Career Shift to Marketing: Should My Friend Pursue Further Education or Rely on Experience?

This query is for my friend, who is an accounting & finance graduate and holds an MBA in Finance with 2.5 years of work experience in finance. He has become inclined towards marketing as 40% of his job was related to marketing & PR. Now, he wants to make a career in marketing and has been working as a Business Development Executive for the past 6 months.

Career Advancement in Marketing

Should he take up some courses in marketing simultaneously to have a strong stand in the Indian and overseas job market? Would a one-year PG/Diploma or a master's in marketing be beneficial? To grow faster, would a degree help, or would work experience suffice? Please advise. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Sara

Yes, definitely, he must look for a course that will give him knowledge and understanding, enhancing his skills. Since you mentioned that he has been working as a Business Development Executive for the last six months and has an interest in this field, now is the right time for him to take steps in that direction.

Consider Enrolling in a Course

Encourage him to consider enrolling in a distance marketing and business development course or a PG Diploma. This will provide him with the precise guidance he needs to establish himself and advance his career in this field. Through this program, he will learn what strategies work and what doesn't, enabling him to acquire the essential Business Management and Development Skills. Moreover, this course will teach him how to create a marketing plan aligned with business objectives, sales strategies, and the confidence necessary to build a referral network for long-term success.

He can pursue this opportunity with any reputable university.

Marketing is purely a numbers game of influence. A person needs to have overall knowledge of the product, the market, competitors, and high negotiation skills.

I opine that instead of going for MBAs, it's better to attend some certificate courses or training programs in Business Development, Sales, or Marketing. Having thorough knowledge of the product and market makes sense. Employers look at how much business has been done in a month, week, or day, the aging of debtors, amount collected, percentage of commission offered, retention of existing customers, acquisition of new customers, enhancement of the company's image in the market, execution of business promotion activities, and the business generated from these activities.

Factors such as increment, incentives, and sales bonuses received are important for the employees.

Regards,
Kamesh

Thank you very much for your reply. I completely agree with you both. MET College Bandra, Mumbai, offers a specialized diploma course in marketing management for one year, which includes the following subjects:

Semester I:

1. Perspective Management
2. Effective Communication
3. Professional Skills Development
4. Marketing Management
5. Product & Services Management
6. Buyer Behaviour

Semester II:

7. Integrated Marketing Communications
8. Sales & Distribution Management
9. International Marketing
10. Marketing Research
11. B2B and Customer Relationship Management

Please advise me on whether he should pursue this course or consider something else. Is this the right option for him? Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you in anticipation.

Regards,
Sara