By: The Capella Editorial Team with Bradly Roh, PhD, DBA and Interim Dean and Vice President for the School of Business, Technology and Health Care Administration
Reading Time: 9 minutes
You have creative ideas, an analytical streak and the drive to make an impact. With a career in marketing, you can bring those strengths together and help organizations connect with audiences and achieve their objectives.
Marketing is expanding rapidly as technology and AI transform the way brands connect with people. Across industries, companies need professionals who can interpret data, build a strategy and communicate clearly. These skills make marketers valuable and adaptable in today’s job market.
If you’re exploring this path, you might be wondering what educational steps can help you get started and how to build the right skills while still keeping your life on track.
Explore how to build a career in marketing, the different marketing paths available, the essential skills for each and how flexible online learning can help you in your career while maintaining the balance that matters most.
Ready to earn a marketing degree? Enroll now.
Marketing is a dynamic field that requires you to be on your toes. You’re always learning something new as trends evolve and consumer behaviors shift. The field offers many specializations, each with unique opportunities to make your mark. Learning more about each will help you choose a path that aligns with your interests and goals. Here are different types of marketing careers and the skills you’ll need to develop. We’ll also cover related job titles you can explore. Some are entry-level positions, while others may require some experience.
Marketing is a dynamic field that requires you to be on your toes. You’re always learning something new as trends evolve and consumer behaviors shift. The field offers many specializations, each with unique opportunities to make your mark. Learning more about each will help you choose a path that aligns with your interests and goals.
Here are different types of marketing careers and the skills you’ll need to develop. We’ll also cover related job titles you can explore. Some are entry-level positions, while others may require some experience.
Companies traditionally used to reach customers through print ads, billboards and TV commercials. That’s changed thanks to the internet.
Digital marketing encompasses online channels like website blogs, social media and paid advertising. From crafting compelling content to fine-tuning campaigns, the role blends creativity with strategic problem-solving to connect brands to more customers. It also requires staying current on emerging technologies and the latest industry trends.
Essential skills: You should have a firm grasp of search engine optimization (SEO) fundamentals and know your way around social media platforms to pursue a career in digital marketing. Analytical thinking and communication skills are essential for analyzing data and presenting findings to stakeholders.
Potential job titles to explore include:
Note that the titles listed here and in the rest of this article are intended to serve as a guide. Capella cannot guarantee any role or job opportunity.
Effective brand management differentiates companies in competitive markets. It focuses on managing and maintaining a brand’s identity to drive customer recognition.
The goal is to boost perceived product value and improve customer loyalty. Professionals in this specialization create and implement strategies to shape how people perceive a company.
Essential skills: Strategic thinking is crucial, along with strong storytelling capabilities. Understanding consumer psychology can also help you craft compelling narratives that resonate with your target audience. Effective communication skills are also crucial for facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
Potential job titles to explore include:
Product marketing involves introducing a new product to the market and communicating its value to target audiences. Companies that effectively position their products can differentiate themselves in competitive markets.
Professionals in product marketing roles develop and implement go-to-market (GTM) strategies to position and promote a product. They’re also involved in crafting the messaging around a product launch and determining the channels to distribute content.
Essential skills: Strong strategic thinking skills are a must. You’ll need to understand your customers and develop marketing strategies that effectively position a company’s product.
A leading content strategist, Ann Handley, reminds us that the strongest work starts with a deep understanding of the people you serve. When you focus on their needs with genuine empathy and let them take center stage, your message becomes more compelling and meaningful, and that’s what helps you stand out.
Potential job titles to explore include:
Market research utilizes consumer insights and market trends to inform marketing decisions, including pricing, distribution channels and promotional strategies.
With market research, you can work with companies to uncover insights and find ways to create better customer experiences.
Essential skills: Statistical analysis and data visualization are fundamental. You should be familiar with tools like Excel, SQL and Tableau to create visualizations and know how to communicate findings to non-technical stakeholders.
Potential job titles to explore include:
If you’re a highly creative individual, a career in advertising could be a good fit. This area of marketing involves using visual storytelling and writing to promote products or services.
Essential skills: Creativity is the obvious one, but another key skill is conceptual thinking or putting together “big ideas” for a campaign. Depending on your role, you’ll need to be familiar with various tools. Some examples include Adobe Creative Suite, HubSpot or document collaboration suites like Google Workspace.
