I recently received questions on the Marketing Specialization that is part of the MBA program. Here are some thoughts and a Q&A; that might help those of you considering this path:
First of all, it’s important to remember that an MBA is a general program. By specializing in marketing, you’ll see more of those subjects than of any other topic, but it is still very broad. MBAs prepare you for general management jobs, so even though your first jobs may be in a particular functional field, you’ll be able to move into a general management job later on. It has the benefits of really opening your perspectives and enabling you to work better with other functional departments. But if you’re looking to go really in depth in marketing, you may want to pick a program that is only marketing, not an MBA.
I feel happy with the program because I feel it has really opened my perspectives and makes me more valuable in a business. My undergrad is in Mass Communications and in my last jobs I felt that I really lacked business skills. The concepts and skills I’ve learned will help me in speaking in business turns, understanding the business in genreal and in coordinating interdisciplinary teams- marketing and non-marketing. It can help me understand internal clients from other functional units too. If you’re a career changer, this will be a good start, but you will also have to do your part to advance your career. I’ve worked hard at networking (mostly at the BCAMA) and volunteering, etc. I feel really passionate about marketing and have really learned a lot. The best is that when I speak to people that aren’t marketing savvy, I can speak in their language too, and apply other business concepts.
The downside, as I mentioned, is that because it is a compressed program (only 15 months) and an MBA (which is by nature a general management degree), it doesn’t go into depth on some subjects. Even when I take a course in postcore, it is really compressed into 5 weeks, so it is hard to get into the details. What I’ve done is that I ask the prof about other readings that might help and keep my eye out for articles about the topics. There’s not much time in the MBA to do this, but I have a really long list of articles and books to look at when I finish the MBA. I also really recommend going to networking events and volunteering during your MBA. It’s a way to practice concepts seen in class and also meet people that might help you advance your career.
Do you cover all four “Ps” of the marketing mix?
The program is structured as a Core and Postcore program. In core we look over the 4Ps and basic marketing concepts. In the postcore you pick your own classes. We have classes in all 4Ps and other important areas of marketing like: M Research, Consumer Behavior, Brand Management, etc.
You mention that networking is key for success in marketing – are there networking opportunities built into the program?
We do have some networking events coordinated by the Business Career Center and some are marketing related. We also have an MBA society that includes a marketing club (I wrote an entry on it recently on the blog if you want to have a look). But I recommend going on several yourself, especially as you explore and choose what industry/area of marketing you like best.
Are you planning on taking advantage of international opportunities? What kind of opportunities are there specifically for marketing?
I plan to stay in Canada and won’t be going away on exchange. I don’t know about international opportunities, but I can tell you that a lot of the internship postings have been marketing related- it shows that this is a time businesses really want to understand consumer’s needs, respond accordingly and build awareness of their brands.
