Marketing

Career Profile (Salary, Job Titles, Grad School Data)

Marketing encompasses business activities directly related to marketing goods and services to businesses (B2B), consumers (B2C) or both.  The role of marketing is a key factor in driving growth for many organizations. Marketing jobs are available at all kinds of organizations — large firms, startups, small businesses, and non-profits.   Marketing is no longer a one-size-fits-all job description, and the role is continuously changing as new technologies emerge.

At Gies, you may choose from three concentrations with the Marketing major:

1. Product Innovation & Design: An entrepreneurial interest in creative fields, design, and new product development

2. Promotional & Digital Marketing: Focuses on marketing strategy, marketing analysis, consulting, sales, general marketing office, digital and social media

3. Consumer & Marketing Analytics: For an interest in the growing field of data analytics and pricing



Career Opportunities for Marketing Majors

1. Marketing Assistant

Marketing assistant is a common position for recent graduates looking to gain entry-level experience. It's more of a general marketing position, allowing employees to interact with various aspects of a marketing department.  In this role, a person might help ensure a marketing department runs smoothly, working with upper management on tasks like maintaining schedules, conducting market research, organizing performance reports, and contributing to marketing campaigns led by other team members. Marketing assistants draw heavily on communication, interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills. On the job, you can anticipate sharpening your creative and analytical skills as they relate to ideating, executing, and assessing campaigns.

Marketing Manager

Generally, you're not going to step into the role of marketing manager fresh out of college. Most marketing careers start at the coordinator/assistant level (see above) or as sales representatives or public relations specialists. After gaining some experience, workers can assume a specialist role or become a manager. Managers can then move further up the ladder to director or C-level positions, such as chief marketing officer.

Marketing Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of goods, services, and employees. Managers are in charge of executing company goals.  Marketing managers organize and manage marketing campaigns to raise awareness of and generate demand for products and services. This broad definition can encompass a wide variety of activities including:

  • Designing, managing, and evaluating marketing campaigns
  • Directing social media engagement strategy
  • Managing budgets for marketing campaigns
  • Collaborating with advertising and creative departments
  • Reviewing advertising material for print and digital media
  • Preparing advertising contracts
  • Performing market research to find new opportunities
  • Managing marketing department employees
  • Analyzing market trends and conducting competitor research

The specialized marketing roles described below are becoming increasingly popular.

  • Channel marketing managers are generally responsible for revenue growth and lead generation through various reseller or intermediary B2B channels, such as wholesalers, retail buyers, and affiliates. It is their job to effectively market their company's product or services to other businesses who would ultimately sell those products and services.In addition to lead generation marketing efforts, channel marketing managers help build and manage distributor product launch plans, develop and manage sales incentive campaigns and loyalty programs, and ensure that all product standards are adhered to. Channel marketing managers must have a strong understanding of the sales process and the various target distribution markets.
  • Product marketing managers are responsible for driving customer demand, adoption, and growth for specific products within an organization's portfolio. This includes developing and executing the go-to-market strategy and overall product positioning during pre-launch and launch phases. Once a product is launched, product marketing managers develop campaigns and programs to help create demand, drive product adoption, and ensure that sales are meeting or exceeding expectations. They must have a deep understanding of the product they are marketing, the competitive landscape they are working in, and the customer buying cycle.
  • E-commerce managers are primarily responsible for driving sales through online e-commerce channels. This includes developing marketing plans and online merchandising strategies that can be effectively executed through digital storefronts and online marketplaces where products are sold on a direct-to-consumer basis. Day-to-day work includes managing product listings and updates; working on conversion rate optimization tactics; overseeing the online transaction functional process; auditing product sales performance; and managing the overall online user experience, which includes follow-up communications at various stages of the product purchasing cycle.
  • Lifecycle marketing managers are responsible for managing the entire customer process, from acquisition to conversion to retention. The role isn't much different from a traditional marketing manager role, except that this position is more focused on marketing automation and customer relationship management. Specific tasks include lead generation and nurturing, email campaign management, customer journey mapping, social media engagement, marketing campaign development and execution, and content development.
  • Growth marketing manager: In most companies, this position is responsible for improving overall revenue gains made through the development of specific growth strategies aimed at both acquisition and retention. Growth marketing managers rely heavily on data and performance analytics to look for short-term and long-term sales growth opportunities in specific target areas needing improvement. These professionals also conduct campaign tests and experiments to optimize the marketing process and maximize the return on investment.
  • Demand generation marketing managers build interest and demand for a company's products and/or services through the use of marketing technology tools and platforms. These professionals develop and execute marketing strategies and tactics designed to generate leads for the sales team, mostly in B2B environments. Demand generation touches every part of the sales funnel and bridges the gap between marketing and sales efforts to drive revenue. It also helps ensure exceptional customer experiences.

