Marketing executive: job description

What does a marketing executive do? | Marketing executive salaries | Typical employers of marketing executives | Qualifications and training | Key skills

Marketing executives are usually part of a larger marketing team whose aim is to raise awareness of new products, brands and services via campaigns and projects. Executives tend to be involved in practical rather than strategic ways but they’re often involved in multiple aspects of a campaign. As a result, they’re likely to have a lot of responsibility and need to juggle many priorities.

What does a marketing executive do?

Typical duties of a marketing executive include:

• contributing ideas to marketing campaigns
• conducting research and analysing data to identify and define audiences
• compiling, distributing and presenting ideas, information and strategies
• coordinating promotional activities, events and interviews
• managing production and performance of multimedia content
• writing and proofreading creative copy
• maintaining websites and tracking data analytics
• updating databases and using a customer relationship management (CRM) system
• monitoring budgets
• managing social media campaigns
• monitoring performance of marketing campaigns.

The role will typically involve a great deal of online and digital marketing work, as employers will typically operate a website and social media accounts. As such, executives may need to look at analytics and come up with appropriate courses of action, produce written and multimedia content and manage pay-per-click (PPC) and programmatic advertising – possibly assisting a social media manager with these tasks. As such, having a familiarity with and knowledge of digital and online marketing methods is beneficial.

Working hours are generally standard (9.00am–5.00pm) but you may need to attend events after working hours. There may be travel involved in the role – for example, when meeting clients and exploring event venues.

Salaries for graduate marketing executives

If you join a marketing graduate scheme, you could earn around £20,000 to £30,000. Graduates in entry-level marketing executive roles are likely to earn £27,000 upwards.

Typical employers of marketing executives

There are many industries in which organisations will need to promote their products or services to an audience. These can be in either the public or private sectors or for charities. Some examples include:

• media and entertainment companies
• professional services and law firms
• consumer goods manufacturers
• retailers
• energy suppliers
• local authorities and public sector bodies
• charities
• education providers.

As well as working in house, marketing executives can work at dedicated marketing agencies, where work will be done for external clients.

Marketing graduate jobs are advertised on targetjobs, by careers services, on national job sites and specialist sites such as Campaign and Marketing Week.

Speculative applications can be effective as not all opportunities are advertised.

Whether you are applying for advertised or speculative opportunities, don’t miss our advice on writing a marketing CV and covering letter .

Qualifications and training required

There are routes into marketing for both university graduates and school leavers.

Typically, marketing opportunities are open to graduates from any degree discipline. A marketing degree isn’t essential. However, a degree or postgraduate qualification in a subject such as marketing, economics, business, statistics or sociology can be beneficial. Some specialist roles, such as those in pharmaceuticals, may call for a scientific or technical background, but for all marketing roles, experience of running social media accounts, creating multimedia assets, communicating with people from all backgrounds is essential.

Membership and professional qualifications offered by professional bodies, such as The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and The Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM), may also be useful in securing a graduate job. Read more about the training and qualification offered by professional marketing bodies .

Competition for graduate marketing jobs can be fierce as it’s a popular industry, so work experience will boost your application and give you insights into the tasks involved. Work experience need not be paid: you could volunteer with a charity, get involved in university open days or build communication skills by working with customers or the general public. Read about the part-time jobs that can give you marketing-relevant skills .

To find out how to get into marketing via a school leaver route, visit the business section of TARGETcareers, our website aimed at school leavers.

Key skills for marketing executives

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to network
• Teamworking skills
• Adaptability and the ability to juggle multiple projects
• Strong attention to detail
• Good organisation and planning skills
• Creativity, writing and design skills
• Commercial awareness
• Numerical skills
• IT skills, including social media and video editing.