Careers blog written by Kate Morris, Careers Consultant, Careers

What is marketing?! 

“Marketing” basically involves influencing behaviour.

Understanding the interests and motivations of a specific audience is essential in order to know how to effectively communicate information about a brand, product, service or even a concept. As a result, research and strategy underpin the marketing sector.

Marketing is often described as a science rather than an art, however with millions(/billions?!) of organisations vying for our attention, and information available at the swipe of a fingertip, the ability to successfully connect with consumers requires a combination of creativity and analytical thinking.

Marketing as a sector also includes Advertising and PR. The three areas interlink, but also have different functions: advertising creates the need for a product/brand; marketing promotes the product/brand; and PR manages the reputation of the product/ brand.

While some consider marketing to be inherently evil (curse those pop ups!), others argue the sector can be a “force for good” and presents opportunities for new graduates to enter a “noble profession”.

Which degrees subjects do marketing employers like? 

It’s often more about the skills than the subject, but new developments in behavioural economics and language engineering within the sector link well with subjects like Psychology– for insights into human behaviour, and Language & Linguistics– for the syntax analysis. Degrees like English are very relevant for exploring how to adapt the tone of messages for different effects, whilst the research skills and ability to consider both a broad and focused perspective gained from a History degree are also valuable. Whatever your academic background, getting work experience is essential!

What kind of roles exist? 

There are loads! You could be a ….

• Marketing executive, creating and managing campaigns.
• Copy writer, using the power of words to influence a specific audience.
• An account planner, creating a strategy for advertising campaigns, presenting your plans to clients and managing the overall project.
• Public relations officer , being the voice of brand or organisation, raising its profile and managing its reputation.
• Search  and Digital Marketing combining analytical skills with creative thinking.

Are there actually any jobs in the sector?

Yes! Marketing, Advertising & PR is a huge sector with lots of opportunities for graduates. You could  specialise and work in-house for an organisation like a university, NHS, charity, law firm, local or national government, museum, finance company, cake maker, sky diving company…OR you could work for a creative agency (or go freelance) and work across many sectors at the same time.

Want to know how you can find out more at York?

We’re hosting a big careers event on Working In: Advertising, Marketing & PR in week 8, Tuesday 23^rd of Feb at 6.30pm in Physics. This is an amazing opportunity to hear from professionals (including recent York grads) working in the sector who can tell you how it really feels, the good and bad stuff and help you work out if this could be the career for you. Don’t miss out!