What’s it all about then?

You’ll be involved in the planning, development and implementation integrated marketing campaigns which promote one or more of your company’s products, or the company itself.

Your aim is to help maximise profits through increased sales or market share on the company’s range of products by developing sales strategies that fit with the needs of your customer base.

It’s extremely varied work and you could be involved with a variety of different products marketing campaigns at any one time.

What might I be doing?

Your responsibilities are likely to vary with the size of your company but you’ll find that the following range of tasks is typical for the job:

• Liaising with customers, colleagues and  suppliers
• Managing the production of various marketing materials
• Writing and proofreading copy
• Liaising with designers and printers
• Organising photo shoots
• Maintaining and updating customer databases
• Organising and attending events
• Contributing to, and developing, marketing plans and strategies
• Managing budgets
• Running marketing campaigns via different media
• Evaluating marketing campaigns
• Monitoring competitor activity
• Working as part of an effective marketing team

What will be expected of me?

You’ll need to be is a creative type of person but one that is exceptionally well-organised, able to manage lots of different projects at any one time and have to an analytical mind.

You’ll have really strong written and oral communication and negotiation skills and the ability to dealing with people at all levels.

You’ll be able to cope with pressurised and often fast-moving situations and use your initiative to solve any problems as they arise – or avoid them in the first place.

Your computer skills will need to be excellent and you’ll also need to have strong written and verbal skills.

Finally, you’ll need to have a tremendous amount of drive and be prepared to work as many hours as it takes to get the job done.

What can I expect?

You’ll be office based with a fair bit of travel to meet with customers and suppliers and to attend events.

Whilst a 9am to 5pm schedule is the norm there will often be times when you’ll have to work outside these hours - especially when balancing campaigns for different products.

What about the pay?

You might start as a graduate trainee earning under £20,000 a year - however you can expect this to rise as you build a successful career in marketing.

With more experience you could well be earning more than £30,000

What qualifications do I need to get in?

A marketing degree or a degree with a lot of marketing content is normally a requirement for the marketing executive job.

What about further training?

There are a variety of postgraduate courses that you could consider either as a fulltime option after you graduate or on a part time basis as an employee. 

Alternatively there are a range of courses available from professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, for example the Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.

You might also want to consider membership of a professional body, which will mean you’re always up to date with latest news and events, as well as demonstrating your commitment to your role.

Anything else I might need to know?

Yes, marketing is one of the most popular career choices for graduates so expect a lot of competition!

However, it’s well worth it because the work is varied and rewarding and opportunities for promotion to senior roles are excellent.