Marketing jobs (at the MBA level)???

PennyCarter · #1 02-26-2006, 12:55 AM

I completed my MBA in December 2004. Upon graduation I moved back to my hometown (Chattanooga, TN) and took a job as a marketing coordinator at a local bank. This job does not require an MBA (even a college degree is debatable) and is becoming very routine. It has been a good job for me, but I am ready for the next step in my career. When I took the position I needed experience and I wanted to be in Chattanooga (there are very few marketing jobs here).

Now I do not want to settle. I am willing to relocate for a good position and I want to utilize my education. Does anyone know of any good opportunities? I would love to get into a company with a career path for marketing. I am willing to work hard to move into higher positions, I just need to be in a company with advancement opportunities. Obviously a small bank does not provide me with any room for advancement.

Thanks!!
Penny

James · #2 02-27-2006, 04:55 AM

You are a child MBA? I mean someone who chose to go straight to an MBA program instead of work.

It sounds like you still don't have the work experience a normal company would be looking for on a resume for an MBA applicant, say 2-5 years.

However, you probably have some convincing sort of experiences, activities, and you can exaggerate your job a little.

But at this point I would be looking to take yourself off the "Look at my Resume" list and do some serious networking.

If you are bright, and competent that will show regardless of your masters. You need some kind of personal contact with someone that can help you.

Does you college have an alumni list you can use? A friend of mine that wanted to get into pharmaceutical sales called her alumni association and got the name of every graduate in that proffession, she cold-called them until a lady agreed to help her out.

I think she is making close to a hundred grand a year now.

Did you go to school at a top 20 MBA program? Or in a major market?

PennyCarter · #3 02-27-2006, 10:49 AM

Yes, I got my MBA right after I graduated from college. If I had it to do over I would probably wait (though being finished at 23 has its advantages!). I have a solid year of work experience at my present job and I have learned a lot here. I also had several internships and plenty of activities/leadership roles while I was in college as you mentioned.

I went to the University of Tennessee. It is a great MBA program, but not top 20. It is known for its logistics program (#2 in one ranking). It is also known for having a high ROI (last year it was ranked #1 value in the country by Financial Times). All in all it was a great program for me and we do have alums in some wonderful positions.

I was a GA in MBA Career Services so I am very familiar with our alumni database, but I am hoping that this could be another avenue of meeting people. I agree that networking is the way to go! It is just something that does not come natural to me (and a lot of other people I know).

Honeykiss1974 · #4 02-27-2006, 11:46 AM

In my company (Cox Communications), there are plenty of marketing positions that require a BA to get your foot in the door (marketing cordinator/specialist), but higher positions ALWAYS require a few years experience, not an MBA.

ETA: I forgot to name what company..

ilovemyglo · #5 02-27-2006, 02:18 PM

Try Proctor and Gamble.
My boyfriend is in marketing there- he has his MBA from IU- which is a top 20, but they paid for it while he worked in a different department. Go to their online site and look around. They are extremely competitive, though, as in most of the guys/gals he works with went to Duke, Northwestern, Stanford, etc. for their MBAs, but there are plenty that didn't. It is based in Cincinnati, OH which isn't TOO horrible of a drive- up 75.
Anyway, once i get my MBA i am looking to go there, it's a great company!

adpiucf · #6 02-27-2006, 03:18 PM

Your MBA career center should be helping you-- have you contacted them? Also, join a few professional groups like the American Marketing Association or any niche associations (IE: Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Association), and attend their events. This is a great way to get involved with some volunteer projects to build your resume and get your name out there. Similarly, other TN MBA alum should have a group near you-- go to one of their mixers and get your name out there.

Go back to your MBA program-- they "made" you-- and their program is only as good as the placement of their graduates.

As another person mentioned, without the work experience to support your MBA, you will have a much harder time getting an MBA-level position at a company that does not traditionally lean on MBAs and certainly not for entry level work.

And as someone who has hired entry level marketing positions, I'm going to immediately reject an MBA going for an entry level position. MBA-level is management level. I won't pay them the salary they would expect for their level of education and I can get someone with a BA and who is really at that entry level to do the same job for a real entry level salary. It's a matter of budgeting on the employers' side.

One of my friends went straight through from undergrad to MBA and actually had to take the MBA off her resume-- she was only qualified from an experience perspective for entry level and the MBA was a deterrent.

Anyway, hindsight is 20/20-- this is why many MBA programs require a few years of real world experience. That being said, you have the option to go for an MBA-level internship, pursue non-MBA entry level work, or network like crazy within MBA circles.

Good luck.

sageofages · #7 02-27-2006, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PennyCarter
I completed my MBA in December 2004. Upon graduation I moved back to my hometown (Chattanooga, TN) and took a job as a marketing coordinator at a local bank. This job does not require an MBA (even a college degree is debatable) and is becoming very routine. It has been a good job for me, but I am ready for the next step in my career. When I took the position I needed experience and I wanted to be in Chattanooga (there are very few marketing jobs here).

Now I do not want to settle. I am willing to relocate for a good position and I want to utilize my education. Does anyone know of any good opportunities? I would love to get into a company with a career path for marketing. I am willing to work hard to move into higher positions, I just need to be in a company with advancement opportunities. Obviously a small bank does not provide me with any room for advancement.

Thanks!!
Penny

www.mdp.com/careers