Graduate Labour Market - Essay Example

RESEARCH INTO THE GRADUATE LABOUR MARKET Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Graduate labour market in UK 2 Knowledge, skills and experience required to become Online Marketing Manager 3 Career path for a person entering marketing career 4 Medium/long term prospects for employment in marketing field and value of internship 5 Conclusion 6 References 7 Introduction Due to the stiff competition that has engulfed business arena, employers are focused at recruiting experienced and well trained employees. In this regard, it is prudent for institution of higher learning to offer courses that are competitive and geared towards addressing the challenges particularly in the marketing sector. In addition, students who aim at working in the field of marketing should be keen in selecting marketing units that are essential in preparing them for their career. This paper will analyze the skills, knowledge and aptitudes that are needed for an individual who is focused at working in the field of marketing. The paper will also analyze the value of internship to the graduates seeking employment in the marketing sector. Graduate labour market in UK In its effort to improve and modernise public services, UK government has created more job opportunities for graduates. Some of the sectors that depict an increase in the rate of employment include public administration, health and education, construction as well as business and finance. It is important to note that the UK economic and political developments have made the region to be one of the countries that have the lowest rates of unemployment in Europe. According to Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), approximately 30% of the UK graduates are highly demanded in foreign countries including European region based on the extensive training undertaken by universities (Association of Graduate Recruiters, 2010). Despite the estimation that employment vacancies in UK would fall by 7% in 2010 due to the economic recession, employers reported 8.9% increase in the level of employment opportunities. As stipulated by AGR, more job opportunities will come up while the average initial salary for graduate will be approximately be £29,000. According to Gilleard, the AGR chief executive officer, the market for graduate is picking up thus offsetting the negativities of the recent economic downturn that affected almost all sectors of the global economy. However, most of the organizations are not increasing graduate salaries despite the extensive training that they undergo in the universities. Knowledge, skills and experience required to become Online Marketing Manager As stipulated by Aaker (2008) Online Marketing Manager is responsible for guiding the online marketing team. In addition, the manager oversees the implementation of effective use of internet as a way of promoting and advertising of the products. Other vital duties of the manager includes evaluation and tracking of online marketing strategies, identifying new online marketing tactics as well as collaborating with personnel who are responsible for developing websites. Due to the stiff competition in the international market, companies in UK and abroad are emulating e-marketing in order to attain a competitive edge. This means that there exist more job opportunities for students who choose Online Marketing Manager as their future career. Individuals intending to become online marketing managers should posses a degree in marketing and have some experience of internet marketing. In addition, it is essential for one to have a good knowledge of English language and proper communication skills (Laermer, 2007). Communication skills are vital since the marketing managers should have adequate knowledge on how to address the needs of their clients. Depending with the size of an organization an Online Marketing Manager should be at least 23 years old and with an experience of 3- 4 years in a marketing department. Even though most of the marketing professionals have a degree in business administration, students pursuing marketing degree as their option have an added advantage. In order to have more knowledgeable on the various aspects of online marketing, it is fundamental for students to pursue courses that include digital design, media and multimedia marketing as well as web design. Some of the important skills that are required in order to be eligible for an Online Marketing Manager job include creativity, flexibility, adequate skills on time management, project implementation skills as well as excellent communication skills. In the same way, it is vital for individual to pursue units that relates to product launching, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) as well as search engine marketing (SEM). Career path for a person entering marketing career The use of social media in marketing has currently been emulated by almost all companies. This has generated high demand for marketing professional who posses the basic skills of using social media such as Twitter and Face book in their marketing strategies. Due to the high value that companies place on the e-marketing, it is paramount for marketing students to focus on developing their on line marketing skills. As mentioned earlier, a bachelor degree in marketing is important for any one willing to enter marketing career. It is important to note that even though some people think a degree in marketing from prestigious universities guarantees them for