Sales & Marketing Specialists
Learn about this occupation – including typical duties, education required, salary and job outlook information, job boards and more.
Sales and marketing Specialist’s job duties differ depending on the size of the organization they work for. In general sales and marketing managers may be responsible for the profitability of products or services, customer retention, sales, sales forecasting, strategic planning, advertising/ promotion, market research/ customer needs assessment, media relations, event management, customer service, etc. (Adapted from alis).
Advertising account executives co-ordinate the day to day activities involved in planning and implementing print, electronic and social media advertising campaigns (Alberta Learning Information Services).
Occupational profile
Find detailed information about the occupation, including typical duties and working conditions, in the links below:
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) - Canadian occupational descriptions
- O*NET Online - U.S. occupational descriptions and information
- OCCinfo by alis - Alberta-based occupational information
- Career Explorer by Sokanu - U.S.-based occupational information
- What is an Account Manager? - Randstad (U.S)
- Account Management vs. Sales: What Are the Differences? - Indeed (U.S)
- Interview: Advertising Account Executive - from StudyinCanada.com
- Canadian Manufactures and Exporters-Marketing Professional (p.17)
- A Career in Marketing - interview from Women in Communications & Technology (WCT)
- Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) Canada
Education
Sales and Marketing Managers come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds. Some organizations prefer to hire someone who has post-secondary education related to business, plus several years of related experience. Experience may include customer service, social media, event planning, branding, etc. Some organizations require their marketing and sales managers to have post-secondary education related to the type of product or service that they offer (Alberta Learning Information Service).
Advertising account executives typically possess a post-secondary education in marketing or advertising. This can include either a two year diploma in marketing/advertising or a four-year bachelor’s degree in a commerce, marketing, management, business administration, economics, sociology or psychology (Alberta Learning Information Service).
U of M Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar & Catalogue outlines program admission and course requirements. Use the left menu to navigate to a specific faculty and program. To determine which degree path suits your unique occupational goals, speak with a Career Consultant. For support with course registration and academic issues, speak with an Academic Advisor.
Faculty and Department Homepages
Visit the faculty and department homepage to learn about program application deadlines and processes, as well as additional in-house resources and opportunities.
- Asper School of Business
- Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics - Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science
Exploring Other Education Options
Labour market information
Labour market information informs users of supply and demand for specific occupations and sectors. It includes such things as salary and job outlook information. These resources support informed career decision making and job search efforts.
Resources
- Trend Analysis: Job Market Report (Winnipeg Region) - Gov. of Canada Job Bank
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - Job outlook for the U.S.
- 2019 Marketing Job Trends and Salaries - Association of National Advertisers
- OpportuNext - salary range and job growth prospects - Manitoba
Professional Associations
Professional associations organize events and directories, job postings, career and labour market information. Student membership opportunities are also available. This is a great way to learn and network.
- Canadian Professional Sales Association
- American Marketing Association
- Sales and Marketing Executives International
- Association of Canadian Advertisers
- Institute of Communciation Agencies
Directories, Industry Associations, and Sector Councils
These resources provide industry news, labour market information and a list of potential employers. Remember, there are usually multiple industries worth exploring.
- Canadian Marketing Association - corporate member
- Advertising Association of Winnipeg
- Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada
Job Boards
Search occupations of interest in the industry-specific job boards below to learn about skill requirements, employers, job duties and available jobs. You may also wish to search more general online job boards.
Other links
External resources that will provide you with additional information about the occupation, areas of work and opportunities to build experience:
- University of Manitoba Marketing Association - student group Facebook page
- Association for Consumer Research
- Canada's Best Jobs: Corporate Sales Manager - Canadian Business Magazine
- Canada's Best Jobs: The Top 100 Jobs (look for Corporate Sales Manager and Marketing & Public Relations Manager)
- Strategy - Canadian Marketing Magazine
- Under the Influence - CBC podcast focused on marketing and advertising
- Sales and Marketing Career Guide - TalentEgg
- American Advertising Federation
- American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)
- Ad Council
- Advertising and Marketing Independent Network
- Association of National Advertisers