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Pat · 11-27-2012, 06:52 AM

A business marketing major can actually feed into just about anything along the business route. The great thing is even if you pick something, it'd be very easy for you to jump around to a different path altogether.

Most companies have marketing positions open because, let's face it, marketing and innovation are the only two things that help a business progress; everything else is just a cost. Many companies have extensive marketing teams that have analyst positions (made for entry-level college grads) that might be in charge of market research, social media, blogging, ad agency relations, PR, media buying, creative production, etc. These are all possible in a corporate position right out of college.

Other companies that are consulting firms offer college grads who have accumulated a substantial business acumen to become associate consultants or business analysts. These people will get to work on individual project teams for a specific client that will pay the teams to solve a business problem. Often times, a strong background in marketing helps these roles a lot.

An important note is that marketing and sales are two completely different things. Marketing specialists are not always good at sales and vice versa. Companies generally have separate tracks for these two fields because they're vastly different in nature. I like to think of it as this: if you are effective in your "marketing" initiatives, you should never have to do the "sales" part.

The marketing route is very broad. It takes a certain type of person to excel in marketing and these people typically do very well in a corporate environment. Also, many Fortune 500 CEO's have marketing backgrounds. Know that you'll definitely have options and a chance to grow in this path. Be proactive in networking with industry professionals, as they will definitely be a good way to find the perfect opportunity to what you want once you figure that out.

Good luck!