So you are looking to become a marketing specialist? A marketing specialist is in charge of many of the marketing companies duties such as strategic planning in identifying potential markets for a product, new product development, promoting products, market budgeting and much more. A marketing specialist is a general term for more specific types of marketing specialists including product/sales managers, promotional managers, marketing manager, advertising managers, and public relation managers.
First off, you have to decide what field interests you, is it sales? Advertising? Public relations? Earning your bachelor degree in business administration or BBA, bachelor of science in business administration or BSBA with a focus on a specific field of your choosing will help you begin your path to your marketing specialist career. For example, marketing managers play a very important role in the company's success by analyzing and identifying market places, and pricing products to help the company gain the most profits. Marketing managers are always looking to find the next potential consumer to buy their product. Promoting a product can become highly expensive so there are advertising mangers to determine how much to advertise in a particular area by analyzing data consumer trends. One of the questions that would be asked is: ''Is it cost effective to spend a certain number of dollars to advertise in a particular market place to make a profit''?
Entering an internship while in school will be highly beneficial because it will provide you with hands on training in the real world as you earn your degree. It is important to be as versatile as possible and have the right education for yourself. Many employers want well-rounded students who have knowledge in business finances too such as statistics, accounting, business law, art history, and consumer behavior.
Another skill that can set you apart form the rest of the pack is learning another language and being able to communicate effectively with people from other countries. This will greatly increase your chances of becoming a successful marketing specialist. The whole world doesn't speak English so by broadening your communication skills this will open many doors for you. In addition to your business administration degree taking language courses will be a smart investment for your career. One of the most important aspects of becoming a successful marketing specialist is speech communication. You must have good communication skills to effectively deliver marketing plans, strategies, and business analyst data. The majority of the job is communicating with teams and individuals by solving problems and creating solutions.
Education in becoming a marketing specialist will vary depending on which field you focus on more. Many employers favor those who have a business administration bachelor or masters degree with a focus in marketing, public relations, or advertising. Those who take the initiative with continual education will rise quickly within the company. There is always the opportunity for advancement because some employers offer additional certifications for competence and the overall excellence of your job performance. In many cases those who do start out in the marketing specialist industry usually are sales representatives first and work their way up the ladder and become managers of their specific field. This is a good way to develop a report with clients and costumers establishing relationships for future business.
Competition in the marketing specialist field is highly competitive because you are looking to get a leg up on the next man or woman in trying to create the most innovative, effective way to market a product. Understanding consumer trends, what is ''hot'' what is not will be a tool used to determine which products have the best chance of selling in their designated market place.
There are just around 1.6 million marketing specialist and that number is expecting to increase minimally over the next decade. The average work week is 40 hours but many marketing specialists work overtime including nights and weekends. The job can be a long stressful one with constant deadlines which have to be met with occasional travel.
Earnings for those in the marketing specialist field will vary depending on which type of marketing you are in. For example, recent graduates will make between $33,000-$40,000 in their first year on average. Marketing managers who have experience can earn as much as $98,000 per year and those who market computer system design can make nearly $120,000 per year. Sales/marketing managers salaries depend on which type of good they are selling and the size of the market they are selling to. Sales/marketing managers can earn as much as $113,000 for professional equipment suppler wholesalers. Marketing specialist can make a substantial living for themselves if they are motivated, have great communication skills, and stay up-to-date with new products and items to promote.