2. Consulting

Management consultants provide advice to senior and middle corporate managers about the operations or strategic direction of various functions in the company. Most consulting jobs are project-oriented assignments or engagements. Visit our consulting careers page for more information!

3. Market Research

Students who go into market research work for manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, trade and industry associations, market research firms, advertising agencies, the government, and non-profit agencies.   Market research analysts use market studies to discover how well a company's products or services may sell. In this multifaceted occupation, analysts work with detailed data about consumers, industry competitors, and various market conditions. This information is then presented to marketing managers or other decision-makers in the company.    Employment of market research analysts is projected to grow 18 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will be driven by an increased use of data and market research across many industries.

4. Retail

Expect to do some sales work or work as an Assistant Manager, managing one or several departments before advancing to a store management position or to a position that involves buying, advertising, location analysis and brand management.

  • Buyers or Merchandise Managers: Professionals who are merchandise managers are responsible for buying products and services for organizations to use or resell.  Buyers consider price, quality, availability, reliability, and technical support when choosing suppliers and merchandise.  Buyers who work for large organizations often specialize in purchasing one or two categories of products or services. Buyers who work for smaller businesses may be responsible for making a greater variety of purchases.  Employers are typically discount stores, mass merchangts, specialty stores, department stores, and grocery stores.
  • Store Management:  Develop quick decision-making, problem solving skills and communication skills to assist customers, manage employees, monitor promotions and sales goals and work with buyers.  Excellent organizational skills are necessary to oversee the daily operations of a store or a department.

5. Sales

Sales is the most interactive form of promotion. Today, companies often emphasize relationship-oriented sales processes that connect with other marketing activities. While marketing managers may create campaigns to drive interest, it's the sales team that seals the deal.  Sales roles can be business-to-business, direct marketing,  or account management and also includes service industries such as financial services, insurance, technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and others, however most sales jobs have the same goal. In sales positions, professionals present and discuss products or services in hopes of convincing others to buy.   Roles in sales require customer and sales-related tasks, in additional to analytical and quantitative skills.  The future of sales roles will place a premium on the ability to build client relationships, deepen industry knowledge, and importantly learn how to gain benefit and insight from sophisticated analytic tools.  Many sales roles now involve tasks in science and research, environment, as well as information technology.

Examples of "sales" roles include: Financial Services Sales Agents, Wholesale/Manufactoring Sales, Advertising Sales, Outside Sales Rep, Account Manager, Enterprise Software Sales, Business Development Representative, Regional Sales Manager and Recruiter.  *TIP: While cold-calling is traditionally associated with sales, it isn't required for every position. If the idea of dialing up potential customers out of the blue is too intimidating or unnerving, consider looking for an inbound sales job.

6. Marketing Operations manager

The primary role of marketing operations managers is to help optimize the overall marketing process in large organizations. As marketing automation becomes more prevalent, businesses find themselves needing professionals who can serve as links between marketing and information technology to ensure that marketing technology tools are producing the desired business outcomes in the most efficient manner. Marketing operations managers are generally more technically inclined individuals who also understand the marketing process. Although it's good to have some creative skills, it's more important to possess a strong understanding of analytics and software technology in this position.

7. Inbound/Digital Marketing

At a high level, digital marketing refers to advertising delivered through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email, and mobile apps. Using these online media channels, digital marketing is the method by which companies endorse goods, services, and brands. Common job titles include:

  • A digital marketing assistant is a "multiple hats" type of role, but it's focused specifically on web-related tasks. This could mean that one day you're working on social media campaigns and the next day helping out with putting together emails for an upcoming launch.
  • The job of the media assistant has changed as technology has developed, but the role is still incredibly important. You'll be helping to plan and execute marketing campaigns across all types of platforms—from traditional media like billboards and TV to digital-first media like social—so expect to find yourself working with lots of different people and teams. Budgeting is often a big part of the media assistant's job, so having a head for numbers can help you get ahead. You'll be monitoring media to ensure that ads are placed correctly, as well as reporting on coverage and outcomes from the ads.
  • Social Media Marketing Specialist If you're incredibly comfortable with the ins and out of different social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, working as a social media marketing specialist could be a perfect fit.  A key part of this job is community engagement, which means replying to customer or fan comments and messages. You'll also be responsible for putting together different types of posts for each platform, maintaining the social calendar, and monitoring or reporting on engagement to the senior members of the marketing team.
  • Email marketing specialists have access to audiences in an incredibly personal way–through their inbox! In this job, you'll build and manage customer email lists, develop new ways to encourage your audience to share their email with you, and test out messaging and designs to attract people to the company's site.
  • SEO Specialist:  You will use your ability to research, set measurable goals, and have a good grasp on content and writing for the web, in addition to utilizing technology tools to strategize brand placement on the web.
  • Affiliate marketing is a newer subset of the industry, but it's rapidly growing, so it's a good sector of marketing to explore in an entry level job. You'll help to manage the affiliate programs of a company, where commission is paid to either partners or customers when they generate sales for you. In this role, you'll likely spend time researching possible affiliate partners and contacting them, as well as ensuring that commissions are being received across your existing partnership base.
  • Content marketing oversee the production of content that drives traffic to an organization's website.

