Become a Marketing Manager: Jobs and Employment Info
If you've received your online business degree, one field of business you may be interested in is the field of advertising and marketing. Whereas an accountant deals primarily with crunching numbers, as an advertising or marketing manager, you will be able to flex your creative talents as well as your business acumen.
What Does an Advertising or Marketing Manager Typically Do?
Advertising and marketing managers coordinate their companies' market research, marketing strategy, advertising and promotion.
Advertising managers oversee advertising and promotion staffs. In a small firm, managers may serve as liaisons between the firm and the advertising or promotion agency. In larger firms, advertising managers oversee in-house account, creative and media services departments.
The account executive manages the account services department, assesses the need for advertising and maintains the accounts of clients. The creative services department develops the presentation of advertising.
Marketing managers develop the firm's marketing strategy in detail. They estimate the demand for products and services offered by the firm. In addition, they identify potential markets. Marketing managers develop pricing strategy to help firms maximize profits and market share while ensuring that the firm's customers are satisfied.
They also monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services and oversee product development. Marketing managers work with advertising and promotion managers to advance the firm's products and to attract potential users.
Training and Education Requirements for Marketing Jobs
For marketing management positions, many employers prefer that you have a bachelor's or master's degree in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. Additionally, the completion of an internship while you're in school is highly recommended.
For advertising management positions, many employers prefer a bachelor's degree in advertising or journalism. A course of study should include marketing, consumer behavior, market research, sales, communication methods and technology, and visual arts and art history and photography.
Computer skills are vital because marketing, product promotion and advertising on the Internet are increasingly common.
If you're interested in becoming advertising or marketing managers you should be mature, creative, highly motivated, flexible and decisive. You will also need the exceptional ability to establish and maintain effective personal relationships.
Marketing Employment and Job Outlook for Managers
Advertising and marketing managers held about 120,000 jobs in 2006.
The professional, scientific and technical services and the finance and insurance industries employed almost one-third of marketing managers. About one-fourth of advertising and promotions managers worked in the professional, scientific, and technical services industries and the wholesale trade.
Employment of advertising and marketing managers is expected to increase by 12% through 2016-about the same as the average for all occupations.
Advertising and marketing manager jobs are highly coveted and will be sought by highly experienced professionals, resulting in keen competition.
Earnings Potential for a Marketing or Advertising Manager
Median annual earnings of wage and salary advertising and promotions managers in May 2006 in the advertising industry were $97,540 and $98,720 for marketing managers.
Starting salaries for marketing majors graduating in 2007 averaged $40,161, and those for advertising majors averaged $33,831.