MARKETING

What can you do with a Graduate Degree in Marketing?

A graduate degree in marketing equips individuals with advanced skills and knowledge to pursue diverse career opportunities. Graduates can become marketing managers, digital marketing directors, brand managers, or specialize in areas like market research, public relations, and content marketing. They may also choose entrepreneurial paths, academic roles, or work in nonprofit, government, or healthcare marketing.

Tech Knowledge

You should possess various technology skills to excel in a graduate degree program and a career in marketing. Although this is an extensive list, the specific technologies you need to know can depend on your chosen career path, but some common ones include:

  • Digital Advertising Platforms: Knowledge of advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and others is crucial. Understanding how to create and optimize ad campaigns on these platforms is essential for digital marketing.
  • Analytics Tools: Proficiency in web analytics tools such as Google Analytics is vital for tracking website traffic, user behavior, and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Additionally, familiarity with marketing analytics platforms like Adobe Analytics or Mixpanel can be valuable.
  • Email Marketing Software: Email marketing remains a powerful tool. Familiarity with email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or HubSpot for creating and managing email campaigns is important.
  • SEO Tools: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical for online visibility. Tools like Moz, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console can help marketers optimize websites for search engines.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS): Knowledge of CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla is useful, as content creation and management are central to digital marketing efforts.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Understanding CRM systems like Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, or Zoho CRM can be beneficial for managing customer relationships and sales pipelines.
  • Social Media Management Tools: Social media is a significant part of modern marketing. Tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Sprout Social help in scheduling posts, monitoring social media channels, and analyzing social media performance.
  • Marketing Automation Platforms: Platforms like HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot enable marketing automation, including lead nurturing, email marketing automation, and campaign tracking.
  • Data Analysis Tools: Proficiency in data analysis tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or more advanced tools like Tableau or Power BI is essential for interpreting marketing data and making data-driven decisions.
  • Content Creation Tools: Design and content creation tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Canva, or video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro can be valuable for creating compelling marketing materials.
  • A/B Testing and Optimization Tools: Tools like Optimizely or Google Optimize are used for A/B testing and optimizing landing pages and website elements for better conversion rates.
  • Mobile Marketing Tools: Understanding mobile marketing platforms, in-app advertising, and mobile analytics tools can be crucial as mobile usage continues to grow.
  • Marketing Research Tools: Tools for market research and consumer insights, such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, or Google Surveys, can help in understanding target audiences and market trends.
  • E-commerce Platforms: If your focus is on e-commerce, familiarity with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce is valuable.
  • Cybersecurity Awareness: An understanding of basic cybersecurity principles is important, especially when handling customer data and adhering to privacy regulations.
  • Marketing Ethics and Compliance: Stay up-to-date on marketing ethics and compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA to ensure your marketing efforts are legal and ethical.

Competencies and Skills

Success in a Master’s Degree in Marketing and careers in this field requires a combination of competencies and soft skills. Here are some key competencies and soft skills that can contribute to your success:

  • Communication Skills: Clear and effective communication is vital in marketing. Graduates should be able to convey ideas, present marketing strategies, write compelling copy, and interact with clients and colleagues.
  • Creativity: Marketing requires creative thinking to develop innovative campaigns, design eye-catching visuals, and craft engaging content that captures the audience’s attention.
  • Critical Thinking: The ability to analyze data, assess campaign performance, and make data-driven decisions is crucial. Critical thinking helps marketers refine strategies and optimize results.
  • Adaptability: The marketing landscape is ever-changing with new technologies and trends emerging regularly. Graduates should be adaptable and open to learning new tools and strategies.
  • Problem-Solving: Marketers often encounter challenges and obstacles when executing campaigns. Problem-solving skills enable them to identify issues and find solutions quickly and efficiently.
  • Teamwork and Collaboration: Marketing is often a collaborative effort involving cross-functional teams. Being able to work effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and skill sets is essential.
  • Time Management: Meeting deadlines and managing multiple projects simultaneously is common in marketing. Effective time management helps graduates stay organized and deliver results on time.
  • Customer-Centric Mindset: Understanding the customer’s needs, preferences, and behaviors is fundamental in marketing. Graduates should be able to empathize with customers and tailor campaigns accordingly.
  • Emotional Intelligence: Recognizing and understanding emotions, both in oneself and others, is important for building rapport with clients, understanding audience sentiment, and managing relationships effectively.
  • Leadership Skills: As marketing professionals progress in their careers, leadership skills become more important. These skills include motivating and guiding teams, setting strategic direction, and making decisions that impact the organization.
  • Negotiation Skills: In roles that involve client interactions, negotiation skills are valuable for reaching mutually beneficial agreements and managing client expectations.
  • Presentation Skills: The ability to deliver clear and compelling presentations is crucial when pitching marketing strategies to clients or presenting campaign results to stakeholders.
  • Networking: Building and maintaining professional relationships within the industry can lead to valuable opportunities and insights. Effective networking can help graduates advance their careers.
  • Ethical and Responsible Marketing: Employers value marketers who prioritize ethical and responsible marketing practices, particularly in an age of increased consumer awareness and scrutiny.
  • Global and Cultural Awareness: In a globalized world, an understanding of cultural differences and global market dynamics can be an asset, especially if you’re working on international marketing campaigns.

