For those seeking a challenging career that incorporates creativity and innovation, a job in marketing may be the perfect fit. Specialists in the marketing industry look carefully at marketing trends and determine the best way to get information about their organization's unique message out to the buying public – whether the buyers are consumers or other businesses. Marketing can be a challenging, rewarding career for those that are willing to work hard and have a wide ranging skill set.
Marketing – A Career in Communication
Marketing can be a challenging career choice, with a variety of options. A marketing career entails developing communication tools that help consumers – whether individuals, non-profits, or other businesses – understand what service or product one particular organization has to offer to the marketplace. Communication is the primary tool of marketing industry workers. Having excellent written and verbal skills as well as being a superior creative problem solver are keys to the job. Marketing careers require being able to “think out of the box,” and deal with large sets of complex, and sometimes disparate, marketing industry data. Having a creative mind is critical, as developing new ideas and solutions to get products and services to market is the primary challenge of a marketing position. Marketing also involves being able to work with people in all different fields and quickly understand their technical expertise and how it impacts the ultimate impressions of the consumer.
The Future of Careers in Marketing
With rising competition in the marketplace and changes in technology that make accessing consumers an instant process, the outlook for careers in the marketing industry is predicted to grow approximately twelve percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Once those new jobs are created, there will be about 200,000 marketing positions in the United States. The BLS also reported that the median salary was approximately $108,000, with the middle 50% of those holding careers in the marketing industry earning between $78,000 and $150,000 per year.
Career Paths in Marketing
Careers in marketing can occur in a variety of environments including the technical, finance, insurance, professional and scientific industries. An MBA with a focus in Marketing can open additional career doors, though generally a bachelor's degree with experience will allow a graduate to being a career in marketing.
Marketing professionals have a variety of jobs they are responsible for on a regular basis. Ultimately, a marketing professional is responsible for increasing the recognition of their product, service or brand in the marketplace. To do so, marketing personnel may do everything from conducting research to designing promotions for a new service, or creating a pathway to communicate with global businesses. The options are as varied as the products and services that marketing experts can promote.
What It Takes
Becoming a marketing expert requires variety of expertise. For those who can communicate well verbally and in writing, synthesize large amounts of information from a variety of sources, and possess a creative streak, a job in the marketing industry may be the perfect fit. Excellent interpersonal skills are also critical, as working on a team with executives and management of other companies and out in the community can also be requirements of the job. Flexibility to attend special events and promotions can also be required.
In The End
As a career choice, specializing in marketing can provide a lifetime of opportunities to work with a constant variety of people on a myriad of projects. With a positive projected growth over the next few years, a new stream of marketing trends with change in technology, and a competitive salary range, marketing can be a challenging career path filled with personal and professional rewards.