a marketing job, most employers looks at the individual performance. As one aspires to get a job in marketing he or she should be a good writer as well as possess skills associated with copywriting. Such skills give an individual ability to sell services or products by use of language. Due to the diversity of the marketing, it is important for an individual to strengthen the marketing degree with other smaller courses that are vital especially for individual willing to become online managers. For example, a graphic design course gives a students ability to design magazine layout, company logos and advertising banners. O'Brian & Montazemia (2004) argues that it is essential for one to acquire a certificate in computer science and HyperText Markup Language (HTML). HTML gives individual appropriate skills to conduct marketing activities through the internet. In order to have adequate skills to perform the duties of an online marketing manager, it is essential to continue learning. This is done through attending of conferences and forums that are organized by marketing students and companies. During such conferences, a lot of information that covers on line marketing and other vital marketing strategies are shared. In the same way, it is important for marketing students to read company publications that contain information about marketing strategies and brands designs. Medium/long term prospects for employment in marketing field and value of internship Between 2006 and 2016, U.S bureau of statistics depicts that employment in the marketing sector will expand by more than 12% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). This increment is based on the cut-throat competition that exists in the local and international market for consumer services and goods. As many local companies go global, the demand for marketers will increase in order to enhance communication between the consumers and the companies. It is imperative to note that the adoption of social marketing especially in the developing countries will generate more job opportunities for marketing graduate who posses the skills to sell products and services on line. Internship in marketing career is an aspect that cannot be overlooked by the job seekers. It is important to note that currently and in future, Online Marketing Manager jobs will remain highly competitive. This means that large number of applicants will be seeking the job via the internet or physical appearance in various companies. A graduate who is fresh from the university but not having undertaken an internship program will be providing a curriculum vitae without any experience an aspect that makes him or her to have les chance of being hired. Internship provides an opportunity to university students to acquire industry experience. According to Miles (2003) internship allows marketing graduate to have letter of recommendation and influential letters from their employers. This makes them to have a higher probability of being recruited by future employers. It is vital for university graduate to consider the marketing job that they want to do after their studies. For example, if you intend to be an Online Marketing Manager, it is paramount to apply for an internship with large organizations that adopts e-marketing. In the same way, internship allows a graduate to have basic knowledge of the challenges that exist in the job. Ultimately, such knowledge creates ample chances of becoming an excellent employee in the future job position. Conclusion The competition experienced by local and international companies, has propelled the need to hire experienced and skilled manpower that will oversee the profitability of the companies. Even though all the departments within an organization are important, it is imperative to ensure that proper marketing strategies are put in place. Online Marketing Manager duties include managing on line marketing strategies as well as guiding the marketing team on the various marketing aspects that are important for the profitability of the company. In order to have proper skills required to become an Online Marketing Manager, it is important to undertake various courses that acts as additional advantage for a marketing student. Due to the complexity associated with e-marketing, courses such as web design, certificate in HTML, writing and copyrighting as well as communication skills are vital for marketing students. Such course can be undertaken during holidays or parallel to other normal classes. To be in a competitive position, especially during interviews, it is significant for marketing graduates to apply for internship with reputable organization. Through the internship, graduates acquire experience and letter of recommendation that are vital in their job seeking strategies after graduation. References Aaker, D. (2008). Strategic Market Management. London: Sage. Association of Graduate Recruiters. (2010) .Class of 2010 Faces Uphill Struggle for Jobs. Retrieved November 8, 2011 from http://www.agr.org.uk/content/Class-of-2010-Faces-Uphill-Struggle-for-Jobs. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009). What BLS Does .New York: United States Department of Labour. Retrieved November 8, 2011 from http://www.bls.gov/. Laermer, R. (2007). Punk Marketing. New York: Harper Collins. Miles, R. (2003). Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process. Stanford: Stanford University Press. O'Brian J. & Montazemia, A. (2004). Management Information Systems. Canada: McGraw-Hill. Read More