Marketing jobs

Marketing consists of many different types and levels of jobs. They are not limited to the familiar jobs found in the marketing of consumer goods and services but are also found in production or manufacturing businesses and in marketing and service businesses as well.

Production business

A business that manufactures, constructs, extracts or grows products that are marketed in order to achieve the goals of the company is called a production business. Production businesses employ people who specialize in the various marketing functions. Marketing functions performed in production firms include buying, selling, transporting, storing, financing, obtaining and using marketing information, risk bearing, and standardizing and grading.

Marketing businesses

A business that buys products for resale is called a marketing business. Wholesalers and retailers are primary examples of marketing businesses. Wholesalers buy goods in large quantities from companies that produce them and then market these products in small quantities to retailers and other businesses. Retailers buy products from wholesalers and other companies and sell them to ultimate consumers. The majority of marketing industries are retail businesses.

Service businesses

The fastest growing segment of the business community, in terms of the number of businesses involved and of employment opportunities, is composed of service businesses. Service businesses market intangible products to consumers or industrial users. The marketing of services is diversified, includes many different types of business firms, and provides numerous employment opportunities. Examples of service businesses include these:

1. Hotels, motels, restaurants, and amusement parks which provide lodging, food service, and recreation

2. Advertising agencies, display specialists, and transportation firms that perform services for just about every type of business organization

3. Banks and other financial institutions, credit agencies, insurance and real estate companies, and travel agencies that provide services to consumers and business firms

4. Automobile service and repair shops and dry cleaning and laundry establishments that perform services on the possessions of their customers

5. Beauty salons, barbershops, photography studios, and health clubs which provide personal services for customers

Employment opportunities in marketing

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics), by 1990 the labor force in the United States will range from 122 to 128 million persons. This represents an increase of 17 to 22 percent over the number employed in 1980.

Over two thirds of the nation’s workers are currently employed in service and marketing businesses ‑ transportation, communications, public utilities, finance, insurance, real estate, wholesale and retail firms, and government. Production businesses ‑ agriculture, mining, construction, and manufacturing ‑ employ less than one third of the country’s labor force. Since marketing positions are found in service, marketing, and production businesses, it is difficult to estimate the exact number of workers who are or will be employed in marketing occupations. A conservative estimate, however, indicates that 41 to 43 million workers, or one third of the labor force, will be employed in marketing jobs by 1990.