Did you know that marketing managers’ jobs are ranked #1 on the US News & World Report list of best sales and marketing jobs?
What’s more, it’s estimated that there will be about 19,100 available jobs in 2021 – for which the median salary is nearly US$137,000 (around 114,000 euros).
If that sounds interesting, you might want to keep reading as we talk about how to become a marketing manager in the USA!
How to get a job as a marketing manager in the USA
1. Make sure it’s the right fit for you
Okay, the pay and the job satisfaction might be fantastic, but before you jump in, you need to make sure this is the job for you. Let’s discuss what kind of person makes a successful marketing manager in the USA.
Creative
A marketing manager needs to be able to come up with unique campaigns that “speak” to people in a meaningful way and encourage them to buy a product or service. They should also be able to come up with creative solutions to problems that may arise.
Curious
Someone who’s a great fit for the marketing manager role needs to be curious – always wanting to learn. To inspire consumers to do what you want them to do (sign up for a service, for example), you need to dig deep to learn about that service inside and out. You also need to research and continue to learn about new and different market trends and advertising channels to be the best at your job.
Personable
It’s not always easy, but it’s important to keep your clients happy. You need to listen to their wants and needs, have empathy and be patient. You need to figure out a way to work with them to fulfill their vision – or gently lead them in a better direction – all while remaining cool and calm.
Flexible
You never know what’s going to happen over the course of an advertising campaign. As a great marketing manager, you should be able to face challenges, adapt to changes and make decisions to adjust the way you run a campaign or lead your team.
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2. Get educated
After figuring out if you’ve got the right personality for the job, you’ll need to get an education.
What university degree does a marketing manager need?
If you want to become a marketing manager in the USA, the first step is to get a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, advertising, communications or some other related field. It’s also possible to start getting some experience while you’re still an undergraduate by shadowing a marketing manager or doing an internship at a firm.
For some positions, you might also need an MBA; however, for many marketing manager jobs, it’s not a requirement.
It’s also worth noting that, if you have a lot of relevant experience related to the marketing manager role, a potential employer might not require you to have a degree. In some cases, job-related experience is more valuable than your formal education.
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Online certifications for marketing
In addition to a degree, you could also earn some online certifications to help you stand out to potential employers. Here are some examples of a few free (or almost free) options out there:
- Google Digital Garage fundamentals of digital marketing: The basics of digital marketing
- HubSpot content marketing certification: All about great content marketing
- Google Analytics Academy: A variety of courses on how to use the different features of Google Analytics
- HubSpot inbound marketing course: Inbound marketing basics for digital marketers
- Become an online marketing manager: A LinkedIn course covering online marketing best practices, tools and social media advertising
- Free diploma in e-business: A course by Alison focused on online business strategies
There are lots of other certification courses out there, whether you’re just beginning or want to upgrade your skills!
3. Work your way up
As with many management jobs, you’ll typically need to work toward the position you want – you won’t usually become a marketing manager straight out of school.
To get on the right path, find a position in which you can build up your skills, like a marketing assistant or public relations specialist. Working in a related position will help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to move up to become a marketing manager in the USA.
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What skills do you need to become a marketing manager in the USA?
The specific skills you’ll need to become a marketing manager in the USA will vary from job to job and industry to industry. However, there are a few skills that are useful – even necessary – in almost every marketing manager job in the USA.
Project management skills are necessary for marketing managers to juggle various tasks, provide leadership and have everyone meet set targets. That goes hand-in-hand with being a good leader who knows how to collaborate (work together) with their teams, with other departments and with clients.
On the more technical side, a marketing manager needs to have search marketing skills like SEO (search engine optimisation) and SEM (search engine marketing). On top of that, they should have research and analytics skills to know and understand the target market, the effectiveness of campaigns and so on.
A marketing manager should also have strong English communication skills.
They need to speak with and listen to clients, lead and motivate teams and take care of content marketing tasks (such as blogging). Basically, they need to ensure that every message – from a tweet to a presentation for clients to an email campaign – is communicated and understood perfectly.
One less thing to worry about
There’s a lot to think about if you want to become a marketing manager in the USA. You shouldn’t also have to worry about whether your English skills are good enough.
Contact Lingoda today. You’ll learn relevant, real-life English to help you move toward a career as a marketing manager in the USA!
