Earning a business degree could help you make that big jump from administrative assistant or junior associate to the upper ranks of executive management. Business schools offer a variety of concentrations, so it's important to find the program that builds a bridge to your unique career goals. For Sarah, earning her MBA has given the push she needed to launch her career as a marketing executive.
MBA Degree Gives Competitive Edge
Marketing is a very competitive field, and Sarah's decision to equip herself with an MBA degree has given her a definite advantage. In MBA school, Sarah was able to develop her critical thinking, leadership, and other management skills. In fact, because she chose to study for an online MBA, Sarah didn't have to leave her job to attend business school. That allowed her to keep her position in the company that knew her, the company in which she wanted to move up. Her hard work has paid off. Sarah's experience working at her company--when combined with her business training--provided the strong selling point that got her promoted. Now, she heads up a large department that handles brand management, market research, new product planning, and international marketing.
Overseeing Market Research
As a marketing executive, Sarah is responsible for helping to create and manage brands. Since market research is an important part of all new product initiatives her company attempts, she frequently uses the research skills she acquired in her MBA marketing education. What does she do exactly? Sarah and her team members must know how to assess new market opportunities as well as potential threats from competitors. Sarah oversees surveys, focus groups, and reviews of studies that will help determine the market for various products and services. Market research also allows Sarah's company to promote the unique benefits or characteristics of products.
Staying Competitive in Business
Sarah is constantly evaluating whether her company's marketing initiatives will create customer value and increase profits. Her business courses in marketing taught her to analyze customer needs, preferences, and purchasing habits. Marketing strategies also involve making decisions on product pricing and distribution. Marketing information gathered by Sarah's department is used to form advertising and promotions strategies.
Sarah also must stay on top of changes in her industry so that her company can remain competitive. Each day she reads business newspapers and any relevant trade journals and reports. Sarah also attends industry conventions, training sessions, and other events that can help develop her career, as well as network with other marketing professionals.
MBA Programs Hone Leadership Skills
Each day Sarah faces the challenge of inspiring members of her department to work together as a team to complete projects and strategize about new company initiatives. Sarah regularly holds staff meetings with members of her department to brainstorm and get updates on projects. She also meets with heads of other departments at her company to discuss overall strategic planning. Even though Sarah works on developing and marketing specific brands, she knows that it's important to make sure those brands fit with the overall goals of her company.
Sarah's business training has helped her become an effective communicator who is able to manage differences among members of her department. Some of Sarah's online business courses focused on group dynamics and interpersonal relations, and each day she puts into practice some of the concepts she learned in those classes.
Financial Management Skills
As a department head, it's Sarah's job to make sure the different teams working under her are staying on schedule and within budget for their various projects. Sarah needs to have a good grasp of corporate finance so that she can analyze and evaluate projects to make sure they fit with her company's goals. Some of Sarah's MBA classes focused on financial management, so she understands the importance of establishing goals and developing strategies to make the right decisions about investing in and financing new marketing initiatives.
Sarah has used her MBA degree in marketing to land a higher paying position as a business executive at a company she has been employed at for several years. Taking online MBA classes while working full-time wasn't easy, but she feels that her hard work has really paid off with a challenging career that has lots of room for advancement.