Emerson Campus Orgs

  • American Marketing Association (AMA)
  • Emerson Communications (EmComm)
  • Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
  • Emerson Mane Events
  • The EVVY Awards

You can also consider other non-industry-oriented organizations and assist them with your areas of interest (for example: Marketing Team for em Mag).

Industry Job Boards

Industry-Specific Job Boards

Boston-Specific Job Boards

Professional Associations and Conferences

Boston Area Conferences

You can apply for professional development funds through the Marketing Communication department and/or the Enhancement Fund to attend these types of conferences:

  • Hypergrowth
  • Inbound (keep an eye out for a code through Career Development)
  • Boston International Search Summit
  • Digital Summit
  • Massachusetts Marketing Summit
  • Content Marketing Conference

Sample Job Titles that Require a Masters Degree

  • Marketing Coordinator: This entry-level role often involves supporting various marketing initiatives, including social media management, content creation, and campaign coordination.
  • Marketing Specialist: Specialists typically focus on specific areas of marketing, such as digital marketing, email marketing, or content marketing. They may be responsible for planning and executing campaigns within their specialty.
  • Marketing Analyst: Graduates with strong analytical skills might work as marketing analysts, where they gather and interpret data to make data-driven marketing decisions.
  • Digital Marketing Specialist/Manager: These roles focus on online marketing channels, such as SEO, SEM, social media, and email marketing, to drive web traffic and conversions.
  • Content Marketing Coordinator/Manager: Content marketing professionals create and manage content strategies, including blog posts, videos, and infographics, to engage and educate audiences.
  • Social Media Manager: Social media managers oversee a company’s social media presence, create content, engage with followers, and measure the impact of social media campaigns.
  • Product Marketing Coordinator/Manager: These roles involve promoting specific products or services by developing marketing strategies and materials tailored to those offerings.
  • Brand Manager: Brand managers are responsible for building and maintaining a strong brand image, including developing branding strategies, messaging, and visual identity.
  • Market Research Analyst: Graduates who excel in market research can work as analysts, gathering and analyzing data on market trends, consumer behavior, and competitors to inform marketing strategies.
  • Advertising Account Coordinator/Manager: These professionals work in advertising agencies, managing client relationships and coordinating advertising campaigns.
  • Public Relations Specialist/Manager: PR specialists manage a company’s reputation by creating and implementing public relations strategies, including media relations and crisis management.
  • Email Marketing Specialist/Manager: Focusing on email campaigns, these professionals create, send, and analyze email marketing campaigns to engage with customers and prospects.
  • Event Marketing Coordinator/Manager: Event marketers plan and execute marketing strategies for events, trade shows, and conferences to attract attendees and generate leads.
  • Marketing Automation Specialist: These specialists work with marketing automation tools to streamline and optimize marketing processes, including lead nurturing and customer segmentation.
  • Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Specialist/Manager: ABM professionals create and execute marketing strategies that target specific high-value accounts or clients.
  • E-commerce Marketing Specialist/Manager: E-commerce marketers focus on promoting products or services online, optimizing product listings, and improving conversion rates on e-commerce platforms.
  • Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) Specialist: CRM specialists work with CRM software to manage customer data, analyze customer interactions, and improve customer relationships.
  • Inbound Marketing Specialist/Manager: Inbound marketers create and manage strategies to attract and engage potential customers through content marketing and SEO.
  • Growth Hacker: Growth hackers use creative and data-driven approaches to rapidly grow a company’s customer base and revenue.
  • Marketing Consultant: Some graduates work as marketing consultants, offering their expertise to businesses on a project-by-project basis.

Blogs & Industry Professionals to Follow

Joining associations and networking groups in your field and/or city allow you to further develop your connections and industry knowledge through events, articles, educational workshops and membership contacts. Many of these organizations have student and young professional discounted rates, you can also consider joining their groups on LinkedIn as an additional way to learn and connect. These are just a select few, chat with the Career Development Center or someone in your field of choice for additional suggestions.

Other organizations to watch for webinars, events, scholarships, and/or conferences. Many of your future employers may be members and/or interact with these groups: