Question

Topic: Career/Training

How To Begin A Career In Strategic Marketing?

Posted by Anonymous on 2/13/2006 at 1:00 AM ET 125 Points
Hello,

I recently graduated from college with a degree in marketing (minor in sociology). What I am interested in career wise is strategic marketing which includes tasks such as promotional, pricing, distribution strategies, product management, brand management and business planning. Thus far my job experience has been with internships dealing with sales or customer service. The biggest problem I am running into is that every strategic marketing position I can find requires at least some experience in the field. Is my only hope to try and find work in corporate sales and then move over to marketing later or is there a better solution?

Thanks.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 2/13/2006 at 9:54 AM Accepted
    First, congratulations on your graduation. Welcome to our noble profession. Having intern experience is a good thing and a differentiator for you.
    Before I answer your question, I would ask you a question; "what is the long term goal of your career?" I assume you are shooting for the top.
    I personally believe that you should be looking at the sales based job. As you rise in an organization, you will eventually find yourself at the point where Marketing and Sales merge. In order to have credibility, you will need "customer face time" experience. If you don't get it now, you may find yourself competing with others who do have it. If you don't get it now, you may need to do it later after you have established your life (family, friend, two careers, etc).
    In my opinion, marketing professionals with successful, proven sales experience speak with a louder voice in the halls of business. (others may disagree)
    Frank Hurtte
    www.riverheightsconsulting.com
  • Posted on 2/13/2006 at 12:52 PM Author
    I appreciate the responses thus far and will give further input on what I have tried so far, am working on, am considering, and my future aspirations.

    Yes, I have accounts on careerbuilder and monster and search through there as well as through indeed.com which is a search engine for jobs.

    I am using what connections I have but by happenstance, most aren't useful for what I am interested in. I should have networked more in college looking back (I thought job experience, good GPA, good school would do it but no time to whine now).

    My career goal is land a job as a marketing director for a large corporation - I don't care much about the particular industry. I don't want to be a CEO as I'd like to have just enough time to enjoy family life whenever that comes. Plus, the responsibilities of a marketing director (managing all said strategies listed in original post) are really all that I'm interested in.

    Now, the problem is that I still can't find the appropriate job to get started in marketing. I'll spend more time looking through advertising and trainee jobs but even when I do find them (and am qualified) I don't get a response.

    To NoStress: By "- Research industries that interest you for informational contacts" does this mean I should cold call some marketing managers and basically ask them questions about what to do?
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