8. Graphic Design

Graphic design is a subset of content marketing that focuses more on the visual appeal of web and print content. Graphic designers typically work on website design, ad designs, and any graphics or images used in marketing or promotions.  The skills and qualifications required of graphic designers include proficiency in graphic design programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, knowledge of design elements, excellent verbal and visual communication skills, and experience creating visual art for marketing purposes

9. Marketing  Analytics

The more technology develops, the more time and budget companies are allocating to understanding the performance and growth influence of their marketing efforts.  Marketing analytics is the practice of managing and studying metrics data in order to determine the ROI of marketing efforts like calls-to-action (CTAs), blog posts, channel performance, and thought leadership pieces, and to identify opportunities for improvement. By tracking and reporting on business performance data, diagnostic metrics, and leading indicator metrics, marketers will be able to provide answers to the analytics questions that are most vital to their stakeholders. The occupational outlook for market research analysts suggests that there will be 22% growth from 2020 to 2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

10. Customer Service Representative

Customer service also falls under the umbrella of marketing. This is the use of proactive and problem-solving communication before, during and after product and service sales. You may work in a call center making calls to prospects or customers or receiving calls for service or support. Service reps also work directly with business and consumer buyers in person to resolve issues. Patience, a problem-solving attitude and good communication skills are vital in service jobs.

11. Business Development Manager

Business development managers use their marketing expertise to acquire new business opportunities that aid in their organization's growth. They have in-depth knowledge of not only the marketplace but also the competitors. They work with both the sales and marketing departments to strategically plan growth and marketing campaigns that result in profitability.



Building Your Marketing Skills

There are certain transferable skills that employers recognize as being present in the most effective employees. Students who major in marketing develop a number of these skills that can be used across industries.

Technical/Hard Skills For Marketing Majors

(technical skills are easily defined and measured competencies you gain through training or education)



How to Land Your First Marketing Job

Follow these steps to prepare for the job search process!

Use Keywords

When using job search platforms, such as Handshake, utilize keywords to find appropriate positions the industries you are interested in. Below are titles Gies Alumni have had:

Know How to Find These Opportunities

A simple way to get started is by learning more about the companies that hired Gies students in the past. Once you have identified your target companies, follow these companies on Handshake to be informed about opportunities and info sessions, in which you can network with recruiters and professionals. Below are employers who have hired Gies Marketing students:

Customize your Resume & Cover Letter

It's important to customize your application documents for the industry/position you will be pursuing. Highlight your relevant experience by incorporating desired skills and qualifications into your application documents. How does your experience align with the skills the employer is seeking?

Some of the important skills you may want to highlight:

  • Business management
  • Research
  • Sales
  • Leadership
  • Communication skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Storytelling
  • Creativity
  • Strategic thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Critical Thinking
  • Attention to detail
  • Data Analysis/Storytelling
  • Problem Solving
  • Copywriting
  • Social Media Platforms
  • Social Media Management
  • SEO
  • Graphic Design (Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, Creative Suite & Illustrator)
  • Typography (Fonts, Logo creatiion, spacing, storyboarding)
  • UI/UX experience (Sketch)
  • Technical Skills: Excel, Google Analytics
  • PowerPoint
  • Database queries (SQL, Access)
  • Find more skills here!

Job Boards For Marketing Roles

No one likes logging on to a dozen different platforms to find job opportunities, so we recommend starting with the Handshake job board.  Additional job boards can be helpful if you don't find what you are looking for.

National Retail Foundation Student Programs


The NRF Foundation Student Program in New York City gives college students the unique opportunity to launch their future careers in retail and experience all that the industry offers. Retail executives in marketing, merchandising, talent, entrepreneurship, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, supply chain, technology and more share their stories, insights, and what they learned in their careers, and students explore various careers paths in the retail industry, meet with dozens of recruiters from their favorite brands and create visions for their futures, all in just four days.

Learn More

L'Oreal Case Competition


L'Oréal Brandstorm is an innovation competition for everyone under 30.

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Friendly Support


Our customers love the comfort that comes with six-months free support. Our dedicated support forum makes interacting with us hassle-free and efficient.

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Tips for Landing a Marketing Internship

Opportunity Spotlight!  Covalent

We train fellows to become digital-marketing champions

  • Tell me about a marketing project in which you had to coordinate and manage a diverse team of people to achieve deliverables.
  • Give me an example of a marketing campaign (either your own or someone else's) that you consider to have been very successful.
  • Tell me about a campaign with which you were involved that did not go as well as expected. What do you think went wrong?
  • What do you consider the five most important aspects of successful marketing?
  • Tell me about a time when you successfully changed a customer's mind.
  • Give an example of a time when you accomplished a marketing activity on a tight budget.
  • How have you successfully incorporated online marketing tools into your previous marketing campaigns?
  • How familiar are you with our target market?
  • What marketing strategies would you consider using for our product?
  • Why are you interested in our product/service?

Interview Questions for Market Research Analyst

  • Let's look through your portfolio! Tell me about a design project that you're proud of and walk us through your process.
  • What process do you follow when analyzing competitors?
  • How do you interpret consumer behavior in an ever-changing market?
  • What methods do you use to present complicated data to management?
  • What is the biggest challenge in understanding consumer behavior?
  • Talk about a product that you think is marketed well. What kind of research contributed to those results?
  • How would you approach building a market in a new city? What information would you like to have to determine the best possible fit?
  • How would you approach analyzing our customers and competitors?
  • What do you think of our current marketing strategy? What would you do differently?

Interview Questions for Social Media Marketing Role

  • Let's look through your portfolio! Tell me about a design project that you're proud of and walk us through your process.
  • "What marketing channels do you have experience with?"
  • "Which analytics platforms are you familiar with?"
  • "Have you ever had to reconcile contradictory or misleading metrics from different platforms?"
  • "Tell me about a time where you recommended a certain action that turned out to be incorrect."Tell me about SEO and its relationship with social media.
  • "Tell me about SEO and its relationship with social media.""What are the relevant metrics for tracking ROI on social media?
  • "What are the relevant metrics for tracking ROI on social media?"How do you deal with negative comments or a brand reputation crisis?
  • "How do you deal with negative comments or a brand reputation crisis?"

Interview Questions for Sales/Sales Consulting/Sales Associate

  • What made you decide to start a career in sales consulting?
  • Explain in detail how you start and end the sales process.
  • What is the key for a sales specialist to effectively engage with the public as well as their co-workers?
  • Describe your experience in providing education and coaching to members of a sales team in order to improve effectiveness and efficiency?
  • Do you put a significant amount of importance on staying up-to-date on the latest sales trends? What do you do in order to accomplish this?
  • Sales support specialist often have to face difficult customers. How do you deal with challenging or irate customers?
  • What would you do if you were presented a problem by a client that you didn't know how to resolve?
  • How would you go about selling our service to potential clients?
  • How do you keep yourself organized and prioritize clients appropriately?

Interview Questions for Graphic Design

  • What made you decide to start a career in sales consulting?
  • Let's look through your portfolio! Tell me about a design project that you're proud of and walk us through your process.
  • What do you think makes someone a good designer?
  • What is the latest design campaign that you've seen and what do you like/or not like about it?
  • Where do you get design inspiration from?
  • Do you prefer to work as a team or solo?
  • What kind of design projects do you love to work on?
  • Were there any mistakes you've made as a designer and what did you learn from that experience?

Interview Questions for an Email Marketing Role

  • "Tell me about a time when you owned the process of an email campaign from beginning to end."
  • "Which tools do you use to report on the success of your email campaigns?"
  • "What companies do you follow that do email well?"
  • "If a customer writes a negative review of a product we're marketing, how would you respond?"
  • "How do you manage the launch of a new product?"
  • "Give an example of a goal you had to achieve, the metrics you used as benchmarks, and the strategy that you implemented. Did you meet the goal?"

Interview Questions for a Content/SEO Marketing Role

  • "What techniques do you use the measure the quality of your work?
  • "What steps do you take to ensure the desired quality is achieved?"
  • "How did you grow traffic in your last role?"
  • "What were your content promotion strategies?"
  • "What is your favorite piece of recent content?"
  • What are the steps you take to optimize a website?
  • What tools do you use to track and manage your campaigns?
  • How does social media play into an SEO strategy?
  • How do you do keyword research?

Sample Interview Question with Response

"Tell me about a time you worked well as part of a team"

"When I was a junior, I worked on a case project for a marketing class where six of us were asked to simulate the marketing activities of a hypothetical business. We were asked to develop and manage a marketing plan and make recommendations for approaches. Early on we floundered to find a focus. I suggested that we focus on an advertising strategy within social media.

I led a discussion about the pros and cons of that topic and encouraged a couple of the more reticent members to chime in. Two of the group members didn't initially embrace my original proposal.

However, I was able to draw consensus after incorporating their suggestion that we focus on targeted advertising within Facebook based on target users' interests. We ended up working hard as a group, receiving very positive feedback from our professor, and getting an A grade on the project."

Interviewing Skills For Graphic Designers and Creative Professionals

PHilip VanDusen