Marketer

As a marketing executive, you'll need to:

• create awareness of and develop the brand you're marketing
• communicate with target audiences and build and develop customer relationships
• help with marketing plans, advertising, direct marketing, and campaigns
• support the marketing manager in delivering agreed activities
• source advertising opportunities and place adverts in the press or on the radio
• work closely with in-house or external creative agencies to design marketing materials such as brochures and adverts
• write and proofread marketing copy for both online and print campaigns
• produce creative content, including videos and blog posts
• run social media channels (e.g. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) to enhance audience engagement
• organize and attend events such as conferences, seminars, receptions, and exhibitions
• source and secure sponsorship
• liaise with designers and printers and organise photoshoots
• arrange the effective distribution of marketing materials
• maintain and update customer databases
• conduct market research, for example, using customer questionnaires and focus groups
• develop relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external.

Qualifications

A career in marketing is open to all graduates, but a degree or HND in the following subjects may be particularly useful:

• advertising
• business or management
• communications
• IT or computer science
• marketing
• psychology.

With experience, you'll need to:

• develop and implement a marketing strategy (often as part of a wider sales and marketing program)
• evaluate and review marketing campaigns, advertising, and SEO to make sure the correct mediums are being used and campaigns are effective
• track marketing performance and return on investment and prepare weekly or monthly reports for management
• monitor and report on competitor activity
• lead external agencies, when appropriate, to effectively manage events, press relationships, editorial requests, presentations, promotional materials, and online activities
• oversee and manage the marketing budget.

Working hours

Working hours are generally 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. However, you may need to work some evenings or weekends when organizing or attending events or when working on a big marketing campaign.

Part-time work is possible. Short-term contracts are also available, generally through recruitment agencies.

• Marketing assistants start on salaries of around ETB18,000 to ETB22,000. As a marketing executive, you can expect to earn in the region of ETB20,000 to ETB30,000.
• Senior marketing executives (with around five years' experience) can earn between ETB30,000 and ETB45,000, with marketing managers earning up to ETB60,000.
• Marketing directors can earn from ETB60,000 to in excess of ETB100,000.

What to expect

• You'll usually be office-based but will attend meetings with clients, partner organizations, and suppliers, as well as a range of events and exhibitions. You may be expected to socialize with stakeholders and clients to build and develop relationships.
• Self-employment or freelance work is possible for experienced marketing professionals.
• Opportunities exist in most large towns and cities but are less common in rural areas.
• The work is often challenging and fast-paced as you'll need to meet tight deadlines, juggle various projects at the same time and work with external suppliers and creative agencies.
• If you're working for an international company, you may need to travel or work abroad.