What is Marketing?
If you are looking for information on the best marketing schools in New Mexico, it may also be a good idea to look into the government statistics for marketing professionals employed in the state. As of March of 2021, there were 1,350 employees hired in the marketing field in the state. This represents just under 2% of the state-wide workforce and the average annual mean salary in marketing, should you choose to remain in New Mexico after you graduate, is $55,550.
Those seeking to earn a marketing degree in New Mexico should also look at the most prevalent industries in the state. Often, schools will make an effort to team up with local industries so that they can work together to train and attract top talent in their field. That will give you the opportunity for internships to help you ease into your career.
The top industry in New Mexico is real estate, rental, and leasing followed by professional and business services. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction is also a top business sector in the state. The fastest growing sector is the medical and healthcare services industry, but the retail sector continues to be very large; and, since New Mexico is a popular destination for travelers, you can expect job opportunities in the tourism industry or marketing careers in the hospitality field. The manufacturing, construction, finance and insurance, and wholesale trade industries round out the top 10 industries in the state with the highest levels of revenue.
Marketing professionals can be found in any company that is large enough to hire them as an employee or as part of a consulting firm to advertise their services and/or products to consumers and/or other businesses. The largest employers of marketing professionals in New Mexico include management, public relations, and advertising firms as well as computing and information services companies, sound recording firms, aerospace firms, the banking industry, and semiconductor companies.
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Online Marketing Education in New Mexico
The most interesting school/industry partnership in New Mexico is the Bachelor in Business Administration degree program with a major in marketing and a specialization in PGA golf management. The University of Phoenix at New Mexico has an MBA program with a specialization in E-business. Other schools including the University of New Mexico, University of the Southwest, Eastern New Mexico University, nor Western New Mexico University have schools of business that include online programs and in-person instruction and both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in marketing.
Backtracking a bit, what exactly will your marketing degree prepare you to do? What is the work of a marketing professional? Generally, marketing analysts and researchers provide business owners the information they need to compete in their market against other similar businesses. Some of this information includes using statistical analysis to estimate the sales potential of a new product or service, tracking the offerings of competitors, devising advertising campaigns, improving SEO (search engine optimization), and provide better outreach to targeted portions of potential sales markets. Products and services may be marketed online or in local or national markets, so a marketing professional will need to be able to analyze where potential consumers of their offerings may be found.
Online Associates (AS)
Most professionals in marketing have at least completed their bachelor’s degree program. However, those who embark upon an associate degree in marketing will be taking courses that provide them a broad understanding of the basics of business such as finance, accounting, macroeconomics, advertising, marketing research, and communications. They will also take general education courses including science, mathematics, English, and other humanities courses.
Online associate degree programs usually take two years of full-time study and they can help you to gain internships or entry-level positions in the marketing field. However, the best course of action after completing an associate in marketing is to continue on to your bachelor’s program. Some with associate degrees in marketing might find work in related careers that include helping companies improve their search engine ranking online, supporting social media campaigns, writing online content, or maintaining an online presence but these positions will likely not pay as well as those positions that require a bachelor’s degree.
online associate in marketing programs rankedOnline Bachelors (BS)
Many professionals in marketing have an online bachelor’s degree in the field, it is one of the more common business degrees earned. The first two years of full-time study will closely resemble what you might learn in an associate degree, and will provide students with foundational information about the business field as well as the general education courses that are required for any bachelor’s program of study. If you have already completed an associate degree from an institution that has a transfer agreement with a four-year institution, then you may be able to skip nearly the first two full years of a bachelor’s degree and move right into the rest of your major core courses.
The junior and senior year of full-time study will allow the candidate to take more specific courses in their field that will provide the working knowledge necessary for a marketing professional. Such coursework includes classes in the principles of marketing, consumer behavior, strategic management, business information systems, advertising strategy, marketing research, project management, retail management, and more.
This coursework provides the student with the necessary set of skills to obtain employment as a marketing professional. The types of positions available for candidates with bachelor’s in marketing include marketing managers, advertising managers, account managers, communications specialists, brand managers, sales managers, and market research analysts. The management positions, though, will be harder to break into. Most management positions go to those with an MBA in marketing unless you are in an area with less competition in the field.
online bachelors in marketing programs rankedOnline Masters (MS)
If you wish to move into management positions, you will be better positioned by completing a few years of entry-level marketing experience and then moving on to graduate school. There are two options for those who have completed their undergraduate work and have a few years of experience in the field. An MBA, or Master of Business Administration, is for those who are looking to move into management positions and wish to get a broad view of business management of all types at the graduate level. Those who complete their MBA program will have a better chance of moving into a variety of business management positions rather than continuing to only move through marketing management options. An MBA program is typically two years in duration.
The other option for graduate study at the master’s level is an online master’s in marketing. This is a much more specialized option of study and is designed to look specifically at marketing in greater depth. These year-long programs tend to be for those who are looking to go into management or gain senior-level positions within their current marketing department or with a well-known marketing firm. You might become a marketing director or coordinator or work as an account manager in a marketing firm with this degree.
online masters in marketing programs rankedOnline Doctorate (PhD)
At the doctoral level are degrees that few actually need in the business field or are motivated to achieve in the marketing field. However, those who wish to open their own consultancy or work in academia might gain credibility or access to tenure by earning a PhD in marketing. As with the degrees at the master’s level, there are two different degrees, each with its own focus and purpose.
