Marketing executive
You’ll promote a company’s products, services or brand – from managing social media posts to supporting high-profile events.
Also known as: online marketing officer, marketing officer, digital marketing executive
About the job
What it's like
Can you see yourself creating viral social media posts? Or maybe you thrive during promotional activities and launch events?
As a marketing executive, you’ll do both – and much more! This role is all about using your creativity to promote products, services and brands.
You’ll carry out marketing duties such as organising events, creating printed branding materials and building relationships with journalists to secure coverage.
But digital marketing is now a vital part of the job! You’ll spend time making sure your company’s social media posts perform well and reach your target market. You’ll keep up with the latest online trends and adapt your content to help your company stay at the forefront.
Most marketing executives have an in-house position. This means you’ll be employed by a single company and focus solely on their marketing activity. Some people work for agencies, where they carry out marketing work on behalf of clients. Agency-based marketing executives often juggle several client accounts at one time.
With experience, you could set up your own marketing agency or progress into a marketing manager role.
Your tasks might include:
planning and delivering marketing campaigns across print, digital or social platforms
writing social media posts, blogs, emails and website updates
managing the day-to-day running of your company’s social media channels and website
researching relevant markets and analysing what your competitors are doing
using analytics tools to measure the success of campaigns and plan for future improvement
helping to organise events, launches or promotional activities
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) – explore the organisation that represents, develops and recognises the marketing profession
Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM) – learn about qualifications and training or access resources
Like the sound of this career?
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Marketing executive'
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Related industries
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- verbal communication
- written communication
- time management
- innovative
- problem solving
- researching
- creative
- building relationships
- adaptability
- attention to detail
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Maths (Mathematics)
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Business Management
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English
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Accounting
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Media
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History
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Modern Studies
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Business Skills
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are several routes you can take to become a marketing executive.
Your portfolio, skills and experience are often the most important things to employers. But having formal qualifications can help you stand out from the crowd and progress throughout your career.
University
A degree may be helpful for getting into this job. You could study subjects, such as:
Marketing
Business or Business Management (with marketing modules)
Digital Marketing
Communications
Media
Public Relations
Journalism
Use the My World of Work course search to find degrees.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you find a job or progress to more advanced study. Useful subjects include:
Marketing
Business (with marketing units)
Digital Marketing
Advertising and Public Relations
Media and Communication
Media
Digital Content Creation
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Trainee roles
You can become a marketing executive by applying for a paid trainee or assistant role. You’ll learn on the job without needing previous experience.
You can use the My World of Work job search to look for trainee roles.
Work
Do you have skills or experience in business, marketing or media? You may have picked this up by working in sales, journalism or public relations.
You can use this experience to shift into a career as a marketing executive.
Volunteering in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a marketing executive. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
You may be asked to show a portfolio when applying for marketing executive jobs. This could include social media posts you’ve created and details of successful campaigns you worked on.
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Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Marketing executive'