Potential job titles to explore include:
Marketing offers space for creativity, strategy and continuous growth. Once you’ve explored potential roles and found where your interests align, the next step is building the skills and experience to move forward.
Whether you’re new to marketing or have some experience, it’s not too late to explore a career path in this field. Flexible online learning means you can adapt your learning to your lifestyle, while maintaining a balance between work and personal commitments.
Here’s how you can explore a career path in marketing:
Marketing encompasses many specializations, each requiring a different set of knowledge and skills. You don’t have to specialize now, but it’ll help focus your learning.
Ask yourself these questions to narrow your choices:
For example, if you enjoy working with data and solving problems, a role in market research or analytics might be a good fit. If you’re the creative type and have a knack for storytelling, consider a career in product marketing or advertising.
If you’re new to marketing, you’ll need to learn marketing fundamentals to break into this field.
A Bachelor of Science in Business, Marketing degree is a great way to do so. You’ll gain valuable skills you can apply to real-world challenges. Examples include learning how to conduct market research to understand consumer behaviors and developing targeted campaigns across different channels.
Of course, balancing coursework isn’t easy with a busy schedule, but that doesn’t have to keep you from pursuing your educational goals. Capella’s GuidedPath learning format gives you the flexibility to access your coursework whenever, from wherever. The program also features weekly check-ins and fixed deadlines to keep you accountable and engaged throughout your studies.
In addition to formal education, you can use free resources available to learn the basics. These include Google Digital Garage and HubSpot Academy. These resources offer courses on everything from SEO to social media marketing and data visualization. They’re a great way to familiarize yourself with the field and help you decide whether it’s right for you, before embarking on further education.
(Google Digital Garage and HubSpot Academy are independent third-party learning platforms. Capella University is not affiliated with these organizations, and reference to them is for informational purposes only.)
Theory can only take you so far. You’ll want to gain practical experience to understand how marketing principles apply in real-world situations to meet specific objectives.
Here are some examples of how you can gain experience:
These types of projects are excellent learning opportunities. More importantly, they’ll help you learn the kind of work you enjoy most.
Employers want to see evidence of your work. Building a career portfolio demonstrates your expertise and establishes credibility with potential employers. Use platforms like WordPress or Wix to create a professional-looking portfolio.
Capella University is not affiliated with these products, and reference to them is for informational purposes only. Here’s what you should include:
Here’s an example of an online portfolio:
It describes what a client was looking for and how their needs were addressed. Similarly, for each project, you’ll want to explain the challenge and your approach for solving it. Even if you don’t have impressive metrics yet, showing your thinking process is still valuable.
The marketing field is constantly changing, so continuous learning is essential.
For example, AI tools like ChatGPT are changing marketing content creation. Understanding how these tools work can aid rather than hinder your progress.
Follow industry blogs, subscribe to marketing newsletters and engage with marketing experts on social media. You can also attend conferences to stay current.
Professionals typically begin their careers in entry-level roles, such as marketing assistant or social media coordinator.
As they gain more experience in the field, many move on to mid-level roles, such as digital marketing specialist, social media specialist or communications specialist, where they develop strategy and lead small teams.
Advancing to more senior roles involves taking on broader strategic responsibilities and managing larger teams. These could include digital marketing manager, brand manager and product marketing manager.
No matter your background, there’s a marketing specialization for you. Breaking into the field requires hard work, but it can be a rewarding professional path with ample potential growth opportunities.
Some people worry about earning the qualifications they need for a marketing career. Most are juggling work and other responsibilities. The good news is that personal commitments don’t have to be obstacles. Flexible online learning allows you to develop the core knowledge you need to start working in this exciting field.
Capella University offers accredited marketing programs designed for busy adults. Explore Capella’s online Bachelor of Science in Business, Marketing degree today to start building your future in marketing.
Start your journey toward a marketing degree. Enroll now.
Marketing can be a good career choice if you enjoy creative and strategic work. It’s also an expansive field with varied opportunities across many industries.
Marketing salaries vary depending on the role and level of experience. However, entry-level positions generally offer competitive pay, while more specialized roles can command higher wages.
Common marketing careers include: marketing assistant, marketing analyst, special media coordinator and communications specialist.
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