How to Become a Marketing Manager

If you love to lead, enjoy expert strategic planning and have a passion for marketing, then a career in marketing management could be for you. 

Whether you have several years of experience and are looking forward to the next step in your career path or are considering a career change, you can find out the best routes to help you become a marketing manager in Ireland.

Marketing managers are responsible for overseeing the creation and implementation of an organisation’s marketing strategy. This marketing strategy needs to successfully promote the products or services to reach and pique the target audience’s interest.

As a marketing manager, you are likely going to be taking the lead of a marketing team, helping to guide the marketing strategy using your expertise in business and consumer behaviour. 

However, marketing manager roles can vary depending on the business, and you may instead be taking charge of a product or a small team of individuals instead of a full team of people.

The aim of a marketing strategy is to help promote the business and its products, so most marketing strategies encompass different types of marketing within them. Some of the most commonly used types of marketing include:

As a marketing manager, your daily duties might include:

If you want to improve your chances of securing an entry-level position in marketing, then you can add to your resume with online marketing courses. Online courses in Marketing and Digital Marketing can help you stand out to employers and are a great way to further your career without needing to adjust your current working schedule. You can learn about essential elements of marketing and digital marketing, such as SEO, how to create marketing campaigns and product development.

These courses can be super helpful for getting a variety of marketing jobs and can expand your work opportunities exponentially. For those already in marketing, taking a management or leadership course can help you prepare for your step up into management.

A bachelor’s degree in marketing or business management can also be useful for those who are keen to become a marketing manager. If you have a master’s degree in communications, journalism or marketing, then this can help to land a marketing management job in Ireland even easier. Other related fields include psychology, public relations, business administration and advertising. The majority of employers will seek candidates with at least a relevant bachelor’s degree and favour those with a higher degree.

Alongside educational qualifications, you will need to have experience as a marketing executive before becoming a marketing manager in Ireland. Find out more below about the work experience requirements for a marketing manager.

Marketing management requires a diverse range of important marketing skills that you can develop through experience, education and practice. Some of the key hard skills and soft skills you will need to secure marketing manager jobs are:

Before becoming a marketing manager in Ireland, you will need at least 3-5 years of experience working in a marketing executive role, and some employers require up to 8 years of experience in this role. This might seem like a lot, but marketing management requires a lot of knowledge about marketing and expert leadership skills. In return, however, you can enjoy an exciting role with high marketing manager salary expectations and a future-proof career.

There is also the potential to gain an apprenticeship in marketing management or as a marketing executive. However, having some knowledge or experience prior to your apprenticeship application would be advantageous. If you are looking to work in a specialised area and become a digital marketing manager, you will also need experience in the area of digital marketing. 

If you have an undergraduate degree or are considering studying marketing at university, you can also study for a marketing qualification alongside working as a marketing executive. This can greatly increase your chances of being promoted to marketing manager once you have the experience and have developed the skills you need.

Marketing managers can enjoy excellent career prospects, with a variety of areas to specialise in. You can move into a digital marketing manager role, for example, or explore marketing manager positions in areas such as brand management. You will also have the opportunity to develop into an even more senior role. For example, you could work your way up to becoming a chief marketing officer, marketing director or regional marketing manager.

There are also options for becoming a freelance marketing consultant or moving more into brand management and working as a brand or account director.

Marketing is a massive field which plays a vital role in the success and maintenance of a business or organisation. If you have experience in marketing or want to explore a marketing career, then striving to become a marketing manager can open up a world of opportunities for you. As well as a financially lucrative career, you can enjoy the creativity and excitement that comes with heading up a strategic marketing plan and seeing your goals come to fruition.