If you're a creative thinker who enjoys persuading others, consider training for a career in marketing and advertising. You can do market research and create strategies for marketing, promotion, and public relations campaigns. If you think this might be the career for you, consider earning a college degree in marketing or another business-related field. For career advancement, may be helpful to have a graduate business degree with a marketing focus.

Is Marketing the Right Field for You?

Before you enroll, make sure you have what it takes to become a successful marketer. Especially in the smaller firms, there is often a problem with unsteady workflow and it is a very competitive business. When the work does come in, very strict deadlines are the rule, which means you will likely be expected to work longer than the standard 40-hour week. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 66% of marketing and advertising professionals worked more than 40 hrs a week in 2006. The payoff, however, includes a dynamic, creative career path and a median annual salary of $58,000 for market researchers and nearly six figures for marketing managers.