Careers in Marketing

A Future With Potential
A degree in Marketing opens doors to numerous career opportunities. Nearly every area of business is somehow related to marketing, which provides students with many pathways to utilize their experiences and knowledge upon graduation.
See available Marketing opportunities on WWU Handshake, Western's job board.

Career Fields in Marketing
Starting a career in marketing is competitive but rewarding, and successful marketers can advance quickly. Students are strongly encouraged to gain a competitive advantage by taking as many relevant electives as possible, getting involved with extracurricular activities, and most importantly - finding a marketing internship. These experiences will provide you with valuable contacts and experiences that will be meaningful to prospective employers.
Much of the world around us has become digital. If you're passionate about new technology then digital marketing may be ideal for you. There are many firms that need help in this growing area of the marketing world. You could be an answer to their problems. Digital marketing includes internet advertising, search engine marketing, social media marketing and mobile marketing just to name a few of possibilities.
Careers in Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing Strategist: This role uses data to find trends and create effective marketing campaigns. They collaborate with others in the company to design campaigns and analyze their success. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of experience.
SEO/Paid Search Analyst: This person manages online ads and analyzes website traffic to make improvements. They research keywords to understand what people are searching for and tweak website content to increase visitor numbers. A bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience are typically required.
Social Media Marketing Director: In this position, you’d be responsible for the company’s social media presence. Your job is to develop plans to attract and keep users on social platforms, analyze performance, and make strategic adjustments. A bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and at least 5 years of experience are common requirements.
Email Marketing Manager: This role involves designing and managing email campaigns to promote products and generate leads. You’d create content, target specific audiences, and use data analysis to track the success of your campaigns. A bachelor’s degree and 3 years of experience are usually needed.
Web Content Manager: This person leads a team that creates and manages content for the company website. They monitor website traffic and search rankings to ensure the content is effective. An associate or bachelor's degree and 3 years of experience are typically required.
Have you ever wanted to work for an advertising agency? Some marketing graduates go on to be Advertising Account Executives, a role in which they coordinate promotion campaigns involving a variety of media between clients, the creative department and media planners.
Careers in Advertising & Promotions
Account Manager: They maintain and grow relationships with clients while managing their project progress. This involves meeting with clients to understand what they need, coordinating advertising efforts, and communicating between teams. Account Managers usually need a bachelor’s degree and around 4 years of experience.
Strategic Account Planner: This role focuses on researching consumer behavior and market trends to develop strategies that inspire consumer action. They analyze data to create insights that help the creative team target their marketing effectively. A bachelor’s degree and an MBA, along with about 3 years of experience, are typically required.
Media Director: They guide the overall media strategy for campaigns and are responsible for team management and relationship building. Their job includes developing media plans and ensuring client satisfaction while having a strong knowledge of various media channels. Media Directors usually hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree and have 10 or more years of experience.
Media Planner: This person deals with the daily operations of media plans, which include conducting consumer research and managing budgets. They interact with media sales representatives and create reports to optimize advertising efforts. A bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of experience are generally required.
Media Buying Director: They bring media plans to life by negotiating and purchasing advertising space across various platforms. They maintain client relationships and support their team in optimizing campaigns while staying within budget. This role usually requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree and around 8 years of experience.
Are you excited by strategy? Would you like to manage your own business within the umbrella of a larger business? Brand and Product Managers are the marketing strategists who direct all aspects of the marketing mix for their brand or product including guiding market research, managing product development, setting pricing and distribution strategy and working with advertising and public relations agencies to implement promotional strategy.
Careers in Brand and Product Management
Brand Manager: These roles involve creating and executing plans to maintain the health of global or regional brands. Responsibilities include developing marketing strategies, identifying growth opportunities through research, and managing daily brand activities. A bachelor’s degree and about seven years of experience, often with an MBA, are usually required.
