Marketing Career Information
What is marketing? Marketing is more than advertising and selling. Marketing includes everything it takes from planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. (Bennet 1995)
Career Descriptions
Advertising involves communicating to your customers through the mass media. Positions include copywriting, media planning, advertising production, and research. The account executive is the key link between an ad agency and the client.
Brand Management is the responsibility for a particular product your firm makes. The brand manager is similar to the general manager of firm with one product; this person has many responsibilities, including sales, production scheduling, marketing research, distribution, advertising, and special events.
Distribution Management involves finding the best ways of distributing your product to customers. Career paths lead to management of distribution systems for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, as well as the marketing and management of distribution services, such as transportation companies and distribution centers.
Marketing Research is the job of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting marketing data. Opportunities exist in manufacturing and service firms, in advertising agencies, and in research consulting firms. You should be comfortable working with numbers and be able to communicate complicated findings clearly.
Public Relations directs all the activities that project and maintain a favorable image for the organization. Responsibilities include press conferences, news releases, and exhibitions.
Retailing is the job of selling to the final consumer. Most entry-level positions are in sales, but the capable individual can readily progress to managerial responsibility. Opportunities exist in store operations, retail personnel management, and merchandising. The retail buyer is responsible for merchandise success in an assigned department.
Sales is the direct and personal representation of a firm's products and services to consumers and business buyers. The typical entry-level position is sales representative. An outgoing personality, competitive spirit, and ability to communicate clearly and effectively are characteristics of the successful salesperson.
Sales Promotion positions are usually found in advertising agencies or with manufacturers of consumer or business-to-business products and services. Sales promotion specialists are responsible for developing the overall sales promotion plans and creating purchase incentives used to increase sales. Sales promotion specialists also develop overall programs aimed at building relationships with wholesalers and retailers.
Outlook
Employment in marketing is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2014, spurred by intense domestic and global competition in products and services offered to consumers.
Median earnings in 2004 for advertising and promotion managers were $63,610, $87,640 for marketing managers, $84,220 for sales managers and $70,000 for public relation managers. Starting salaries for marketing majors in 2005 averaged $33, 873.
U.S. Department of Labor 2006
Operations & Supply Chain Management Career Information
Records show that as early as the 13th century B.C., supply management played an important role in business. Today, it would be difficult to find an organization, large or small, that doesn't understand the importance of supply management, and how successful implementation of supply management principles can have a positive impact on its overall success. When you choose a career in supply management, you have an opportunity to work in a variety of organizations and businesses. Every industry, whether manufacturing or service, governmental, educational or retail employs supply management professionals.
Supply management is defined as the identification, acquisition, access, positioning and management of resources that an organization needs or potentially needs in the attainment of its strategic objectives. The overall goal of supply management is to impact the organization's bottom-line in a positive way while delivering the best service to customers at the lowest possible cost. This puts supply management on the center stage of every business operation.
Career Descriptions
Supply Chain Management involves creating integrated processes among Operations, Purchasing, Logistics, and outside suppliers to execute the planning/replenishment process of the organization. Includes identification of systems tools needed to implement planning/forecasting systems and leading reengineering efforts as it relates to supply chain planning and execution systems. Creating item specific forecasts for ordering and inventory management purposes is critical.
Purchasing Managementinvolves buying the goods and services the organization needs to either resell to customers or for the firm’s own use. Purchasing professionals consider price, quality, availability, reliability, and technical support when choosing suppliers and merchandise. They seek the best value for their firm, meaning the highest quality goods and services at the lowest possible cost. Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents study sales records and inventory levels of current stock, identify foreign and domestic suppliers, and keep abreast of changes affecting both the supply of, and demand for, needed products and materials.
Materials Management is similar to purchasing management. The main difference is that it integrates the functions of purchasing, procurement, inventory management, production planning and inbound and outbound transportation in manufacturing firms using Just-in-Time systems.
Logistics Management involves analyzing and coordinating the logistical functions of a firm or organization. Logistics is the work required to move and position inventory throughout a supply chain. Responsible for the entire life cycle of a product, including acquisition, distribution, internal allocation, delivery, and final disposal of resources.
Distribution Management involves finding the best ways of distributing your product to customers. Career paths lead to management of distribution systems for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, as well as the marketing and management of distribution services, such as transportation companies and distribution centers.
Transportation Management involves planning, directing, or coordinating transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with governmental policies and regulations. This includes logistics managers.
Inventory Management involvesmaterials control, shipping, receiving, and cycle counting using inventory management computer systems.
Operations Management involves planning, budgeting, staffing, and controlling of organizational operations in order to deliver quality goods and services to the right customers at the right time. Covers a wide range of activities including: product design, process design, medium-term resource planning, facilities planning, quality systems, materials and inventory management, and short term scheduling.
Project Management involves planning, budgeting, staffing, implementing and controlling of one-time projects. Business projects include activities such as new product development, process improvement, software implementations, and organizational changes.
Outlook
Employment for careers in Operations and Supply Chain Management is expected to grow about as fast the average for all occupations through 2014.
Salaries for supply management professionals with 1-2 years of experience averaged $65,843 according to the Institute for Supply Management 2006 salary survey.
Operations and Supply Chain Management Salaries
VP of Supply Management = $158,256*
Director of Supply Management = $120,401*
Supply Manager = $80,519 ($93,800 in North Carolina)*
Average for Purchasing Professionals with a Bachelor’s Degree = $79,368*
Purchasing Agent = $57,081*
Business Project Manager = $57,500 – $88,200
Operations Manager = $95,500^
Quality Analyst = $57,300^^
Entry Level Quality professional = $58,300^^
Average for Quality Professionals with a Bachelor’s Degree = $72,200^^
Quality Manager = $75,600^^
*Institute for Supply Management 2006 Salary Survey, http://www.ism.ws/)
**CareerJournal.com 2005 (Wall Street Journal)
^U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005 Wages Report
^^American Society for Quality, 2005 Salary Survey
