4 answers
Morgan
Student
Rock Hill, South Carolina
1
Question
Asked
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I am a high-school student wishing to join the Marketing world. What are some tips to get me on the correct path for this profession?
I want to attend a HBCU to further my education to get me on the right path. What is the highest level of math required? What type of skills will I need to have? I am very materialistic, so with this career will I be able to afford my lifestyle?
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4 answers
Jerry Kerrisk
Product Management
2
Answers
Darien, New York
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
Hi Morgan,
Being very materialistic is good as long as it is not overdone. On the positive side it will drive you to perform at your very best. After all no one gets over-rewarded for average or poor performance. However the negative side can lead to undue stress as you will never think you have achieved enough. Balance is important so try establishing what is enough before you start. Once you reach that goal celebrate, enjoy yourself and do not immediately push for more. When some time has passed create more goals. They need not be materialistic. I have found the when starting out material goals work best but as you gain financial freedom other things become more important. The one thing you must be careful with is arriving at financial freedom but realizing you neglected other things like family, friends, health etc. So again balance is the key!
Now on to your Marketing and Math question. I am guessing math is not your favored subject. It was not mine. With today’s tools doing actual math is a bit easier as long as you understand the concepts. Most times in business you will need to know the concepts of Statistics. I recommend you get your hands on a book called Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan. It does a good job of explaining concepts that will be important. The direct answer to your math question is, if you are looking at Marketing take the level of math you are comfortable with especially if you are looking at the creative side of Marketing. If you are looking at Marketing analytics then math becomes much more important and you may need to take advanced statistic classes.
One last thing, if you are looking to make the most money Sales may be a better fit for you. Unlike Marketing where you will get paid a salary, Sales offers you a smaller salary but with a much higher earning potential. Sales will be more stressful as you need to produce, but if you do it’s a quicker road to financial independence. With Sales you need less math skills and much more people skills. Successful sales people in my opinion are outgoing, thick skinned (to take all the rejection), and very hard workers (more than 40 hours a week).
Hope these thoughts are of help. In closing you are on the right track in that you are investing in your education. Keep up the hard work and you will achieve your goals.
Being very materialistic is good as long as it is not overdone. On the positive side it will drive you to perform at your very best. After all no one gets over-rewarded for average or poor performance. However the negative side can lead to undue stress as you will never think you have achieved enough. Balance is important so try establishing what is enough before you start. Once you reach that goal celebrate, enjoy yourself and do not immediately push for more. When some time has passed create more goals. They need not be materialistic. I have found the when starting out material goals work best but as you gain financial freedom other things become more important. The one thing you must be careful with is arriving at financial freedom but realizing you neglected other things like family, friends, health etc. So again balance is the key!
Now on to your Marketing and Math question. I am guessing math is not your favored subject. It was not mine. With today’s tools doing actual math is a bit easier as long as you understand the concepts. Most times in business you will need to know the concepts of Statistics. I recommend you get your hands on a book called Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan. It does a good job of explaining concepts that will be important. The direct answer to your math question is, if you are looking at Marketing take the level of math you are comfortable with especially if you are looking at the creative side of Marketing. If you are looking at Marketing analytics then math becomes much more important and you may need to take advanced statistic classes.
One last thing, if you are looking to make the most money Sales may be a better fit for you. Unlike Marketing where you will get paid a salary, Sales offers you a smaller salary but with a much higher earning potential. Sales will be more stressful as you need to produce, but if you do it’s a quicker road to financial independence. With Sales you need less math skills and much more people skills. Successful sales people in my opinion are outgoing, thick skinned (to take all the rejection), and very hard workers (more than 40 hours a week).
Hope these thoughts are of help. In closing you are on the right track in that you are investing in your education. Keep up the hard work and you will achieve your goals.
Ashley Westfall-Crawford
5
Answers
Updated
Ashley’s Answer
Hi Morgan,
It's a great thing that you know you have an interest in Marketing. My initial advice would be to identify what brand or product you might like to market. It's such a general profession that you can apply the basic skills to any industry. For instance, you could help market anything from clothing brands, entertainment experiences, restaurants, destinations via a visitor's bureau, etc. Figuring out what your sub-interests are will point you in the direction of next steps. Start by listing out what you like to do in your spare time and try to find the similarities. For example, if you like listening to music, you could be a marketer / PR rep for a band or record label and get your foot in the door by interning at a radio station. Or if you like movies, you could set the goal of being part of a team a a film studio that develops fun campaigns to promote blockbuster hits.
It's always such a thrill to think about all of the opportunities that lie ahead of you.
Best of luck!
Ashley
It's a great thing that you know you have an interest in Marketing. My initial advice would be to identify what brand or product you might like to market. It's such a general profession that you can apply the basic skills to any industry. For instance, you could help market anything from clothing brands, entertainment experiences, restaurants, destinations via a visitor's bureau, etc. Figuring out what your sub-interests are will point you in the direction of next steps. Start by listing out what you like to do in your spare time and try to find the similarities. For example, if you like listening to music, you could be a marketer / PR rep for a band or record label and get your foot in the door by interning at a radio station. Or if you like movies, you could set the goal of being part of a team a a film studio that develops fun campaigns to promote blockbuster hits.
It's always such a thrill to think about all of the opportunities that lie ahead of you.
Best of luck!
Ashley
Patricia Marie Lafiguera
Consultant
3
Answers
Rosemead, California
Updated
Patricia Marie’s Answer
Hi Morgan! Generally, starting out in a marketing agency will not pay a lot but pay will increase with career progress. There are many ways to be a marketer (agency/ consulting/ in-house meaning you are within a specific company as their marketing person). I would recommend exploring the marketing career through Onet https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2021.00 which gives you a better idea of current market trends and current average pay, as well as the level of education needed. Good luck and take care!
Explore marketing career through onet https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2021.00
Patricia Marie recommends the following next steps:
sheila singh
marketing
4
Answers
Jersey City, New Jersey
Updated
sheila’s Answer
Marketing is a very interesting field. I highly recommend you start with looking at marketing that is currently out there. Go to any social media page and look at the ads. How do they look? What is the message? Which brands do you like? Why do you like them? Which brands do you not like and why? Watch tv commercials and think about how they get your attention, how they position and promote the product or service. After you get this research in, you have the a very basic framework for what marketing is. The next step I suggest is that you take a marketing course. You could focus on digital marketing, social media marketing, google ads, or even traditional marketing (like what you see on packages of food or billboards). After you take a course (there's even free courses online), think about what your interest is and look for an internship in that particular role of marketing. Once you master the internship, you will have learned much more on marketing and will be ready to start a promising career in the field!