Jump Start -- by David Jurcevic

Do you like communicating with people on a large scale? Are you the type of person who likes promoting a product or service? Then Marketing and Promotions may be the field for you. While the working environment for an individual in this field is highly competitive and there is often a great deal of stress involved, there are a number of rewards if you're a creative and innovative individual.

People who work in Marketing and Promotions are directly responsible for making the public aware of what products or services a company has for sale. This also makes them partly responsible for the company's sales and profitability.

Marketers conduct research to understand the needs of their consumers and communicate this information with other members of their own organization. In addition to promoting their product or service, a great deal of thought and effort is put into pricing, distributing, and advertising that product or service.

Public Relations Representatives work hard selling their company's image or political candidate. These individuals strive to create and maintain a positive image of their organization by preparing speeches, media releases, advertisements, and websites.

To fit with this field you'll need to enjoy a non-standard workweek and business travel.

Education

In the Field of Marketing and Promotions most employers hire those with post-secondary education. Not to fear, though: there are a number of institutions and a wide variety of programs including Business, Communication, and Management available throughout the province. Programs can range in length from one to five years.

Professionals in the field recognize these programs:

Athabasca University (online distance education) offers a Bachelor of Professional Arts in Communication degree available to those who possess a diploma in a related discipline. They also offer six marketing courses through their School of Business.

Grande Prairie Regional College offers a two-year Business Administration diploma, specializing in marketing.

Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton offers a one-year Public Relations diploma.

Lethbridge Community College has several programs related to the field. They offer two-year diplomas in Business Administration with a major in marketing and a diploma in Communications with a focus on advertising and public relations.

Medicine Hat College offers a two-year diploma in Business Administration with a major in marketing.

Mount Royal College has a number of programs available that include a two-year diploma in Business Administration with a specialization in marketing management, a four course Public Relations program, and a four-year degree in Applied Communications.

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton offers a two-year diploma program with a specialization in marketing in the area of Business Administration. There is also a bilingual program available for this diploma.

Red Deer College offers a two-year diploma in Business Administration with a marketing specialty.

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology offers a two-year Business Administration diploma with a specialization in marketing.

The University of Alberta in Edmonton has a four-year Bachelor of Commerce degree and a five-year Bachelor of Commerce/Cooperative Education degree. Both programs have a specialization in marketing.

The University of Calgary offers a variety of programs to its students. There is a four-year Bachelor of Commerce degree and a five-year Bachelor of Commerce/Cooperative Education degree, each with a specialization in marketing. The U of C also offers four- and five-year cooperative programs in Communication Studies. They have a 300-hour Marketing Management certificate available as well.

The University of Lethbridge offers four-year and five-year cooperative Bachelor of Management degree programs, each with specialization in marketing.

Businesses and Associations

Alberta Society for Marketing Professional Services
Canadian Public Relations Society
Professional Marketing Research Society
Association for the Advancement of Relationship Marketing
Canadian Advertising Research Foundation
Canadian Institute of Marketing
Business Research and Marketing Association

Job Boards

National Job Bank
AllStar Jobs
Calgary Jobs and Employment
Careerclick.com
CalgaryJobShop
Find a Job Canada

Additional Information

Marketing and Promotions is an extremely competitive field, but for those that stick it out the rewards can be well worth the wait. While the salary range starts fairly moderately those working in larger companies can expect to earn well over $100,000. The growth of the industry is moderate, including several hundred new positions a year with numbers that will increase over the next 10-15 years as the baby-boomer generation begins to retire.