"You now have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the marketplace." - David Ogilvy
In a competitive global marketplace, the ability to make your product stand out from the crowd has become an essential survival skill. Therefore, the process of knowing your consumer and selling them a solution tailored to their needs is now at the very centre of most businesses in the world.
Course structure
Many universities provide this subject either at undergraduate or postgraduate level. The course aims to prepare you for a professional marketing career, and to help you understand the forces that drive consumerism and public relations. You will have to cover a wide range of areas whilst studying this subject, from economics to psychology.
Generally, students are recommended to have work experience. Some universities have strong connections with either inner or international business, so you will have a great opportunity to undertake business placements whilst studying.
You will be assessed by exams and coursework including essays, presentations and projects – so you will need to juggle lots of deadlines throughout the year.
What qualities do you need to succeed?
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Creativity
- Strong academic aptitude
- Enthusiasm
- Responsibilities for both individual and group work
- General understanding of business-related subjects
Considering marketing?
If you consider taking the course, here are the typical entry requirements for international students;
- IELTS 6.0 - 6.5 or above with minimum 5.5 in each component
- TOEFL 90 or above with minimum 20-25 in each component
These requirements are for undergraduate level only. If you consider applying for postgraduate level, you may need slightly higher scores or additional qualifications. Worried about IELTS? No problem. Read this entry and get ready for the test.
Experience of business-related subjects could also be beneficial such as;
What happens after graduation?
Marketing careers are many and varied. Through the course, you will gain lots of marketing skills and knowledge of data collection and analytical thinking – so obviously you have a great opportunity for a wide range of marketing professions. Meanwhile, you will also learn several principles of management such as HRM and accounting and finance, therefore there are a number of choices in many professions:
- Human Resources
- Sales Executive
- Tax Assistant
- Crisis Communications Officer
- Fundraising Manager
- Recruitment Consultant
- Advertising
- Public Relations
Many universities concentrate on work experience whilst studying and each university has a certain amount of connections to business and organisations, so you will have lots of chances to work in the industry.
Employment prospects
If you want to study marketing at university, you might be interested to know that 81.5% of graduates found work within six months of graduation in the UK. A further 6.1% of students chose to continue with their studies after graduating (AGCAS).
Common marketing fields
(Source: What do graduates do? AGCAS)
Average graduate salary
As a marketing graduate you can expect to earn an average salary of GBP 28,420 per year (Glassdoor). Of course, this will vary depending on where you are living, the type of role and company you work for. However, this should provide you with a good idea of the salary expectations for a graduate with skills in marketing.