The Marketing cluster flexes your creative skills for a career in advertising, public relations, sales, or planning. This Career Cluster will prepare you to work on projects such as promotional campaigns, event planning and new sales techniques.

This career pathway is divided into five pathways:

• Marketing Communications

• Marketing Management

• Marketing Research

• Merchandising

• Professional Sales

Marketing Communications

Marketing communications employees plan, coordinate and implement marketing strategies advertising promotion and public relations activities. Because of the importance and high visibility of their jobs, these individuals often are prime candidates for advancement.

Sample occupations include:

• Advertising Account Executive

• Copy Writer

• International Merchandising Manager

• Media Planner, Buyer

• Public Information Director

• Public Relations Manager

• Public Relations Specialist

• Trade Show Manager

Marketing Management

People with careers in marketing management formulate policies and direct the operations of businesses and corporations, nonprofit institutions and other organizations. In small firms, the owner or chief executive officer may assume all advertising, promotions, marketing, sales and public relations responsibilities. In large firms, which may offer numerous products and services nationally or even worldwide, an executive vice president directs overall advertising, promotions, marketing, sales and public relations policies.

Sample occupations include:

• Advertising and Promotions Manager

• Art Director

• Chief Executive Officer

• Entrepreneur

• Franchisee

• General Manager

• Internet Entrepreneur

• Marketing Communication Manager

• Marketing Manager

• Retail Manager

Marketing Research

Employees in marketing research are concerned with understanding people and organizations. They collect and analyze many different types of information to design new products, to predict future sales and to position their own company's strategies against those of its competitors.

Sample occupations include:

• Brand Manager

• Database Administrator

• Market Research Analyst

• Product Planner

Merchandising

Employees in buying and merchandising positions get the product into the hands of the customer. This process includes forecasting, planning, buying, displaying, selling and providing customer service.

Sample occupations include:

• Customer Service Representative

• Merchandise Buyer

• Merchandise Displayer, Window Trimmer

• Merchandise Manager

• Merchandising Coordinator

• Operations Manager

• Retail Manager

Professional Sales

Employees in professional sales are involved in the transfer of goods and services in the economy, both to businesses and to individual consumers.

Sample occupations include:

• Account Executive

• Manufacturer's Sales Representative

• Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager

• Real Estate Appraiser

• Real Estate Broker

• Real Estate Sales Agent

• Sales Manager

• Salesperson

• Telemarketer

• Trade Show Manager

In order to make a plan for your future career goals, you need to know how to get there and make sure it is a good fit for you. There are several tools that can be used for career research. These tools can give you a description of the career, skills needed, tasks involved, wage range, and education/training needed.

Here are a few career research tools:

• Xello

• Onet-Use the "Occupation Search" features

• My Next Move

• CareerOneStop-Use "Occupation Search" or "List of Occupations"

• ASVAB-Career Exploration Program