Assistant Brand Manager/Specialist: These entry-to-mid-level roles support senior brand managers in executing brand strategies and tracking performance. Key tasks include managing budgets, assisting with market research, and implementing marketing initiatives. A bachelor's degree is typically needed, along with 2-4 years of experience.
Product Manager/Product Design Manager: These positions oversee the entire product development lifecycle, focusing on understanding customer needs and launching new products. Responsibilities include leading product research, design, testing, and ensuring market readiness. A master’s degree along with about six years of experience is typically required.
Product Marketing Manager: This role centers on positioning products and developing marketing plans, including pricing and promotions. Key tasks include overseeing marketing campaigns and collaborating with sales teams. A bachelor’s or master’s degree and around five years of experience are generally required.
Product Analyst/Specialist: These roles provide support to product teams by conducting research and analyzing data. Responsibilities may include market analysis, project tracking, and administrative support. A certification or a bachelor’s degree is often required, along with 0-3 years of experience.
Are you driven by numbers? Do you like understanding how people think and what drives their actions? Market research is a great way to use your talents for combining and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data.
Careers in Market Research
Market Research Manager/Director: These managers lead the creation and execution of market research projects to help businesses achieve their goals. They work with research teams, choose the right methods for gathering data, and communicate findings to clients. A bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and at least 6 years of experience are usually needed.
Market Research Analyst: Analysts gather and examine data about consumers, competitors, and market trends to understand attitudes and behaviors. They analyze this data and create reports based on their findings. A bachelor’s degree and around 3 years of experience are generally required.
Consumer Insights Analyst/Associate/Coordinator: These professionals research consumer preferences and needs. They analyze data to spot trends and provide insights that guide marketing and product development. Candidates typically have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and at least 2 years of experience.
Marketing Intelligence Specialist: Specialists collect and analyze data from various sources to understand industry trends and help the company stay competitive. They provide information that informs long-term business strategies and generally require a bachelor’s or master’s degree along with around 3 years of experience.
Market Research/Analyst (AI Focus): This emerging role focuses on analyzing market trends related to AI technologies. Analysts in this area study competitors and consumer behavior specific to AI and generate insights to improve marketing strategies. Typically, it requires a bachelor’s degree and over 6 years of experience.
Are you process oriented? Do you like planning weeks, months or years in advance? Well, this may be your calling. As a media planner, a lot rides on your ability to plan and execute with a very large media budget.
Careers in Media Planning
Sales Manager/Director: These professionals are responsible for developing and executing sales strategies and managing sales teams to meet and exceed targets. Their key tasks include understanding market trends, directing sales efforts, and building effective teams. A BA/BS, an MBA/MS, and around 7 years of experience are usually required.
Relationship/Account Manager/Director: These individuals manage the relationship with existing clients, focusing on increasing sales and preventing customer churn. Their responsibilities involve selling additional products or services, expanding client connections, and ensuring satisfaction. Candidates generally require a BA/BS and 5+ years of experience.
Business Development Manager: This role drives growth by identifying new customer opportunities and collaborating with sales teams. Responsibilities include generating leads, understanding industry trends, and potentially entering new markets. Typically, this position requires a BA/BS, an MBA/MS, and about 5 years of experience.
Business Development Associate/Sales Consultant: These roles assist Business Development Managers in generating leads and identifying business opportunities. Key tasks involve representing the company's offerings to potential clients and engaging in outreach efforts. A BA/BS and 2+ years of experience are usually necessary.
Do you want to be on the front line and really get to work with people? Careers in sales have often been the place where graduates gain a foothold in an industry. Many of today's CEO's started their careers in sales.
Careers in Selling and Sales Management
Sales Manager/Director: These professionals are responsible for developing and executing sales strategies and managing sales teams to meet and exceed targets. Their key tasks include understanding market trends, directing sales efforts, and building effective teams. A BA/BS, an MBA/MS, and around 7 years of experience are usually required.
Relationship/Account Manager/Director: These individuals manage the relationship with existing clients, focusing on increasing sales and preventing customer churn. Their responsibilities involve selling additional products or services, expanding client connections, and ensuring satisfaction. Candidates generally require a BA/BS and 5+ years of experience.
