2024 Mid-Year Intake. Applications for mid-year intake are now open. Apply Now!.

5 reasons to choose a career in marketing

5 reasons to choose a career in marketing

Choosing to build a career in marketing may be one of the best choices to make in 2022. Careers in this field are diverse and plentiful, as over 70% of organisations hire someone who is in charge of the marketing for the company (Coschedule, 2020) . If you aren’t sold yet, here are five great reasons why you should become a marketer.

Firstly, you need to know what a marketer’s role entails. A day in the life of a marketer is varied depending on the specialisation you have chosen. The main role however is to drive the strategy of the business by monitoring trends, identifying changes in the business environment, and deriving customer insights. This all functions to strategically align the company’s brands and products to the wants and needs of the customer or target audience. In addition, a marketer has to drive product innovation, pricing, distribution strategies, and create relevant communication in order to get the customers attention.

In recent years, the marketer’s role and function has been impacted significantly by technological advances. This has given rise to additional roles and responsibilities such as overseeing or implementing search engine marketing, web development, user experience mapping, social media management, affiliate marketing and influencer marketing, to name but a few. Very few jobs in marketing nowadays don’t require knowledge and experience in some or all parts digital marketing. Traditional marketing, now considered ‘old-school’ by many new age marketers, is not enough anymore. While some of the more traditional choices for communicating with customers are not dead, such as radio and TV, they are currently being challenged to reinvent themselves into better and more agile digital friendly communication channels. Other traditional media, like print publications (newspapers and magazines), are very much on their way out or moving online to where the customer is. As a result, pure traditional marketing position titles are scarce and almost extinct. Those that have not upskilled themselves in digital marketing tactics may find it difficult to find work.

Now that you know where this industry is headed, here are 5 reasons why you should pursue a career in marketing:

 

1. Marketers will always be in demand

The majority of businesses and organisations will need at least one person in charge of their marketing function. So, as long as there are businesses, there will be work for marketers. Although this field offers job security, it is also competitive. To stay on top of your game and keep your skills sharpened, we suggest signing up for a short course with The Institute of Marketing Management (IMM), South Africa. IMM aims to uplift, grow and promote the marketing profession in South Africa and continuously develop and offer education and networking initiatives that ensure career development for individuals and corporates. Joining as a member is free and earns you discounts on courses and events offered by the IMM.

 

2. Marketing isn’t boring

Ask any marketer and they will tell you – no two days are ever the same. The marketing field is known to offer a different challenge every day. If you are the type of person who loves change or something different, you will love a career in marketing.

 

3. Marketing follows new trends

Marketers by nature are opportunists. With every new invention or new technology, they will find a way to use it to improve their processes or communication with existing and future customers. Today’s technology is evolving at lightning speed, which means with each new innovation comes a new job type and opportunities for new, upcoming graduates. To be a marketer in this environment, you must be willing and able to learn fast and adapt to new trends, technologies and strategies. If you are a tech geek, or just someone who loves a challenge, this would be right up your alley.

 

4. Marketing is for social butterflies and introverts

Marketers cannot work alone. They must rely on a range of other professionals in their field, other departments and other industries, to complete the brief. So, if you are a people’s person and love expanding your network, marketing is the perfect choice. However, on the swing side with the new age of digital marketing, there is space for the person that likes to work alone and in isolation. This industry needs introverts that can put their heads down and analyse data, crunch numbers, review research and build strategies. So, if you are the quiet, withdrawn type, don’t be put off by the hype of marketing. There are many corners for you to quietly work in while adding enormous value to your team.

 

5. Marketing offers flexibility

The skills of a marketer are not geographically bound, which means marketers can work for any business or organisation, with the exception where there is a language barrier. Marketers that develop multiple skills are in great demand. Given that the industry has a tendency to employ people with specific skills, those that have a diverse skills set are able to freelance and generate multiple sources of income from different gigs. Freelancing offers the option to work remotely, making your job ‘pandemic’ proof, also allowing flexibility and freedom to keep your own office hours.

Sold yet? A career in marketing may prove to be extremely lucrative and rewarding as it offers boundless challenges and plenty of choice to specialise and room to grow as a professional. If you would like to become a marketer, we suggest looking at the programmes offered by the IMM Graduate School and applying to become a member of IMM. If you are already a marketer and want to top up on your skills or diversify into a new specialisation, then hook yourself up with one of those short courses we mentioned earlier. We hope to cross paths with you soon.