Marketing has been the most sought-after and popular career option among management students. However, that should not sound surprising because anyone slightly familiar with marketing knows that it’s the most challenging and vibrant part of a business. It makes a brand stand out, and it is what the masses perceive. It is the image, the idea, the lifestyle, and the communication of a business to its consumers. It is about the free flow of creative juices and hardcore effort to make a place of reputation among the millions of other players in the market.
In the thriving social media and communication arena, the importance of good marketing has increased to new heights. On top of that, the amount of competition is daunting, given that everyone wants a piece of the cake. As a result, standing out as a business is becoming increasingly difficult. The challenges are tough, but the rewards are high as well. So, a career in marketing is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but it can be the most fulfilling for those willing to risk.
A career in marketing expects some skills from the budding marketer as well. Good communication skills, leadership and organizational skills, and time management are required. A willingness to learn and adapt to new skill requirements and work environment is as important as increasing awareness towards brands, consumer behavior, and technologies like social media, web analytics, search engine optimization, etc. People may also find other creative skills like content writing, graphic designing, video editing, and other presentation software as a value addition to their existing skills. A discussion on marketing is incomplete without mentioning the importance of digital marketing. Marketing guru Philip Kotler terms it as ‘Marketing 4.0’. The increasing use of digital media and communications and the rising economies have led marketing to this point where knowledge of digital marketing and analytics becomes imperative for new-age marketing professionals. Hence marketing aspirants could target increased competency by taking courses on web analytics, web designing, social media marketing, data analytics, and marketing research.
Marketing is a subject in business studies, but probably the most popular choice is the MBA. All B-schools provide a platform for developing marketing insight, and there are multiple career streams to choose from, given the opportunities of the digital world. Often, the career starts at the bottom, as a sales executive, marketing coordinator, public relations/communication executive, business development manager, social media manager, marketing analyst, sales manager, media planner, and the like. These are significant positions for gaining hands-on marketing experience on the ground and interacting with different departments.
After gaining experience of 3-4 years, one could move on to more significant roles like marketing manager, Brand manager, Sales manager, where one would be managing the sales of a more extensive area and plan and direct different marketing policies. The career path may lead to finding the role as a VP of marketing or brand development and even the chief marketing officer of a company, where one could be making marketing policies oneself besides overseeing and nurturing big brands. Salaries may vary from 2-5 lakh per annum at the entry-level, depending on various factors like job experience, skillset, academic background, etc. It may range from 15 to 20 lakhs in the middle level, while VPs and CMOs may earn as high as 3 to 40 lakhs per annum or even higher.
Given the immense scope of marketing, simply getting a job should not be the criteria for aspiring marketers. Instead, the goal should be to have more and more hands-on experience and a wide gamut of skills to count on for surviving the competition in the market. One should try to gain experience in advertising, sales promotion, public relations, marketing research, branding, etc. After their coursework and projects, MBA graduates can work in various companies, the most popular being in the FMCG sector (ITC, Marico, Dabur, HUL), financial companies (ICICI, Kotak life, Muthoot finance, PayTm), consulting (BCG, Deloitte, KPMG, EY) retail (Reliance, Aditya Birla, Flipkart), B2B sales companies(Amazon, IndiaMart), advertising (Ogilvy, Havas, Madison communication) and even technology solutions companies. One could also pursue a career in entrepreneurship, honing the unique skills of selling and marketing the product or service.
Without marketing, there are no sales, and without sales, there’s no business. This pervasive nature makes marketing one of the most challenging, rewarding, dynamic, and creative paths in management.
