Content Curator

Marketing is an essential part of any business, and it's no wonder that most MBA students are drawn to careers in marketing. Due to the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of marketing, MBA graduates are able to find a variety of marketing roles. Depending on the industry and company, specific roles may be available. All of these roles, however, offer the chance to use your marketing skills to influence a company's bottom line. Following are the wide variety of Marketing roles offered to a MBA graduate.

Marketing Manager

They are responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies for a business, product, or service. The marketing manager role generally requires some sales experience, but some companies may directly offer you this role. Nonetheless, a Marketing Manager has to work closely with the sales team, taking feedback from them to adjust their marketing Strategy.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for a marketing manager:

Responsibility	Conducting market research to grasp public sentiment and determine the demand for a product or service. Designing Marketing strategies across all media platforms either traditional like tv, billboard, and newspaper or digital like social media. Designing marketing campaigns Managing a team of marketing professionals Analysing market trends and identifying target audiences.
Skill Set Required	Strategic Thinking, Leadership Abilities, and excellent communication skills
Top Hiring Companies	Coca-Cola, Unilever, TCS, Accenture, etc.
Average Package	10 LPA

Brand Manager

Second up is a Brand Manager, the Brand Manager is responsible for both building and Managing a Brand's Image. They are responsible for developing and executing strategies to generate brand awareness, brand loyalty, and growth. A brand manager is a very reputed role in the industry, and one does not become a Brand Manager easily, but if one does, he enjoys the best salaries and perks in the industry and a job that is very exciting and fun to do.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill sets required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Brand manager:

Responsibility	Defining the Brand’s Positioning, target audience, and Value Proposition. Establishing Brand Guidelines and ensuring their compliance across all Marketing Communications Developing and Maintaining Brand Identity and Messaging like logos, typography, and other brand elements. Crafting messages that resonate with the target audience and effectively communicate the Brand’s values and benefits Brand Monitoring and Reputation Management through channels like online reviews, customer feedback, and social media. Proactively addressing negative sentiment or issues and maintaining a positive brand image.
Skill Set Required	Branding expertise, creativity, digital marketing and Social Media, Collaboration, and Leadership.
Top Hiring Companies	ITC, Unilever, Nestle, P&G, etc.
Average Package	12 LPA

Product Manager

Third is Product Manager. He is responsible for developing and managing a company's products throughout its lifecycle. They oversee the step-by-step process of designing, developing, launching, and improving products.

Product Manager is the dream role for most MBA Students. As the role grants a good leadership position to the candidate, and the responsibilities assigned are very challenging, making it a fascinating job. Product Managers generally enjoy the perks of having a good salary and work-life balance. If you are a B-Tech graduate, you have the edge over other candidates, given the technical knowledge requirement and UI/UX design. Nonetheless, Non-Engineers have a chance, but they have to work on the requirements for the role.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill set required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Product manager:

Responsibility	Conducting market research to identify opportunities by learning about customer pain points and learn more about potential buyers Collecting primary research through focus groups or surveys and conducting secondary research Creating product roadmaps that outline the vision and direction of the product Gathering customer feedback and conducting market research to understand user needs, pain points, and preferences to make informed decisions about product enhancements, features, and improvements. Working with the engineering team on development, conducting user testing, and ensuring product quality
Skill Set Required	Solid understanding of product management, Market Research, Technical Knowledge, Analytical and data-driven thinking, Leadership and Communication, UX/UI Design, Agile Methodologies.
Top Hiring Companies	Cognizant, Oracle, HARMAN, Sprinklr, SAP, etc.
Average Package	16 LPA

Digital Marketing Manager

A Digital Marketing Manager develops and implements digital marketing strategies to drive online visibility and customer engagement through Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media, email marketing, content marketing, paid advertising, and more.

Given the increase in social media and other digital platforms, Digital Marketing has become one of the most crucial aspects of Marketing. Whatever marketing role you want, digital marketing know-how has become necessary in today's competitive job market. The role has gained momentum in recent years and has excellent growth potential.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill set required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Digital Marketing Manager:

Responsibility	Optimising Company’s website and digital content to improve search engine rankings and organic visibility. Keyword Research, Page Optimization, link building, monitoring SEO performance metrics. Managing Social Media Accounts, planning, and scheduling content, running social media advertising campaigns, and monitoring social media metrics. Creation of engaging content like blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, and more. Utilising digital analytics tools to track and analyze website traffic, user behavior, conversion rates, and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
Skill Set Required	Digital Marketing Knowledge, Analytical Skills, Technical Skills including knowledge of HTML/CSS, understanding of website analytics tools like Google Analytics, SEO Knowledge
Top Hiring Companies	Accenture, TCS, Cognizant, IBM, etc.
Average Package	7 LPA

Sales Manager

Last up is Sales Manager, who leads and manages a sales team to achieve sales targets for revenue growth. They are responsible for developing sales strategy, training and motivating sales representatives, managing customer relationships, and negotiating deals.

Although Sales have always got a negative connotation, the role of sales managers like Area Sales Managers and Regional Sales Managers have an excellent reputation. The starting salary of an ASM from a reputed college like IIM Ahmedabad is as high as 30-35 LPA. The job requires a lot of travelling and interacting with distributors and customers. Given the nature of the job, if someone gets the hang of it, people even resist a promotion to marketing or even a brand manager.

Here is a table about key responsibilities, skill set required, top hiring companies, and average package for a Sales Manager:

Responsibility	Leading and managing the sales team, setting performance targets, providing coaching and feedback Establishing the sales process, including lead generation, prospecting, presenting, negotiating, and closing deals. Forecasting sales revenue and setting sales targets, taking into account market trends, historical data and business objectives. Building strong relationships with key customers and accounts. Preparing regular sales reports and updates to senior management.
Skill Set Required	Leadership and team management, Sales Strategy and Planning, Sales Process and techniques, Communication and Interpersonal Skills, Relationship Building and networking, Negotiation and influencing skills.
Top Hiring Companies	Dell, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Whitehouse Jr.
Average Package	8 LPA

Most MNCs and private firms operating in sectors like FMCG, technology, and advertising require marketing professionals for all of these roles, making pursuing marketing a viable option. But to succeed in the industry, developing skills like market research, data analytics, leadership, and communication is essential. Apart from gaining knowledge and skills, you must gain practical and in-hand experience through internships and live projects in the role of interest.