Marketing and Business Management Career

Knowledge Possessed

To be successful in marketing and business management, it is critical for professionals to acquire knowledge that enables them to sell and promote products and services while building organization’s image. This can only be done by identifying target audience and persuading them to buy products or services. This is normally achieved by conducting a comprehensive market research to identify the needs of customers and developing products and services that meet these needs. To succeed in marketing profession, one should possess knowledge in the following spheres, which employers look for:

• Consumer behavior. Knowledge of consumer behavior helps identify the needs of consumers and develop strategies for meeting these needs. Strategies include production of goods and services that meet the needs of consumers.
• Internet and electronic marketing. With today’s advancement in technology and invention of the Internet, new marketing techniques that are effective, efficient, and cheap have been developed. These include search engine optimization, search engine marketing, banner advertising, and email marketing. This knowledge is, therefore, essential for business people, as it will help to effectively market their products.
• Global marketing. The world today is like a global village. Communication and business transactions are handled very fast due to advancements in technology. Employers, therefore, look for marketers who can help businesses compete not only locally, but also internationally.
• Strategies in marketing. For effective marketing, marketers must be able to develop marketing strategies to implement their marketing plans. This ability enables them to study market trends and device better ways of countering competitors’ strategies.
• Market research. Marketing activities cannot succeed when the market is not properly studied. Market research equips marketers with tools and techniques to sample and segment the market to define target markets. Employers, therefore, look for marketers who are able to research the market and come up with marketing strategies that can market organizations effectively.
• Product development. Having identified the needs of users and coming up with ideas about products and services that satisfy these needs, marketers must be actively involved in the product development processes to ensure that products and services are developed according to the intended design.
• Advertising. This is the back bone of marketing and management. Marketers should be able to select an appropriate advertising media that reaches majority of the target market. It is, therefore, crucial to possess knowledge in advertising to be chosen by employers.
• Product pricing. To achieve a balance between maintaining customers and making profits, marketers and managers must be able to have the knowledge in product pricing. Employers look for professionals who can provide fair prices for their products and services. Fair pricing makes customers trust organizations.  

Skills and Abilities

Marketing and business management professionals should be able to analyze market trends both locally and internationally. Since most of marketing and management activities require team work, it is essential to be a team player and possess team management skills to succeed in this career. I possess the following skills, which employers might look for when recruiting marketing and management professionals:

• Critical analysis skills. In order to develop strategies that make businesses be at the top of the international market, marketing and management professionals must be able to analyze both local and international markets and economic trends. They also must be able to predict future market performance. Employers always look for candidates with strong analytical skills (Schee & Harich, 2012).
• Creative thinking. Marketing and management career requires creativity in order to generate strategies that can enable organizations outcompete competitors. It also helps in the development of products with unique features that satisfy the needs of customers.
• Numeracy skills. Most employers look for employees with strong mathematical and statistical skills. This enables them to solve complex problems easily and helps to make informed decisions. This is normally tested by aptitude tests in recruitment processes. I have strong analytical mathematical and statistical skills.
• Communication skills. I possess strong communication skills. These are important because management and marketing activities involve interaction with many stakeholders. This cannot be effective without proper communication. Employers normally look for employees who are fluent in both written and verbal communication.
• Team player. I am an efficient team player. Most management and marketing jobs entail working in groups. The career, therefore, requires sociable persons, who easily interact and adapt to people. Possession of such skills is extremely important and makes applicants attractive to employers during recruitment. These skills also help create networks with other organizations and manage projects successfully.
• Technological skills. Advancement in technology has led to automation of many business processes. Since many business operations use information technology, employers look for professionals with basic technological skills such as knowledge in Microsoft office applications, Internet browsing, and computer trouble shooting. I possess all skills, which are necessary for efficient work with computers. I also learn how to use new software fast. These skills enable me to properly apply new marketing techniques and communicate effectively.
• Problem solving and conflict resolution skills. Managers usually have to deal with numerous interpersonal conflicts at home and at work. Therefore, employers look for people with good problem solving skills to help solve problems encountered in their organizations. I perceive myself as a person who can effectively solve conflicts. I always try to make unbiased and fair judgments about people and their behaviors.

Short-term and Long-term Career Goals

Education becomes the foundation of achieving both short-term and long-term goals. I intend to pursue and finish both undergraduate and post graduate degrees in marketing and business management by the year 2015. Thereafter, I plan to get a marketing representative job in a large organization. After gaining one year experience at the job, I plan to get a marketing or management job in another company or to be promoted in the same company. Later, I plan to become a marketing or managing director by 2018 in either the same company or a different one.