Marketing & Sales

Marketing, advertising and Public Relations are all popular career choices for graduates who can combine both creative and commercial talents. Jobs are open to graduates of any degree, though a qualification in marketing, business or communications will give you a distinct advantage.

Marketing is about promoting the goods or services of an organisation. There are significant opportunities for graduates within larger organisations, particularly in the Retail sector.

Types of careers include:

• Account managers: responsible for formulating strategies and agreeing on timescales and budgets for delivery. They are in contact with clients and will pass on their requirements to the other members of the team working on the project.
• Marketing assistants: help account managers.
• Marketing creatives: produce copy or artwork for the campaign, based on the client requirements set out by the account manager.
• Marketing executive: develop sales strategies, attract new clients, evaluate the performance of campaigns.
• Direct marketing executive: communicating directly to consumers, e.g. via telemarketing or direct mail.
• Other related jobs include conference management, direct marketing, exhibition display design, market research, marketing management, media analysis and social research.

Public Relations is closely linked with marketing and is about managing the reputation and public perception of companies, organisations and individuals. The aim is to build and maintain goodwill in the eyes of stakeholders and the public. Types of careers include:

• PR officer: works in-house, often as part of a marketing team
• PR consultant: a similar role, but in a consultancy.

Advertising is also about promoting awareness and managing the brand image of a company and its products/services. Roles within the industry range from the creative, as a copywriter or designer, to commercial roles concerned with maintaining client accounts and planning advertising campaigns.