Marketing

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Advertising account executive
• Advertising art director
• Digital marketer
• Market researcher
• Marketing executive
• Media buyer
• PPC specialist
• Public relations officer
• Sales promotion account executive
• SEO specialist
• Social media manager

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Business adviser
• Business development manager
• Digital copywriter
• Event manager
• Product manager
• Publishing rights manager
• Retail merchandiser
• Talent agent
• UX designer
• Web content manager

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Seek relevant work experience opportunities wherever you can. If your course involves a work placement or internship, use it to make contacts in marketing departments and develop your practical marketing skills. Being proactive and taking on responsibility during your studies can help you stand out when applying for graduate roles.

You can develop good communication and project management skills by organising society or department events, producing newsletters or social content, managing budgets, or serving on committees. Strengthen your applications by highlighting how you’ve developed organisation and time-management skills through balancing your studies, social life and part-time work.

Your interests can also offer a way into marketing career. For example, if you're passionate about sport, the environment or music, these could become areas you specialise in.

Consider marketing or publicity roles in dedicated organisations. Charities, sports bodies or arts organisations may value your enthusiasm for the sector even if you have limited marketing experience.

Search marketing work placements and internships.

Typical employers

Specialist marketing, advertising and PR agencies are not the only major employers of marketing graduates.

You can find roles within all industry sectors as most organisations invest in some form of marketing activity. The size and scope of opportunities vary, but roles exist in a wide range of settings - from financial and consumer companies to public sector and not-for-profit organisations such as charities, local authorities and universities.

Many employers are continuing to expand their marketing activity, particularly in digital, content and social media, alongside more traditional approaches such as print, events and market research.

Find information on employers in marketing, advertising and PR and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

A marketing degree helps you develop the ability to anticipate customer demand, identify target markets and communicate effectively with them. You explore areas such as consumer behaviour and psychology, business management, data analysis, human resources and organisational culture, as well as learning how consumers' use of IT and digital media impacts marketing.

You also develop an essential range of transferable business skills, including:

• the ability to communicate ideas clearly, verbally and in writing
• advanced planning and strategic thinking
• research, analysis and presentation skills
• the ability to use your own initiative and think creatively.

Depending on your course, you may also be eligible for exemptions from certain modules of professional qualifications offered by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Further study

Postgraduate courses in marketing usually sit within business schools and tend to provide a more theoretical understanding of the discipline. You'll explore areas such as customer psychology, strategy, branding, market research, analytics, international marketing and digital marketing. Although these qualifications can be helpful for graduates from non-business subjects, they're not essential for most marketing roles.

You may also want to consider management degrees that include marketing as part of a wider curriculum. Think about your career aspirations and whether a specific postgraduate course will support your entry into your chosen area of marketing.

A range of reputable vocational certificates and diplomas in marketing is offered by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). These courses span different levels, from foundation to senior level, and can often be taken alongside work.

There are also many online marketing courses delivered by other training providers, some of which offer options for face-to-face, blended or fully distance learning. Research any course carefully to ensure it meets your needs, is well structured and is recognised by employers.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search for postgraduate courses in marketing.

What do marketing graduates do?

32% of marketing graduates are working as advertising and marketing associate professionals 15 months after graduating. Public relations professionals (5%), business sales executives (4%), marketing and commercial managers (4%), sales accounts and business development managers (3%), HR officers (2%), admin (2%) and managers and directors in retail and wholesale (1%) are also among the top ten jobs reported.

For a detailed breakdown of what marketing graduates are doing after graduation, see What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.