How to Become a Marketing Manager

Marketing managers combine creative and analytical skills to generate consumer awareness and interest in products, brands, and services. They are in charge of communicating across various media channels to reach the target audiences. To successfully land a role as a marketing manager, you'll typically want to have a bachelor's degree in marketing and a few years of relevant experience.

Marketing managers in the United States earned a median annual salary of $156,580 in 2023, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [1]. How much you make depends on your location, company, and industry. New job openings are expected to increase by 8 percent between 2023 and 2033 [1]. 

Explore how to become a marketing manager, including the necessary skills and education.

How to become a marketing manager

To become a marketing manager, you must show employers that you can create marketing strategies and plans, launch marketing campaigns, analyze data and track metrics, manage budgets, and help design products or services. Wherever you are in your career, the following steps can bring you closer to your goal.

1. Develop foundational knowledge.

Approximately 75 percent of marketing managers in the United States have earned a bachelor’s degree [2]. Typically, companies require a bachelor’s degree for entry-level positions. If you hope to pivot your career, you can open many doors with a master's degree in marketing or a professional certificate.

By earning a bachelor’s (BA or BS) in marketing, you can gain a solid foundation of skills to add to your tool kit through marketing principles, economics, finance, and accounting courses. Round out your degree with electives in consumer behavior, cross-cultural marketing, and advertising.

However, you can find other ways to strengthen your marketing knowledge to compete for managerial roles. Consider building your leadership skills with courses such as Leadership Through Marketing, Intercultural Management, or the Leading People and Teams Specialization.

2. Build your marketing skills.

If you’re wondering about the tasks of a marketing manager and the abilities you’ll need to perform your job, the following skills are most commonly found in marketing job descriptions.

Workplace skills:

• Analytical thinking

• Communication

• Creative writing

• Leadership skills

• Teamwork and collaboration

• Problem-solving

Technical skills:

• Marketing analytics

• Graphic design

• Social media marketing

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• GenAI

• Ability to use Microsoft Office, Google Analytics, Salesforce, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok), Adobe Creative Suite, MailChimp

Learn how to leverage GenAI to accelerate your marketing efforts with Microsoft's Copilot for Marketing Specialization.

3. Create a marketing portfolio.

Your portfolio should be a curated selection of your best work. It can feature marketing campaigns you worked on, brand stories that you collected and wrote, and marketing materials you helped design. If you don't have any work experience, your portfolio can highlight relevant coursework and internship experiences.

While organizations may not require a portfolio in a job application, having one can distinguish you from a pool of applicants with similar education and job experience. Portfolios can be especially helpful to illustrate your creativity for brand communications or strategist roles.

Include accomplishments that suit the job’s needs, adding metrics like sales increases and brand conversions to demonstrate that you are data-driven and strategic.

4. Practice common marketing interview questions.

Once you have wowed the employer with your resume (and portfolio, if you submitted one), the organization might invite you to interview for the role. Review eight common questions a potential employer may ask you during marketing interviews:

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. Why are you interested in a career in marketing?

3. What is a marketing trend or campaign you liked?

4. What do you think of our recent marketing campaign?

5. How do you manage the launch of a new product?

6. What motivates you?

7. What are your hobbies and interests?

8. Do you have any questions?

The interviewer may ask you questions about your leadership potential for marketing manager roles. To prepare, you might reflect on experiences when you managed an intern, a project, or the creative brief process at a former job.

5. Gain work experience.

Start by landing a marketing internship or entry-level position where you can develop an understanding of the processes, systems, tools, and ideas that drive brand or product growth. Then, you can develop your career from there.

The typical trajectory for marketing professionals begins as an intern, assistant, or coordinator, then specialist and associate roles, before becoming a manager. Marketing managers can aspire to become directors, vice presidents, and chief marketing officers (CMO). However, not all marketing managers follow this conventional path to get where they are.

Once you’ve gained a few years of solid work experience, you may be ready to apply for marketing manager positions. Some marketers work their way up from associate to manager on the same team, while others switch companies to move up.

6. Expand your network.

Networking can be an intentional, even enjoyable, practice of connecting with people in marketing who inspire you. One way to do this is on the job by getting to know your colleagues outside of the professional setting. With many jobs using team chat tools to communicate, it is easy to reach out to grab a coffee or have an informal 15-minute Zoom meeting.

Another way to make connections is to join a professional organization for marketers. The American Marketing Association is the largest one in the United States, with over 28,000 members globally [3]. Some associations focus specifically on advertising, public relations, or internet marketing, while others are identity-based, such as the Asian American Advertising Federation. Benefits of joining such an organization include access to certification exams, resources, internships, mentorship, and conferences.

Volunteering can also expand your network. Many organizations need marketing assistance but cannot afford it. Contributing your skills and knowledge to a worthy cause can lead to unexpected professional connections.

7. Consider an MBA degree.

With some years of marketing experience under your belt, you may qualify to become a marketing manager, and earning an MBA can help you accomplish this. You may consider an advanced degree like an MBA if you notice a career stall or have specific skills you hope to build upon (like organizational behavior or strategic marketing). Full-time MBA applicants typically have about five years of experience, while executive MBA (EMBA) applicants have more than that. 

Earning an MBA can be costly, so it is wise to ensure it will deliver a high return on investment before you decide it is the right path for you. Marketing managers who complete a master’s degree earn a median annual salary of $122,943, compared to $108,463 for those with a bachelor’s, according to Zippia [4].

Do you need an MBA to be a marketing manager?

As previously stated, you can work in marketing management without an MBA, but acquiring this high-level credential is becoming more common within this industry. Also, with extensive experience and an MBA, you may find yourself qualified for senior-level positions such as vice president of marketing or chief marketing officer.

Get started in marketing.

To become a marketing manager, you need both education and work experience. If you haven't yet earned your bachelor's degree, consider the online Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of London. The program is taught by internationally renowned experts in marketing and business.

Alternatively, you can build and strengthen key marketing skills with a Professional Certificate in Marketing Analytics or Social Media Marketing from the industry leader Meta. Or discover in-demand GenAI skills with the Microsoft Copilot for Marketing Specialization.