Roughly 30% of all jobs offered in industrialized nations like the United States are related to marketing. A good marketer is persuasive, knowledgeable, aggressive, and have excellent communication skills. It is a very demanding job, requiring 50 to 70 hours per week and presenting complex information to clients. It definitely takes a certain type of person to handle this kind of work. Most people in this field are former investment bankers or consultants. Read on for some demystification of common myths associated with jobs in the marketing industry.

Marketing-related jobs account for about 30% of all jobs offered in industrialized nations, which is good news for people like you, unless they get in your way. You're known as a communicator, persuasive and knowing, you're collegial exterior can sometimes mask your drive and ability to quickly and aggressively seek new information to use to your client's advantage. Numerous companies offer similar goods and services, and consumers can now shop around the world for the best prices and deals. With the explosion of the Internet and new media, and with continually emerging technological innovations, companies struggle to maintain their brand identity in an increasingly competitive marketplace that now spans the globe. As a brand manager, you will assist a corporation, firm, individual, company, or other organization to promote and distribute their ideas, goods, or services. In this industry your ability to synthesize information and clearly present new ideas is crucial.

Life in Marketing:
Most people use the words collegial, fun, and informal when describing their marketing associates. As a Brand Manager you will work with people from all walks of life because any background can be leveraged. Typically you will work in cross-functional teams, meaning you will have to maintain your focus and be organized in order to clearly and succinctly present complex information to your clients. Using your people skills to present the hard quantitative and qualitative analysis that you and your team completed, you will identify issues and opportunities your clients have.

A number of marketing people are former investment bankers or consultants who could not maintain the right work-life balance to suit them, this is good news for all because it means you will be working 50-60 hours a week on average, and 60-70 hours during crunch times, meaning you can actually have a social life and weekends to enjoy your time. You can work in a variety of industries or for a singular company. The opportunities are endless and the future outlook is very bright.

Myth There are no marketing positions for someone of my skill level and experience.	Employment Authority Marketing-related jobs account for about 30% of all jobs in most industrialized nations, and the number of firms and industries out there that need your skills are innumerable. Your skills and knowledge are leverage. Brand building and branding strategies are at the core of marketing for any client, and companies out there need your skills to make sure the right people get the right message to use their product and services. What skills and experience you have are valuable in this industry, and if corporations can capitalize on your strengths, you should too.
Myth No one makes money in marketing.	Employment Authority Associate brand/marketing managers (1-2 years out of B-School) can expect $75,000-100,000 per year, with a great work-life balance that anyone can appreciate.
Myth Marketing is all about "fluff" and soft skills, there are no numbers and nothing quantifiable.	Employment Authority Sexy advertising and an aggressive brand management plan mean nothing to executives if you can't support or build your business case. Strong quantitative skills are necessary to conduct the research to sell your products and services. In fact, increasingly, we find that a number of marketing professionals hold advanced degrees in statistics.