Business administration is a wide field that incorporates many types of management positions. From major corporations to independent business, every operation needs skilled administrators in order to succeed. Business administration is a career that will provide many different areas of businesses to branch out into, which has lead me to marketing management.
It has been well known that in order for a business to grow it needs the help of promotion, publicity, and advertising; and that is what marketing management it is all about. Marketing is interesting and powerful when it comes to a hot product or service. It is a fact that now the internet makes magic with marketing making a hot product or service go viral by sharing the news in gossip. I have always believed that the best publicity any professional or business can get is the good reviews of their customers or clientele. This profession most likely goes with my personality and interest, being the reason why I choose to follow this path. This has been a recent decision since I have always envisioned myself on having my own business in the future.
Wanting to have my own business someday has been a lifetime decision, and has also influenced me on accomplishing this career. Pursuing this career will give the knowledge and skills needed to get my business off the ground with traction it needs to become sustainable. I am aware that starting a business involves planning, making key financial decisions, and completing a series of legal activities. I plan to start with money out of pocket if possible, but I also have the option of obtaining a start up financing. It is a huge step and a long process.
As a marketing manager I will need to plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, as well as create and implement strategies that help companies meet their sales objectives. I will need to stay side by side of changes in the marketing environment to best serve the objectives of the organization and adjusts plans accordingly. It will be necessary for me to conduct research, evaluate product demand, establish pricing strategies, identify a target audience, determine the best way to reach that audience, and also participate in a package design, develop advertising campaigns and choose media outlets, such as television, radio, internet, billboards or newspapers to promote their company’s products. It will be important to build brand awareness through e-mail campaigns, newsletters, contest, celebrity endorsements and product placement in television shows and movies.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that it is important to understand that marketing management has high-powered environments where in order to succeed a motivated and organized personality is needed. The environment that surrounds marketing is tough. Marketing is a fast paced and a demanding job. It involves constantly meeting and dealing with new people and clientele, as well as working with teams to develop strategies to maximize the company’s profits as well as ensuring satisfied customers. It is essential to be alert and up to date with the marketing shifts trends and to be able to oversee product developments as well as pricing and monitor trends that indicate new products and services.
The most necessary skills that I will need are strong communication, sales, and representation skills. I must be goal oriented, flexible, and creative under pressure because often I will be juggling several projects at once. I must have strong leadership skills and the ability to hire, train, motivate team members, and need to be capable in making important decisions. I will need to have strong budgeting, internet, and computer skills. Foreign language skills will also give an advantage for open positions.
The experience required varies depending on the company. Some jobs in marketing ask for 1-3 years of experience, while others ask for 5 or more years of experience. Most likely the better experienced person has a better chance at getting hired on the job.
As I was searching for a job opening I noticed that there is a market here in El Paso which gives me more options to apply for a job in the future. Based on indeed.com, this job is as a Sales and Marketing Coordinator in Vida Group & Technifind International, a growing executive search firm with ten offices worldwide. This position will give me the opportunity to grow into a leadership position within their company based on my abilities, success and creativity. It also warns me that there will be a sense of urgency in this role with short notice time-lines.
Marketing managers on average have a minimum of a bachelor degree in business administration although some companies may ask for a higher degree. It has been proven that a bachelor’s degree will advance knowledge with skills of organizational leadership, managing people and strategic planning. A bachelor degree will qualify me for a variety of business roles and it will leave me an extensive experience in marketing, advertising, brand management or sales. According to the El Paso Community College; The Associate of Arts Degree (A.A.) is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university. The A.A. degree requires 42 credit hours from the Core Curriculum and 18-24 credit hours from the Field of Study or particular area. Students must earn a minimum of 60 credits to graduate with the A.A. degree.For a bachelor’s degree a student must do an equivalent to 120 semester hours although some students end up doing more than 120 semester hours due to programs requirements.
I am planning to transfer to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) because I still have not decided if it will be possible to move to a different city in order to attend a better ranking university in business. UTEP is in the top 15 universities of Texas ranked at number 14 out of 83 universities based on a report of UNIVERSITIES IN TEXAS by University Web Ranking 2015, but on business it does not have many career concentrations. (Universities in Texas Web Ranking)
An internship is a great way to get experience and make connections that could lead to a job. It is advised by the U.S. News & World Report that while in school it is best to look for a marketing, sales or public relations internship that offers hands-on experience and to volunteer for a variety of projects. More importantly, it will help me connect with other marketing professionals.
There are currently no state exams or requirements to be certified in marketing management positions. Although there are some professional certifications available that if complete it will show professionalism in the field. The Marketing Research Association (MRA) offers professional certification (PRC) for market research analysts, for a price of $1,999.00. (Marketing Research Association) Becoming a Member in a professional organization, such as the American Marketing Associations (AMA), may also enhance job prospects through networking opportunities, job boards and seminars, for a cost of $47 for students. This organization recommends the Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) credential, which will allow me to demonstrate that I have mastered essential marketing practices and stay current in my professional knowledge, as well as follow high professional standards on the job.
Salaries and benefits always may vary based on company and demands. Based on Human Resources (HR) reported data, as of April 2015, the median annual salary for marketing managers in El Paso, Texas is $74,036. HR has also reported that the people who perform the job, 50% will end up making less, but there are also a percentage of people making more than the medium annual salary in El Paso. Marketing managers are employed in various industries throughout the United States. Texas is the fifth state with the highest employment level in this occupation paying a $67.63 hourly mean wage, a total of $140,680 annual mean wage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicted average job growth of 13% for marketing managers from 2012-2022. Marketing management has advantages and disadvantages just like any other job. The positive effects of this job is that it will keep me active, it will allow me to meet people, and it will give me the opportunity to do various things that I am interesting in; like sell and market. It is a career that is a demand for businesses to function. There are also negative effects like short time notices of changes on projects, many projects at once, and a probability of overwhelming responsibilities. A biggest negative effect for me is the traveling that it may require. As a protective mother it will be extremely hard to leave my children in somebody else’s hands for days. I do not think I will be able to do it. I would have to reject that part of the job until my children are able to defend and take care of themselves, there is no other way.
During my research I discovered interesting facts that made me aware that this profession is fascinating. Here are some interesting and fun facts about marketing. Seven percent of the American population has never heard of Facebook. Twitter was originally called Twttr but the name was changed a few months before it launched. Fifty percent of clicks on mobile banners are accidental. Pharmaceutical companies spend twice as much on marketing and advertising as they do on research. Taco Bell Chihuahua was a girl name Gidget, she passed away in 2009 from a stroke. Twenty percent of all internet page views come from Facebook. The average time spend on Facebook is 20 minutes per user.
This career of marketing management touches on tracking and review of a company’s marketing resources and activities. Using a company’s resources to increase its customer base, improve customer opinions of the company’s products and services, and increase the company’s perceived value. It is a career that will give me incredible room to growth in the field. Without a doubt it is definitely a challenging and rewarding career. I will need to get prepared with all it requires in order to get to where I want to be. It made me aware of how demanding it is that I consider it to be something scary but not impossible. I have a fast pace life, sometimes not enough time. I have a lot of responsibilities and manage several things at once, so it kind of giving me an idea of what to expect when it comes with juggling different projects at once. This research has definitely inspired me to keep on track during my journey to a better future.
