Management and Marketing Careers

Program Description

Employers continue to seek better thinkers, superior problem-solvers and team players with a strong customer orientation. The Miami-Jacobs’ graduate will have a competitive edge because of the specialized method in which he or she has been trained. Miami-Jacobs’ graduates will have developed strong leadership skills and understand how to influence others positively.

Occupational Objectives

Graduates of this program will be prepared for careers as any of the following: sales representatives; sales managers; management trainees; departmental managers; marketing clerk; account executive; new account representative; branch manager; account coordinator; or marketing coordinator; or a variety of other related positions.

Occupational Skills

• Ensure the completion of work that meets or exceeds the quality standards of the organization
• Apply legal and ethical principles in an office environment
• Develop both a business and marketing plan for various organizations
• Coordinate and plan the work of support staff
• Effectively manage resources.
• Analyze financial data and make logical decisions.
• Prepare detailed reports.
• Provide excellent customer service
• Build relationships with clients and maintain good working relationships
• Apply marketing and advertising principles to develop effective strategies
• Implement strategies to hit goals
• Follow human resource management standards in employment practices

The following from Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition

Job Outlook

Employment is projected to grow about as fast as average. As with most managerial jobs, keen competition is expected for these highly coveted positions.

Employment change. Overall employment of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers is expected to increase by 13 percent through 2018. Job growth will be spurred by competition for a growing number of goods and services, both foreign and domestic, and the need to make one’s product or service stand out in the crowd. In addition, as the influence of traditional advertising in newspapers, radio, and network television wanes, marketing professionals are being asked to develop new and different ways to advertise and promote products and services to better reach potential customers.

Sales and marketing managers and their departments constitute some of the most important personnel in an organization and are less subject to downsizing or outsourcing than are other types of managers, except in the case of companies that are consolidating. Employment of these managers, therefore, will vary primarily on the basis of the growth or contraction in the industries that employ them. For example, if, as is expected, the number of automobile dealers declines over the next decade, these major employers of sales managers will need fewer of them. Employment of marketing managers will grow about as fast as average at 12 percent between 2008 and 2018, and that of sales managers will grow faster than average at 15 percent over the same period.

Advertising and promotions managers are expected to experience little or no change in employment from 2008 to 2018. Despite large declines in the number of advertising managers in recent years, due mainly to the sharp reduction in the number of advertising agencies and newspaper and periodical publishers, which employ the greatest numbers of these managers, advertising and promotions managers are not expected to experience similar declines in the future. Because advertising is the primary source of revenue for most media, advertising departments are less affected in a downturn. An expected increase in the number of television and radio stations and a sharp increase in the amount of advertising in digital media, such as the Internet and wireless devices will generate a need for advertising managers to oversee new and innovative advertising programs. A number of these advertising managers will be self-employed.

Public relations managers are expected to see an increase in employment of 13 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is about as fast as average for all occupations, as organizations increasingly emphasize community outreach and customer relations as a way to enhance their reputation and visibility. Especially among the growing number of nonprofit organizations, such as education services, business and professional associations, and hospitals, where many of these workers are employed, public relations managers will be charged with promoting the mission of the organization and encouraging membership or use of the organization’s services.

Job prospects. Most job openings for this occupation will be due to the need to replace workers who leave the occupation or retire. However, advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales manager jobs are highly coveted and are often sought by other managers or highly experienced professionals, resulting in keen competition. College graduates with related experience, a high level of creativity, and strong communication and computer skills should have the best job opportunities. In particular, employers will seek those who have the skills to conduct new types of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales campaigns involving new media, particularly the Internet.

Earnings

Median annual wages in May 2008 were $80,220 for advertising and promotions managers, $108,580 for marketing managers, $97,260 for sales managers, and $89,430 for public relations managers.

Median annual wages of advertising and promotions managers in May 2008 in the advertising, public relations, and related services industry were $105,960.

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of marketing managers were as follows:

Computer systems design and related services $127,870 Management of companies and enterprises 115,650 Management, scientific, and technical consulting services 111,130 Insurance carriers 103,210 Depository credit intermediation 98,510

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of sales managers were as follows:

Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers $125,130 Wholesale, electronic markets, and agents and brokers 114,670 Automobile dealers 107,500 Management of companies and enterprises 106,980 Department stores 54,560

Wages vary substantially, depending upon the employee’s level of managerial responsibility, length of service, and education; the size and location of the firm; and the industry in which the firm operates. For example, manufacturing firms usually pay these managers higher salaries than nonmanufacturing firms. For sales managers, the size of their sales territory is another important determinant of salary. Many managers earn bonuses equal to 10 percent or more of their salaries.

According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, starting salaries for marketing majors graduating in 2009 averaged $43,325.