I am a creative person, and I want to work in the marketing/public relations/advertising fields!
So, what should my major be?
Which job makes more money?
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For all those areas, degrees in either Communications or Marketing would be best.
However, if you’re wanting to enter the creative side of advertising, you’ll need more than a BS in Communications or Marketing. You’ll also need a great portfolio, or book as it’s called in business.
If the college you attend doesn’t offer a strong portfolio-building program, you might want to consider going to a secondary school after you graduate, like Portfolio Center in Atlanta. It’s not cheap, but you’ll graduate with a great book and be excellently trained.
As for money/sallaries, it all depends on what market you’re in and your skills. Assuming you live in a major city and have a great book, a $45k starting salary would not be unheard of. Again, though, that’s based on your ability and location, both of which will also dramatically impact your earning potential during the course of your career.
Check out the list of possible careers with a major in marketing at
If/when you see any that appeal, you can find more information about starting salaries, demand, and more for each position using US Department of Labor statistics (see for the most recent occupational outlook handbook).
I have a Ph.D. in marketing…and IMHO, a quantititative emphasis in marketing pays much better in the short run AND in the long run that a creative emphasis. Quantitative fields like logistics and marketing research are in high demand and pay quite well. On the other hand, “glamorous” jobs like advertising and PR tend to pay MUCH less for entry level workers because of the oversupply of people that want to work in a creative field (not just marketing majors but also communications, journalism, and many other majors may target advertising jobs!).
Same advice I give my students…take full advantage of internship opportunities to explore various career fields BEFORE you lock yourself in to a specific major. Marketing probably has the broadest perspective with specific majors in commercial design, advertising, or PR having the narrowest outlook…I’d start with a marketing major and if, through internships and coursework, you discover that you really want a career that requires more specific skills (e.g., you want to be a creative designer), you can either get a second major (or minor), OR plan on attending a specialized school after you graduate.
January 20th, 2010 at 5:27 am
If you want a job in marketing then you should major in Marketing.
If you want a job in public relations then you should major in Marketing.
If you want a job in advertising then you should major in Marketing.
I hope that answers your question.
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:30 pm
just to ad to the last post, They all pay according to what you do with the job!
If you are good at marketing(any title) and you get results that stand above the average, you can set your own salary!
This is fact!
January 24th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
For all those areas, degrees in either Communications or Marketing would be best.
However, if you’re wanting to enter the creative side of advertising, you’ll need more than a BS in Communications or Marketing. You’ll also need a great portfolio, or book as it’s called in business.
If the college you attend doesn’t offer a strong portfolio-building program, you might want to consider going to a secondary school after you graduate, like Portfolio Center in Atlanta. It’s not cheap, but you’ll graduate with a great book and be excellently trained.
As for money/sallaries, it all depends on what market you’re in and your skills. Assuming you live in a major city and have a great book, a $45k starting salary would not be unheard of. Again, though, that’s based on your ability and location, both of which will also dramatically impact your earning potential during the course of your career.
Hope that helps!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Check out the list of possible careers with a major in marketing at
If/when you see any that appeal, you can find more information about starting salaries, demand, and more for each position using US Department of Labor statistics (see for the most recent occupational outlook handbook).
I have a Ph.D. in marketing…and IMHO, a quantititative emphasis in marketing pays much better in the short run AND in the long run that a creative emphasis. Quantitative fields like logistics and marketing research are in high demand and pay quite well. On the other hand, “glamorous” jobs like advertising and PR tend to pay MUCH less for entry level workers because of the oversupply of people that want to work in a creative field (not just marketing majors but also communications, journalism, and many other majors may target advertising jobs!).
Same advice I give my students…take full advantage of internship opportunities to explore various career fields BEFORE you lock yourself in to a specific major. Marketing probably has the broadest perspective with specific majors in commercial design, advertising, or PR having the narrowest outlook…I’d start with a marketing major and if, through internships and coursework, you discover that you really want a career that requires more specific skills (e.g., you want to be a creative designer), you can either get a second major (or minor), OR plan on attending a specialized school after you graduate.