Being a marketing major might just be the only sure thing I know I did right in college. Along with going to college with my best friend, but that’s a different article. Now relax, I’m going to try to remain unbiased and believe me when I say I’ll get to the pros and cons of it all. But for me, marketing was the move and here’s why:
Why Marketing?
As a marketing major, I can pursue careers that can fulfill both my love of numbers and my love for creativity. By this I mean I can be a Marketing Analyst or I can go into Advertising as a content creator. Marketing majors have insanely versatile career options that they can pursue post-graduation. The best part is it’s also not limited to these two categories. Let’s say you’re passionate about writing, for example. As a marketing major, you can be a copywriter, you can pursue careers in communications, or work in public relations where you could be responsible for writing press releases, and media pitches among other things obviously. Perhaps you’re really into psychology, but as a major, you’re not particularly interested in the possible job prospects. In the marketing field, you can specialize in consumer behavior. Consumer behavior is a realm of marketing that incorporates ideas and concepts related to psychology. It deals with consumer perceptions and consumer purchase patterns. In other words, why people buy the things they buy, just to give you the most basic blanket definition of what consumer behavior is all about. Maybe you’re passionate about film, photography, or graphic design? Obviously, individuals with these specific skill sets are needed at advertising agencies among other creative sectors of any marketing department. Maybe computer science is more your style, in marketing, this translates to web design experts or UX design (which is a trending skill to have under your belt in terms of resume building).
Obviously, some of these job opportunities require that you have some other type of skill set to make you a strong, qualifying candidate. But it can be as easy as taking one or two classes to grant you the knowledge of that particular skill. Whether it’s a graphic design course or a web design course. Also, let me add that while you can certainly go out and learn these skills or take a course, the point is if it’s something you’re already passionate about you can incorporate it as a marketing major and broaden your career opportunities.
Common Misconceptions: A.K.A. “Things That Grind My Gears”
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Marketing is All About Selling.
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Yes, sales are definitely a part of marketing but it is just one part people. I would say that more than anything, any job in marketing will require that you have consumers in mind, but this doesn’t always translate to “sell, sell, sell.”
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Content Creation is All About Blogging.
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Absolutely not, there are a ridiculous amount of mediums that can be used to create content. Blogging is one of them, others include: vlogging, print, audio, and social media just to name a few.
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Good Products Don’t Need to be Marketed.
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Lies. Anyone remember having a Tamagotchi? How about a Gameboy? Just some examples of good products that people stopped marketing, or simply just moved on from.
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Old-School Marketing Tools Are Dead.
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More lies. Word of mouth marketing is still very much alive and it can still make strides for marketing campaigns.
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Job Opportunities & the Pay Range ($$$)
Entry-Level Marketing Jobs:
This includes job titles such as marketing intern/assistant/associate.
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Salary Range: $20,000-$70,000 (Depending on the industry or company).
- Average Salary: $48,594
Non-Entry-Level Marketing Jobs:
- Marketing Specialist : $62,560
- Market Research Analyst: $62,560
- Advertising Manager: $100,810
- Public Relations Manager: $120,420
- Marketing Manager: $131,180