Business Development Manager: This role drives growth by identifying new customer opportunities and collaborating with sales teams. Responsibilities include generating leads, understanding industry trends, and potentially entering new markets. Typically, this position requires a BA/BS, an MBA/MS, and about 5 years of experience.
Business Development Associate/Sales Consultant: These roles assist Business Development Managers in generating leads and identifying business opportunities. Key tasks involve representing the company's offerings to potential clients and engaging in outreach efforts. A BA/BS and 2+ years of experience are usually necessary.
Do you have strong communications skills? Are you persuasive and quick thinking? Public relations is responsible for managing the public image of a firm and portraying it in the best light possible.
Careers in Public Relations
Media Relations Manager/Specialist: This role involves managing how a company communicates with the media to keep a good public image. Responsibilities include creating communication plans, writing press releases, building relationships with journalists, and handling media inquiries. To qualify, you typically need a bachelor’s degree, with at least a year of experience for a specialist position and eight years plus a master’s for a manager role.
Public Relations/Corporate Communications Manager: This position oversees all external communications and maintains the company's public image. Key tasks include daily communications, building relationships with stakeholders, and managing the public relations strategy. A bachelor’s degree and five years of experience are usually required.
Client/Customer Relations Manager/Specialist: This role is dedicated to building positive relationships with clients and addressing their issues. Responsibilities include managing client inquiries, developing customer service strategies, and ensuring customer satisfaction. A bachelor’s degree is needed, along with two years of experience for a specialist position and six years for a manager role.
Investor Relations Manager/Analyst: This position focuses on managing communication between the company and investors, particularly about stock and financial performance. Responsibilities include marketing the company’s stock, preparing reports for shareholders, and analyzing market data. A bachelor’s degree is required, with two years of experience as an analyst and eight years as a manager.
Social Media/Online Community Manager: This position manages social media campaigns and engages with online communities. Responsibilities might include maintaining social media platforms, responding to comments, launching community initiatives, and creating social media content. A bachelor’s degree is needed, with varying experience levels required based on the specific role, ranging from zero to three years.
Retail is much more than your summer job between high school and college. This is a dynamic industry with opportunities in a variety of marketing positions. As a marketing professional you will have the opportunity to plan the merchandise assortment, direct the flow on the sales floor and ensure that your business is meeting consumer needs.
Careers in Retail Marketing
Retail/Store Manager: This person oversees the daily operations of a retail store, ensuring customer satisfaction and adherence to company policies. They manage staff, maintain store standards, and focus on delivering a positive customer experience. Typically, they hold a bachelor’s degree and have at least 5 years of experience.
Retail Account Manager: This professional serves as the main contact for retail accounts, working to develop and maintain long-term relationships. They handle contracts, address customer requests, and ensure client satisfaction. A bachelor’s degree and around 3 years of experience are usually required for this role.
Retail Analyst: This role involves collecting and analyzing retail data to provide actionable insights that inform product and store strategies. Retail Analysts help optimize inventory management and product displays and typically need a bachelor’s degree and 0-3 years of experience.
Retail/Field Merchandiser: This individual focuses on the visual presentation of products in retail stores, managing inventory levels, and setting up displays to enhance product visibility. They typically require a high school diploma or an associate degree and are often entry-level positions.
E-commerce Associate/Specialist: This role focuses on executing online sales strategies and managing e-commerce activities, including website development and content creation. They ensure that online sales efforts align with company goals and typically require a bachelor’s degree and around 3 years of experience.
Career Resources
Past Hires
- Marketing Manager, Premier Law Associates
- Search Marketing & Social Media Specialist, Sesame Communications
- Marketing Manager, Sudden Values
- Market Research Analyst, Hebert Research
- Marketing Communications Coordinator, Dentra
- Survey Research Analyst, comScore
- Research Analyst, Hebert Research
- Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator, Pacific Science Center
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