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Marketing career: types of paths

There are numerous roles for you if you’re interested in a marketing career. Learn about them.

Marketing career lightbulb by nhuisman on FlickrIf you are interested in a marketing career, you have a choice of several different paths. There are many different facets and opportunities in the marketing industry. Marketing careers involve various aspects of managing, creating and enhancing brands, whether for a corporate brand or specific products.

Before you decide to jump into a degree program for marketing, it's important to know there are more types of marketing careers than just that of a marketing manager. You should become familiar with the different marketing professions out there so you can choose a specialty to focus your studies on.

One path you may want to consider when considering marketing careers is a job in market research. This type of position involves researching the intended target market for the brand or product you are working on. A target can be a specific group of individuals or a company.

Market researchers must understand consumers, their purchasing habits, their needs and how they perceive themselves compared to the rest of the world. The researcher can then capture the right group of people to advertise and market the product to.

Advertising falls under the marketing career umbrella. In advertising, you work on strategy, concept and execution of the strategy for the brand you are assigned to. These are the major aspects of marketing. Common marketing jobs in advertising include media buyer, account planner and account management, all of which are on the business side of advertising.

Additional advertising positions include:

    • Account coordinator.
    • Account executive.
    • Advertising manager.
    • Advertising sales director.

Other types of jobs in marketing include those in public relations. A person working in public relations manages the communication with consumers, media, investors and employees. A person in this type of marketing career is often considered to be the spokesperson for a company.

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Some tasks involved in a public relations career includes writing press releases, responding to information requests from journalists, and pitching stories to the media. Specific careers in public relations include:

    • Press secretary.
    • Corporate communications manager.
    • Book publicist.
    • Public relations specialist.
    • Public relations director.

The most popular job in marketing is brand management. This job is considered a key position, performing the most prestigious functions in the consumer products industry. A brand manager assumes total responsibility for a brand or brand family and should always focus on the big picture.

A brand manager creates a campaign that will draw out the brand's essence, determine competitors in the same industry, identify the marketing opportunities, and effectively communicate the benefits of that product or service to the target audience and general public. Specific career paths in brand management include:

    • Brand manager.
    • Product manager.
    • Product development manager.
    • Marketing manager.

Dependent on your personality and interests, there may be a role for you in the marketing field. If you are considering marketing as a career, Reply! can help you find a school in your area in order to get the education needed to pursue this field.

Photo credit: nhuisman via Compfight CC.