Pickens Technical College Marketing Pathway: 3 Marketing Careers Worth Exploring

“Marketing” is a broad term that covers a variety of different career paths. From advertising to public relations to market research, there are many opportunities that fall under the umbrella of marketing as an industry, but the thing that ties all of them together is the need to understand your consumer. Putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes is a valuable skill to have in any career, but the ability to use that skill to translate customer needs into successful marketing plans is invaluable.

Taking a product or service and being able to associate that product or service with a larger brand is the foundation of marketing. The end goal is for the consumer to look beyond the price and focus on the benefits of engaging with you, whether that is through purchase, a subscription, or simply a continued relationship.

The bottom line is, every company uses marketing. You can find opportunities in many different specific areas of this industry. Here are a few examples:

• Advertising
• Public Relations
• Market Research

Let’s take a closer look at each of these, and hopefully find one that fits your specific, individualized skillset.

Advertising

Advertisers have their hands in every aspect of marketing, from strategy to execution.

Let’s take a common entry-level position in this industry, Account Management, and dig into what exactly that job looks like. Account managers act as the middle man between agency and client. Their job is to manage the actual execution of ads, making sure that they are on schedule, on budget, and on-brand.

Advertising is an inherently varied industry, where every day can look different. It’s a great avenue for creative individuals who want to see their ideas come to life. Whether you want to work for an agency or in an advertising department on the client-side, it has the potential to be an extremely rewarding profession.

Public Relations

Public relations professionals have a hard job. They manage communications with the media, employees within the organization, and the general public. Whether they are writing press releases to promote a new product or fielding information requests from journalists, they often find themselves in the role of spokesperson.

To do well in this branch of marketing, you need strong communication skills and the ability to relate to a wide variety of people and quickly adapt your communication method to be most effective.

Market Research

In order to successfully reach target markets, you first need to understand that market. That’s where market research comes in. Usually conducted via surveys or focus groups, market research can be done in-house or come from a more specialized research firm.

The ideal candidate for a career in market research is a person who is analytical and has a mind for numbers, but can also relate on a person-to-person level in order to gather important information from potential consumers.

So, is marketing the right career path for you?

Marketing is one of the only industries that can appeal to both the creative and the analytical job seeker. While you do need to be willing to work under pressure and thrive in a constantly changing professional environment, it is an extremely rewarding career.

No matter what path you decide to follow, Pickens is a great place to start.