What is the best path to pursue in a martketing career?

Hi

So - in my view, there is only one real place that marketing is going and that is towards a very data and technology driven industry. It used to be about the 4 P's of marketing, but now it looks very different. It has broadened out to being much more than those things to include e.g. Customer Experience, Data Management, Personalisation, Life Cycle Management, Social Media, experiential, etc - try looking up "The Modern Marketing Manifesto" from Econsultancy on Google - that give a great view on what marketing means these days.

However, at the core, you have to be much more technically aware than ever before. The marketing "capabilities" that a company has to employ are very sophisticated and complex, and need a solid understanding of tech to put in place and manage ... the more tech skills you have with this type of technology - the more advantage you will have.

Hi Alexa! You are already on a great path by knowing what you are interested in. I too was interested in Marketing after college, but as you have probably already found - there are a lot of avenues you could go into within the Marketing realm. My personal experience at a large corporation was starting in a general group that works cross-functionally with many others within the company. That opens a lot of doors and gives you an idea of what each organization does. It is a great way to find out what specialized areas you are interested in, and when you are ready to take the next step in your career, you are more aware of what you are passionate about and can better choose a direction to go in. Go in with the attitude of wanting to learn everything you can, and you will find what you are meant to do!

Hi Alexa!

This is a great question! From my own experience I did not focus on a specific area of Marketing in college. I instead decided that majoring in Marketing would give me the basics and foundation I needed to start my career. I ended up getting a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing and applied for several entry level jobs with companies that I knew had strong Marketing organizations. It wasn't until after being in the workforce for several years that I realized where my true passion was when it came to Marketing. It took hands on experience and working very closely with different Marketing departments to see what areas interest me the most. If you already know what type of area that is and want to get a specialized major that is great! I personally needed to gain experience to realize what specific areas in Marketing I was most interested in. I hope this helps answer your question and best of luck with your career!

-Christine

Hi Alexa,
First off, congrats for knowing what your area of interest is right from the start! A lot of people (myself included) would find that decision a tough one to make.
On your question, "Marketing" is very broad. The "Marketing" function would fit in a wide range of industries and companies: Hospitality (hotels), Technology companies, PC companies, Electronics and semiconductor companies, Hospitals & Healthcare companies, Automotive, Fashion, Manufacturing, Schools, Advertising and lots more. The content of what is being marketed may change from industry to industry, but the very core principle and understanding of "Marketing" remains the same, if not evolving over the years. In fact, just to add, the "Marketing" function may be split into several roles in a company: Social Media Marketing, Online Marketing, Marketing & Sales, Marketing Communications, Events Marketing, Product Marketing, Product Planning just to name a few.

If you're interested in marketing, don't worry about being specific to an industry (or role) at this point when you're just starting out. After you've had a feel of doing "Marketing" in a couple of industries (over the years), you will have a better feel of which specific industry, role, work environment, or even employer fits your preference. Have fun on the job, keep learning & read plenty of books that can help you grow and contribute in the company you work for. All the best! :)