What Jobs Are Available With a Marketing Degree?

Marketing jobs require creativity.

To earn a bachelor's degree in marketing you most likely had to take classes in marketing managemet, consumer behavior, market research, sales promotion, Internet marketing, advertising and new product management. You might have even had to do a marketing internship. The good news is that a number of corporations, marketing firms, market research companies and other organizations need people with a background like yours and have marketing-related jobs available.

Marketing Manager

Marketing managers are reponsible for promoting a company's products or services. They develop marketing strategies, look for ways to reinforce the brand with consumers, monitor competing products and services, keep up with news and trends in the industry, look for gaps in the market, and identify opportunities to develop new products and win new customers. In addition, they should find new markets and consumer segments for the company's products and services. In some cases they might even manage the development of new products.

Promotions Manager

Promotions managers aim to foster the sales of a company's products or services by creating, carrying out and managing promotional campaigns. Afterwards, promotions managers analyze the results of the campaigns in hope that successful results can be similarly duplicated. The campaigns orchestrated by a promotional manager may include the use of contests, coupons, free samples or product endorsements by celebrities or popular athletes. In the course of their work, promotions managers may work with creative directors, media buyers and finance people.

Product Development Manager

Product development managers are in charge of the process of creating a company's new products. They may just as likely identify an unfulfilled consumer need as be assigned by another department to create a product. Product development managers then work with product designers on the creation and specifications of the product and estimate demand for and sales of the product. They may work closely with marketing managers.

Marketing Researcher

Marketing researchers design surveys and focus group situations aimed at getting to the heart of consumers' preferences so that companies can create products and services that people want, or modify existing products and services consumers want particular changes. In other words, marketing researchers provide the raw data companies need to understand why consumers want the things they want and buy the things they do. They may be employed by the companies themselves, or else marketing agencies or even government agencies. Marketing researchers may be required to present survey findings to superiors or clients.

References

• San Francisco State University: Business Administration Concentration in Marketing
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition: Market and Survey Researchers
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition: Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers