One field in the business industry that continues to grow is the field of marketing, which is the umbrella department for things like advertising, public relations, media planning and sales. A marketing specialist or director can do any of these jobs individually and occasionally does all of them in some capacity. He or she acts as an intermediary between the public and a company and maintains a business' image.
While on the job, marketing specialists may be the person enticing new customers to a company or the one talking to reporters to promote the good things a company is doing or how it is working against something the public sees as negative. The work that crosses a marketing specialist's desk can vary or the specialist can be focused solely on a single task, like developing advertising campaigns or press releases.
Having a four-year degree is almost a necessity to break into the marketing field, but the graduate does not necessarily have to be a marketing major. A number of those in marketing have some form of business or language degrees -- this can include English or journalism degrees -- that show the candidate has experience in the basics of working for a company or a strong communication ability, respectively. Still, those only make up about half of the applicants who enter the field. Some of those who find success in marketing careers may have been biology or psychology majors; in fact, psychology majors make almost a tenth of those in the profession.
Above all else, someone in marketing must have the ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing and verbally, organize and interpret complex data, generate new ideas and express those ideas clearly, and recognize problems as well as ways to resolve them.
Marketing also pays a solid starting salary, with specialists making between $34,000 and $51,000, according to payscale.com, and directors' salaries beginning at $50,000 and topping $100,000. A career in the field can have opportunities for bonuses and profit sharing on top of the base salary. After a few years on the job, someone in the field of marketing will find their earnings are making that four-year degree pay off well.
Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
The salary range for Marketing begins around $34,000 and usually tops out around $51,000, with a mean in the neighborhood of $42,500. This is about 2% lower than the national average for annual salaries.
In order to qualify for most Marketing positions, you typically need to have a Bachelor's Degree or higher.
Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
The growth outlook for Marketing careers is estimated at about 13% while the estimated growth for all career fields over that same span is at about 10.12%. Over the next six years, Marketing jobs are expected to grow at a 28% higher rate than the national average for annual salaries.