Marketing Executive
Marketing is both the creation of goods and services to meet the public’s need, and the promotion of goods and services in order to achieve interest and sales in them.Marketeers monitor and conduct research of the market, they work in creating anddeveloping products, they determine pricing of their products, they decide on thebest distribution and placement of them, the audience who will be targeted, and the best way to raise awareness of them with this target audience, be it with advertising, promotions in the press, sampling in store or perhaps a chance for the public to come into direct contact with a brand or product through an experiential space.
This profession requires an understanding of branding and how it works, alongside how you stay true to the brand identity and vision whilst launching new products or messages.
Those in marketing often work with public relations and sales teams in order to achieve their aims. This is a career that is very varied and will change from day to day, requires creativity and organisation, flexibility, the ability to think laterally, good teamwork, and basic numeracy skills.
How to get into marketing
A degree is usually required for marketing, however this doesn’t have to be subject specific. An undergraduate degree in Marketing, Business or Communications may be beneficial. Gaining some work experience whilst studying can help a candidate stand out from the crowd, as it will show that they understand what a career in marketing entails.
Graduates will often be recruited by companies in junior marketing positions that will hold less responsibility but provide candidates with the solid background that they require within the industry.
It is possible to get a postgraduate professional qualification in marketing that is approved by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), however this isn’t usually necessary.
Qualifications and experience
Qualification requirements are dependent upon the course that the candidate decides to study, and the institution where this course is taught.
There are no specific subjects that are specified by institutions for a candidate to have been studied at Leaving Cert or A-Level, however a minimum of grade C in Maths is often stipulated.
Salary expectations
The average salary for someone working in marketing is €35,000. The starting salary is often in the range of €22-27,000. For senior marketing positions, pay can reach and even exceed €100,000, although this is rare.
Useful websites
The Marketing Institute of Ireland http://www.mii.ie
Chartered Institute of Marketing www.cim.co.uk