The Job Description for a Marketing Internship

Marketing interns may screen, answer and respond to client phone calls.

Before working as a full-time marketing professional, high school, college and graduate school students can opt to participate in a marketing internship prior to graduation. Becoming a marketing intern is a common route for young professionals seeking to learn basic marketing practices on the job and gain exposure to marketing functions within different industries. Marketing internships are usually temporary and are paid or unpaid, depending on the program.

Function

Marketing interns perform administrative duties to support the marketing and sales teams in various companies and organizations. For example, they make photocopies, help assemble sales and marketing proposals, answer and route client phone calls and distribute marketing materials to employees and customers. Other duties include staffing registration tables at events, putting together shipments, formatting mailing lists, submitting internal web requests and forms and formatting newsletters. Some internships are tailored to MBA candidates and include tasks such as trend and competitor analysis, product launches and marketing planning. Interns usually work under the direct supervision of an experienced marketing employee.

Education

Educational requirements for internships vary based on industry, education level and previous work experience. Prestigious internships such as the Toyota MBA Summer Internship Program require that candidates be enrolled in a top MBA program and possess at least four years of full-time work experience. Other internship programs only require that students be enrolled in a four-year university and have at least a 2.5 G.P.A. If the marketing internship is for course credit, then students may have to receive approval from their school's advisor or career counselor. Some colleges also require that students write an essay, evaluation or master's dissertation to demonstrate how their internship applies to their major and long-term career goals.

Skills

Employers prefer candidates with previous office experience and knowledge of computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. Marketing interns must have strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills, and be able to work well in teams. Marketing interns should also be organized, professional, energetic and detail-oriented.

Salary

Because marketing internships are temporary or occur on a part-time schedule, interns do not receive employee salaries. Some universities offer course credit equivalent to the number of hours an intern has worked, and some companies pay interns hourly wages. PayScale reports that the average hourly wage for marketing interns in the U.S. was $9.90 to $14.16 per hour as of June 2010.

Potential

Marketing interns with a college education, computer skills and formal training can expect favorable job prospects, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. During the 2008 to 2018 decade, the BLS projects that marketing management positions will grow by 12 percent due to an increase in services and goods in the marketplace. Employers will be looking for job candidates who are not only technology-savvy, but also knowledgeable about the latest marketing trends and promotional techniques.

References

• California State University, Fullerton: Marketing Internships
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition
• PayScale: Hourly Rate Snapshot for Marketing Intern Jobs

Resources

• Toyota: Masters of Business Administration Summer Internship