing manager in a service companies (rehabilitation therapy) product companies, (medical disposables and durable medical equiptment and capital equipment companies... isokinetic equipment sales.
Another avenue is to focus on an area of business such as finance or human resources, and use the marketing interest as a minor.
Having fluency in more than one language is helpful if you plan on obtaining a marketing degree, and international marketing is another way to increase your global appeal to employers.
Piia’s Answer
You will have some great options for a career in business with a Marketing Bachelors Degree, how you will shape that will depend on your other subject choices and possible work experience/internships. As per previous answer, if you are able to choose a minor in international business or a language it will open up doors to work in many multinational companies. I have a Bachelors degree in European Business Administration with specialization in Marketing and I also chose to study German as my foreign language. My studies gave me a chance to do a full 1-year internship during my third year in college, and I managed to find a job in a large multinational IT company, in their European marketing department. With the help of that work experience and my degree, I found a great role in marketing communications soon after my graduation, and have recently (years later having worked in marketing for 10+ years) moved to a role in corporate communications which I discovered I had a great interest in, during my years of working in marketing. A role in corporate communications can lead you to work for example in PR & analyst relations, internal employee communications, events or executive communications.
Many of my colleagues have marketing degrees, and some of those colleagues are working in senior managerial roles outside the traditional marketing organization: business development, product management, sales and sales operations. A marketing degree with some business experience in the field of your choice will give you the tools to work in multiple business disciplines in the future. Best of luck with your studies!
Maryna’s Answer
The best advice I have is to try out different parts of marketing and don't settle into one area until you've tried it. Through trial and error is when I discovered the pieces that I enjoyed and also didn't enjoy. What seems appealing from the outside might not actually be the best choice for you personally. If there is a rotation program or a marketing agency where you can try many different aspects of marketing and figure out how you use that degree.
Tia’s Answer
1. Marketing Specialist/Coordinator: In this role, you'll assist in the development and implementation of marketing campaigns, conduct market research, analyze consumer behavior, and support various marketing initiatives.
2. Digital Marketing Specialist: With expertise in online marketing channels, such as social media, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), and content marketing, you can work on developing and executing digital marketing strategies to drive online visibility and engagement.
3. Advertising Account Executive: As an account executive, you'll work with clients to understand their advertising needs, create advertising campaigns, manage budgets, and coordinate with various stakeholders to ensure successful campaign execution.
4. Market Research Analyst: This role involves collecting and analyzing data to identify market trends, consumer preferences, and competitive landscapes. You'll use this information to provide insights and recommendations to help organizations make informed business decisions.
5. Brand Manager: Brand managers are responsible for developing and maintaining a strong brand identity for a product or company. They oversee brand strategies, product positioning, messaging, and work closely with marketing teams to ensure brand consistency.
6. Public Relations Specialist: Public relations specialists manage the public image of individuals or organizations. They create and implement communication strategies, handle media relations, coordinate press releases, and manage crisis situations.
7. Sales Representative: With a marketing background, you can pursue a sales role where you promote and sell products or services to customers. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are vital in this field.
8. Event Planner: Event planners coordinate and manage various types of events, such as conferences, trade shows, and product launches. Marketing knowledge is beneficial for promoting events and attracting attendees.
9. Marketing Analyst: Marketing analysts evaluate marketing campaigns, analyze data and metrics, and generate reports to measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts. They help optimize strategies based on data-driven insights.
10.Product Manager: Product managers oversee the development, positioning, and marketing of products. They collaborate with cross-functional teams, conduct market research, define product strategies, and manage the product lifecycle.
Tia recommends the following next steps:
Kim’s Answer
You've been given some great guidance with the answers above. The only thing I would add is strategic marketing to your consideration. In my experience the best and most successful strategies start with understanding your customer's needs. Marketing provides the avenues to understand and document customer need and market segments of need. You then turn that intel into a strategic planning process for market expansion or deeper customer loyalty (for example ). Strategic marketing is typically an executive management level position. And building your career up to reach that point can be very rewarding.
Kim recommends the following next steps:
Alejandra’s Answer
You can do A LOT with a Bachelor's in marketing, but I will say- do as many internships as possible while in school. Nowadays, finding a job without relevant experience can be hard.
Here are some jobs you can find with a degree in marketing (creative and numeric)
-social media coordinator
-events coordinator/ planner
-social media analyst
And you can find many more job options on LinkedIn. If you haven't already you should create an account and follow everyone you can (even if you don't know them) this will help you start creating connections !
Matt’s Answer
Hey, Amy! First off, I grew up in Allen, TX, which isn't too far from Plano. I'm pretty sure North Dallas breeds great marketers.
I actually have a Bachelors Degree in Marketing myself and am a lifelong student of the art of marketing. In today's business world, marketing is possibly the most multi-faceted aspect of contributing to an organization. That's great for future marketers and current students. It means there are plenty of opportunities for an incredible career. It also means that it's more important than ever to pick up real-world skills while you're studying. Even as recently as 10 years ago, marketing was about having big ideas and executing them once or twice. Today, marketing is about creating opportunities for specific audiences to interact with your brand EVERY SINGLE DAY. That means marketers are writers, creatives, scientists, data nerds, technologists, researchers, videographers, and strategists. I lead a marketing team at a tech company in Austin, TX, and my team alone has 5 different kinds of marketers on it. Even within the genre of marketing, you can find multiple different career paths.
The important thing to do is start experimenting as soon as you can. Use LinkedIn to your advantage! Send messages to marketers that are currently doing things you might be interested in! Ask them what their job is like. You'd be shocked how many resources are available to you if you just reach out. I would also encourage you to seek out internships as soon as you can. Most students wait until they're older or only work in the summer. If you seek out internships early, you can bounce around and find what you're passionate about! Consider trying internships in digital marketing (SEO, SEM, PPC, display, programatic, etc.), social media marketing, advertising, copywriting, content marketing, web development, and event marketing.
Marketers are my favorite people in the world. They solve problems in ways that no one else would. They're scientists and artists all in one brain. We'd love to have you in our club!
Matt recommends the following next steps:
Janna’s Answer
For those with a creative flair, roles such as design or brand management could be your canvas.
If tech is your forte, web development could be your playground.
For those who have a way with words, content writing, digital marketing, or social media could be your stage.
If you have an analytical mind, product management or product marketing could be your puzzle to solve.
The diversity in marketing roles ensures a harmonious blend of creativity, strategy, and analysis. It's a realm where you're empowered to chart your own career path.