Marketers are in demand, making the profession one of the hottest job sectors in the U.S.. If you’re looking for a challenging, fast-paced job with variety, becoming a marketing coordinator may be the right choice for you. Marketing coordinators must be highly versatile and offer a wide array of skills in communication, digital media, data management, event coordination, project management, networking and more.
Marketing coordinators are planners and organizers who keep big-picture goals in mind. They are brand evangelists who prioritize and keep track of daily tasks, while relating them to the overall marketing strategies they are hired to execute. They thrive in a deadline-oriented atmosphere and are able to multitask, switching easily between many activities throughout the day.
Marketing coordinators work with print and digital media, website pages and automated marketing software. They need top-notch interpersonal skills to negotiate with the many business contacts they meet, such as website developers, writers, graphic artists, printers, app developers and publishers. They also need to maintain good relationships with staff, customers, potential customers, sponsors, investors and supporters.
Marketing coordinator salaries start between $23 and $32 per hour, when adjusted as an hourly wage. Marketing coordinators can earn wages at the higher end of the scale after several years of experience, especially in the largest metropolitan areas.
If you become a marketing coordinator in a large organization, you’ll work in an office atmosphere with a team of sales, marketing and communications professionals. Normally, you’ll have regular daytime hours such as nine to five.
However, the demands of a career in marketing are so varied, that sometimes you’ll work late or on weekends, as you travel and work at conferences or trade shows. As a people person, you’ll enjoy chatting with as many people as possible during networking and business opportunities to promote your organization.
You’ll spend a lot of your time with your computer sending and answering emails, organizing lists, creating promotional materials and following the details of the marketing plans created by your team. You’ll also spend time with your team members brainstorming and planning your next campaign. You could have a specialized job in email marketing, social media, direct mail or event marketing to name a few.
You’ll report to a manager, director or business owner who will expect regular progress reports on the various metrics that show your plans are working. For example, you may keep track of responses to ads or increases in social media followers and comments. You will need to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) for these activities and tie them to sales growth.
As a marketing coordinator, you’ll experience a fast-paced atmosphere where you must accomplish your tasks on tight deadlines. In the morning, you may be in the office using graphics software to create the perfect image for your website. In the afternoon, you could be setting up a booth for a trade show. On the way back to the office, you could be tweeting and responding to comments on Facebook.
With many calls, emails and online interactions, you’ll need to prioritize your tasks in order to accomplish all the goals of your marketing campaigns on time. Your tasks will include:
Charitable organizations, marketing agencies and the marketing and communications departments of large corporations employ marketing coordinators. Organizations across all sectors must develop and promote their brands in order to grow. As a result, you’ll find the need for qualified marketing professionals everywhere, especially in large metropolitan areas in the U.S..
After a lull in spending due to a depressed economy, marketing budgets are now rebounding. It makes sense to look for employment in sectors where marketing budgets are growing.
Medium-sized business to consumer (B2C) product companies are expected to have the largest growth in marketing budgets in the coming years. Businesses that do a greater proportion of their sales over the internet are expected to spend higher percentages on their marketing budgets. And business to business (B2B) companies are increasing their spending on content marketing.
If you’ve already gained successful experience in a sales-related job and demonstrated your understanding of business development, you’ll have an edge. With a sales background, becoming a marketing coordinator is a possible next step in your career. You must have:
To become a marketing coordinator, you’ll need a degree in marketing, communications or public relations from a recognized college or university. Most employers are looking for candidates with a few years of experience in at least one or more of the many specialties in marketing.
Because of rapid changes in trends and technology, marketing is a career of never-ending learning. The more you are willing to learn on your own, the more likely employers are to recognize your credentials and want to hire or promote you.
Most marketing coordinators hold a variety of jobs in marketing before advancing to a leadership role. If you have honed your skills in the tasks you enjoy, you might decide to make a lateral move and specialize in a field of marketing such as social media, email marketing or event management.
After several years experience in a variety of marketing jobs, you may be qualified for mid-level jobs or managerial positions such as marketing manager or consultant. The advantage of a career in marketing is the opportunity it provides to be involved in so many different activities, allowing you to acquire broad knowledge over time to advance your career.
To improve your chances of advancement, seek out new opportunities and experiences. Take additional certification courses and keep up with the trends in marketing. Eventually, with many years of experience and education, you may become an account director, a marketing director or even a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).
Looking for marketing coordinator jobs? Start your search with Randstad today.