If you have years of experience in marketing, a master’s degree and a burning desire to engage in state-of-the-art research and teaching, your best bet is a PhD. Successful PhD candidates, after a course of study that will take from three to eight years, will have the possibility of accepting work at marketing research programs at top universities in the nation as professors. One can earn over $100,000 a year in such a position, but only if you are tenured. Adjunct professors often earn far less. There is also quite a bit of really exciting research work happening at such institutions of higher learning that involves the psychology of consumers and the online environment.
The other doctoral degree in marketing is called a DBA degree. This is focused graduate study on a specific problem in marketing. A DBA, or Doctor of Business Administration, is for an individual who seeks to stand out from the saturated MBA market as someone who can solve specific problems in marketing. DBA students create research projects by working with case studies, research, and analysis to solve pressing problems in the field and pioneer unique solutions. Graduates tend to move on to senior-level and management positions in the field, though it’s important to note that these degrees are focused on management or administration more than on marketing.
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Become a Marketing Manager in New Mexico
Although, there are no licensure requirements for marketing professionals in the state of New Mexico, if you take the route of becoming an entrepreneur in the field and desire to be a consultant, the state of New Mexico has two relevant certifications if you begin applying for state government contracting opportunities (States do use marketing and advertising campaigns. One example is to attract tourists to the state). The state has a Small Business Enterprise Certification and there is also a Disabled/Veteran Business Enterprise Certification. If you qualify for either of these two certifications, you do not have to be the highest bidder to qualify for government contracts.
Marketing professionals sometimes enter government service in public relations to spearhead advertising and public awareness campaigns and in positions where they are involved in the sale of bonds or excess property. New Mexico has a certification program for public officials, public managers, and public supervisors that is administered through New Mexico State University. Each certification requires taking core courses and either writing an essay, passing a test, or successfully completing a capstone project.
If you take the route of moving into academics after completing a PhD program in marketing, New Mexico State University has a year-long certification program for employees who choose to move into management, such as Head of Marketing Department. In a state with a smaller population that has a limited number of positions available in marketing, it’s important to utilize internships and specific programs, such as the New Mexico State University PGA Marketing Management degree program to ensure your application is at the top of those considered right at the outset.
Another tack is to get your feet wet in work that falls under the auspices of the marketing department of a company. Entry-level work for those who have not completed their bachelor’s program may include writing online content to improve a company’s search engine ranking, creating online art, managing their social media presence to create online customer interest and engagement, helping to conduct focus groups, and taking part in an online brand management campaign.
And, if you have already made your way into marketing and are looking to boost your resume, then you can find certifications in various types of marketing, such as digital marketing or social media marketing, as well as various marketing software options.
Potential Careers for Graduates
- Marketing/Research Analyst
Market research analysts utilize data analysis and critical thinking to determine consumer product and service needs and preferences. Data collection includes surveys, focus groups, and prior purchase habits as well as online behaviors. The data is then cast in chart, graph, and report form. After interpreting the data, the analyst will develop an action plan in order to optimize sales. Analysts need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree to enter the field. They need to have strong skills in conducting surveys, and in utilizing statistics, mathematics, and critical thinking. The average salary is $61,000 per year. - Product Manager
Product managers are tasked with developing and assuring the success of individual products in a company’s inventory. They need to conduct ongoing market research that pits their product against those of competitors. They must have a flair for interacting with different teams within a company and need to have strong skills related to advertising and budgeting. A product manager must be a creative as well as a strategic thinker and needs to stay on top of the ever-evolving ecommerce market and its best sales strategies and techniques. Product managers tend to earn on average just under $100,000 a year. - Advertising Coordinator
An advertising coordinator often is an employee of a marketing agency. Their job is to bring to fruition digital, video, and print advertising campaigns on behalf of their clients. They conduct market research to create the best advertising campaigns and advertising placement for each client’s products and/or services. They need to be able to multi-task with different projects, have great organizational communication and sales skills, and be able to think creatively and strategically. Their average salary is just over $100,000 a year. - Project Manager
A project manager is tasked with bringing together all of the elements for the timely and successful completion of a project. They have the skill set to work with and assign tasks to employees, contractors, and vendors to oversee a project from a brainstorming phase to its completion and evaluation. They must be skilled in all aspects of marketing, as well as budgeting and planning. Not only do they need to keep projects on task, but they also must use marketing analysis to determine if the project is meeting its sales goals. They often keep multiple projects on task at a given time, so they need to have excellent interpersonal communication skills and to think strategically at all times. The annual salary averages around $74,000. - Social Media Manager
A social media manager is an employee who works on behalf of organizations and public figures to keep these entities in contact with a targeted audience. The goal is to attract customers and/or followers and to maintain their targets’ engagement. This improves their client’s marketing, advertising, and public relations. They manage online presences on different social media platforms that include conducting digital marketing campaigns, writing posts, publishing images, interacting with followers, and even creating campaigns with online influencers. They may work as a freelancer, as part of a marketing department, or part of a digital marketing firm. The average salary is $50,000 per year.
Sources:
- https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/map_changer.htm
- https://stacker.com/stories/2571/top-industries-every-state
- https://www.internships.com/marketing/new-mexico
- https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2018/january/is-a-dba-degree-worth-
- https://business.vanderbilt.edu/news/2019/11/07/master-of-marketing-vs-mba-in-marketing-which-one-is-right-for-you
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