Inside Marketing Manager Careers

Biggest Surprises

"You Will Need To Know The Product You Are Selling...
I am surprised at the amount of information I need to know about our product offering. I thought I would just need to be placing ads, commercials, etc, but I have to field calls about specific products as well." (Marketing Manager; 2014)

Career: 2 years of experience, currently based in Michigan, male
School: Studied Business at Baker College in Michigan; completed Bachelor degree in 2012

"Someone's Fifteen Minutes Of Fame Can Ruin A Marketing Career...
One of the most surprising aspects of a marketing career is just how far people will go to get their story heard or to draw attention to themselves. I have actually seen people put themselves or their families in harm's way to accomplish their own selfish goal or to catapult themselves into the limelight." (Business Marketing+; 2014)

Career: 15 years of experience, currently based in Indiana, female
School: Studied Journalism at Indiana University in Indiana; completed Bachelor degree in 1996

"We Process Information Differently Now Compared To 10-15 Years Ago...
I think the thing I was so surprised about was all the different aspects of Marketing. In today's world, social media is so important. The way we process information now days is so different compared to just 10-15 years ago. We're on the internet way more than before. There has been a big shift, yet the "old way" of marketing (newspaper, TV, radio, etc.) still exist as well." (Marketing/Sales; 2013)

Career: 11 years of experience, currently based in Wisconsin, male
School: Studied Marketing at University Of Minnesota in Minnesota; completed Bachelor degree in 2002

"Presenting To Your Audience...
I was surprised how little people understand statistics. I find I have to present information in different ways so that people understand." (Market Researcher; 2014)

Career: 11 years of experience, currently based in New York, female
School: Studied Human Development at Cornell in New York; completed Bachelor degree in 2000

"Marketing Positions May Require General Administrative Tasks...
Marketing in small offices involves a lot more administrative and office related duties (sending faxes, filling out expense reports, responding to emails) than I imagined I would be performing as a professional. In small offices you may be the only person who has knowledge or experience in marketing and you won't be doing cutting edge work and you'll have to explain yourself any time you want to implement new marketing activities, you also may be responsible for a lot of tedious and not exciting tasks that are necessary for the general good of the office." (Marketing Coordinator; 2014)

Career: 1 years of experience, currently based in New York, female
School: Studied Double Degree In Advertising And Spanish at Iowa State University in Iowa; completed Bachelor degree in 1988

"I was surprised to find out just how the mailing industry works, i.e., how mass mailings work, presorting mail, logistics, etc. I was also surprised to learn how seamless business relationships with different carriers was compared to with normal day-to-day customers." (Special Handling Associate; 2013)

Career: 15 years of experience, currently based in Connecticut, male
School: Studied English/General Studies at University Of Connecticut in Connecticut; completed Bachelor degree in 2008

"I was surprised to find that marketing requires a balance between analytics and creativity. You need to be able to create engaging content and media which requires creativity to an extent psychology/sociology. And then you need to be able to measure the results and modify your approach." (Marketing Director; 2013)

Career: 4 years of experience, currently based in Utah, female
School: Studied Arts at Central Carolina Community College in North Carolina; completed Associate degree in 2005

"False Experts...
I thought I would change the world. Over time, I became surprised at how many people there are in my field and how many believe themselves to be experts without achieving some education. I am surprised how many people read a few blogs or do a free online seminar and believe they are experts - both in my field and others. Thank goodness people can't get an online degree in neuro-surgery." (Director Of Marketing; 2012)

Career: 30 years of experience, currently based in Oregon, male
School: Studied Business at Northern Illinois University in Illinois; completed Bachelor degree in 1981

"I was surprised to find out that you need to know a lot about psychology to really be effective online. Consumer purchases don't always follow common sense and are impulse driven so you need to know what makes your target demographic want to buy." (Online Business Manager; 2012)

Career: 10 years of experience, currently based in Illinois, female
School: Studied Management at Kellogg School Of Management in Illinois; completed Master degree in 2010

Career Background

Marketing Manager

  Salaries

Career Tips

"Being Creative In Small Offices Can Require More Explanation...
Don't be afraid to introduce new ideas to your company but make sure you can thoroughly explain their benefit and utility. When you're the only person in your area you can't count on your co-workers being familiar with tactics and strategies that you are, you need to be able to explain them." (Marketing Coordinator; 2014)

"Everyone Learns Differently...
You should try to understand how people process information. You may have to target your work differently to different people." (Market Researcher; 2014)

"Know The Products Your Company Offers...
One tip is to know the products you offer." (Marketing Manager; 2014)

"Get To Know The Human Race Before You Attempt To Market It...
The more educated a person is about the human psyche and the everyday behavior of the overall population, the easier it will be to succeed in the field of marketing. A general knowledge of sociology and psychology -- not one necessarily gotten in books, but more from a variety of experiences -- is of utmost importance." (Business Marketing+; 2014)

"Get As Many Hands On Experiences In Their Field As Possible...
My tip would be to try and find internships or practicums in a variety of businesses while in college. It is important to have different experiences. You may think you would like to work for a large company, but then really enjoy the small office setting once you actually experience it." (Marketing/Sales; 2013)