Careers in Marketing

What can I do with a Marketing degree?

If you choose to study Marketing, you will develop a wide range of transferable skills throughout your degree which will lay the foundations for a career in marketing or related disciplines.

Our Marketing students have gone on to work in large, multi-national blue chip companies, some have set up their own businesses; some work in marketing departments, some in specialist businesses and some work in the public sector. In all these areas there is a need for marketing skills for organisations to understand consumer needs and influence consumer behaviours.

Marketing careers

There are a huge range of job opportunities in marketing and related sectors. You could work for a creative or marketing agency or decide to work on the client-side as an in-house marketing expert. Here are the types of roles you could go onto - you may be more suited to some of these than others if you've taken a specialist pathway:

• Account Executive
• Account Manager
• Content Manager
• Marketing Officer or Manager 
• Brand Manager 
• Market Analyst 
• SEO Analyst 
• Social Media Manager 
• PR and Communications Executive 
• Digital Marketing Officer 
• Internal Communications Executive 
• Self-employment: increasingly, people are choosing to work for themselves, either by setting up their own marketing agency or by working as an independent freelancer 

Examples of employers our recent Marketing graduates have gone to work for:

• JCB
• Bosch 
• Lubrizol 
• Dunelm
• Vision Express
• Student Beans
• Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

General Marketing careers

With our general Marketing pathway, you can take full advantage of the rapidly emerging career opportunities in marketing. You’ll be well suited for various roles such as Marketing Manager, Marketing Officer, Marketing Executive, PR Manager, Advertising Executive, Business Development Officer/Manager, Communications Manager, Marketing Analyst/Researcher, and Customer Insight Manager. You could work in areas including advertising and the media, communications and public relations, sales, promotions and events management, market research, marketing management and operations.

The average salary for a Marketing Executive is £25,719 per year in the United Kingdom based on 3.9k salaries reported on Indeed (updated on 19 March 2021).

Digital Marketing careers

Digital marketing experience is now an essential attribute sought by many organisations. Roles like digital account manager, social media manager, SEO analyst and e-commerce manager offer great prospects for the savvy marketing professional.

As the digital world constantly evolves, the career scope is immense. Many employers are still grappling with the opportunities and many more want an input from the ‘born digital’ generation - with our Marketing (Digital) course you’ll be well placed to bring the digital revolution to their marketing strategies.

PR and Advertising careers

Demand for advertising, PR and communication specialists in marketing is high. Your skills in campaign development, analysis and measurement of results will be in demand as a marketer who can demonstrate impact and return on investment.

You’ll have a great foundation to begin a successful career in areas like account, product, brand or communications management.

Related careers

When you graduate, you’ll have the skills and confidence to add value immediately within a variety of marketing focused roles. Increasingly employers are seeking graduates with good customer and marketing skills, so you can make your way in marketing or in general business management.

Typically, you’ll be prepared for various roles in advertising, communications, public relations, sales, promotions, events management, market research, marketing management and operations.

"After graduating from the University of Derby I began my career in marketing at Derby City Council as the Marketing Officer for Sport and Leisure. After two years in this role I then progressed to Marketing Executive for Public Transport at East Midlands Airport." Kelly McHugh, Marketing graduate

Further study

If you want to continue your studies at masters level, our undergraduate marketing degrees provides an excellent springboard to our Marketing Management MSc.

Our highly regarded MSc Marketing Management will increase your understanding of what marketing is – and isn’t – and how it can be applied effectively and creatively in real-world scenarios. 100% of MSc Marketing Management students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2020.

By studying our BA/BSc (Hons) Marketing degree, you can gain exemptions from the CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing for a real head start in your career and provide the opportunity to achieve further awards such as Google certification and progress to study Level 7 qualifications including the CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Marketing or the CIM Marketing Leadership Programme. Learn more about CIM qualifications