Best Careers in Marketing (Part 1)

As the new era of the digital age transforms the way we live and work, exciting new careers and opportunities are emerging for job seekers, employees and even entrepreneurs. This “Best Careers Series” is a collection of articles that showcase the most popular and current types of jobs in a specific field or industry. May this give you career options and guide you in choosing the right career path.

For this month, let’s look at MARKETING-RELATED JOBS. We will explore what these entail, the skills required to do the work, the advantages and disadvantages of choosing these jobs and tips on how to get into them. Check them out and see if any of these careers tickle your fancy.

INTERNET MARKETER

As more and more people tune into the interactive world of the internet, many business firms and advertisers are realizing that this is a potent medium to reach their target market. This has opened up new opportunities for internet savvy individuals and a new career has emerged in the form of Internet Marketing. Some companies hire and employ Internet Marketers, but this is the type of job that can be done on a freelance basis too. Or if you have the entrepreneurial spirit, you can even start your own business that specializes in Internet Marketing.

What Skills Will You Need to Become an Internet Marketer? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be an IT specialist to become an Internet Marketer. You need to have a pretty good grasp of the practical side of Marketing and the Internet though. Skills that will really help you are coordination skills, computer skills, persuasive writing and an eye for visual design. You will also need a little web design know-how and a lot of patience in learning and working with internet tools. You will find a lot of information about this in the place where it was born---the internet, but if you want to fast-track your learning, you can attend seminars that are conducted by experienced Internet Marketers. They can direct you on the best tools around to make your work a lot easier and faster.

Pros & Cons: The great thing about being an Internet Marketer is that it isn’t a physically challenging job. If you have a laptop, you can even work anywhere, anytime in places that have internet connection. The downside to this is that you will be dating and spending a lot of time with your computer or laptop which could drain you a bit, give you Computer Vision Syndrome and Carpel Tunnel Syndrome---conditions that you can prevent by taking a break, drinking your mocha latte and stretching your muscles every once in awhile.

PROFESSIONAL EVENTS MANAGER

This is another career that has become popular during the past few years. If you are considering a career in Professional Events Management, you may specialize in two types of events – Corporate Events or Special Occasion Events.

Corporate Events Management involves marketing activities for a Company or Organization such as Product Launches, Fund-raisers, Concerts, Political Campaign Rallies and Conventions. Some companies employ Events Managers and Coordinators full-time, while others hire on a part-time or freelance basis.

Special Occasion Events Management is focused on the important milestones and celebrations of people like Baptismals, Debuts, Weddings and Anniversaries. Most Events Managers of this type are self-employed or works on a freelance basis.

What Skills Will You Need to Become a Professional Events Manager? Professional Events Managers need a high level of leadership and communication skills. It is a job that entails working closely with people from all walks of life. As an Events Coordinator, you will organize the event down to the last detail. You will plan, organize, manage and market the event, as well as trouble-shoot emergencies. Skills that will help you succeed in this field are time management, basic computer know-how, budgeting, marketing and people management.

Pros & Cons: This is an exciting field to be in. If you enjoy working with people and the challenge of putting up a live show, then this will give you a thrilling ride. Definitely not your typical nine-to-five job, a career in Professional Events Management can be stressful and physically demanding. But armed with the right mind-set, attitude and know-how, it can be a lucrative and fun career.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST

This job comes in many names and titles. People who practice marketing communications include those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphics design, packaging, promotions and public relations. Experienced people are hired by companies as Marketing Communication Managers, Marcom Managers, Brand Equity Managers or simply Marketing Managers; while those who are just starting out may be hired as a marketing executive or assistant, graphics designer, public relations officer, creative writer or artist. Other practitioners are self-employed or hired on a freelance basis.

What Skills Will You Need to Become a Marketing Communication Specialist?
If you want a career in Marketing Communications, you will need to know the principle behind Integrated Marketing Communications---simply put, it is the creation and execution of marketing materials with a consistent message, the same “look and feel” that strengthens the marketing effectiveness of a company’s products and services. The skills that you will need in order to succeed in this field are persuasive writing skills, graphics design & lay-out, commercial arts and photography.

Pros & Cons: If you have an artistic side and enjoy creating brochures, posters, banners, websites---various marketing materials that sell, this would be a good career for you. Almost every business requires marketing materials, so the need for this type of work is constant. If you are a hired Marketing Communications Professional, this field can give you a stable and rewarding income. If you go for self-employment, it could be lucrative but not as stable as you will constantly need to find customers.

These are just some of the most popular careers in the field of marketing today. More jobs will be featured in Part 2. Till then, good luck in finding the right career for you. (To be continued)

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on Business Management, Human Resource, Sales and Marketing Courses. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com