A career in marketing sounds exciting and unique, and many people who are thinking about what direction they want to take with their lives are wondering if marketing is the right field to enter.
It is true that each new day may bring fresh challenges and exciting projects to tackle in your marketing career, and this is generally not a type of career that most people would view as boring or dull.
However, there are downsides to every career, and those who are thinking about entering this line of work should carefully consider the risks and challenges associated with a career in marketing before actively pursuing this path.
Intense Pressure
With some positions in different fields, you may be able to advance in your career simply by putting in time behind a desk and fulfilling your responsibilities. The experience that you get over the years may be enough to help you advance in your field.
With marketing, there is intense pressure to perform well with all responsibilities and tasks because the competition to advance in the career is fierce. Those who are not at the top of their game with their efforts may not advance far and may remain in the lower tiers of the career ladder for many years.
The Potential To Burn Out
Many who start a career in marketing are excited about the prospects and opportunities that their career holds, but the intense pressure to perform well coupled with the number of hours that must be put in to complete some projects and tasks can weigh heavily on many people.
In order to perform well, you must generally remain focused, detail-oriented and motivated throughout the career. Some people, however, do not have the stamina to continue to perform at such a high level, and some will burn out.
Extreme Competition
Marketing is a very competitive field, and if you are not a competitive person, you may find your job to be intimidating and frustrating. In many positions, you will be competing against others inside your company for the opportunity to work on different projects or to climb the corporate ladder. In addition, there is also competition from external forces.
For example, your company may be actively competing against others to earn the business of different clients and customers. Those who are not successful competing on many different levels will not be successful in this type of career.
Multiple High-Priority Tasks To Handle At A Time
Each position in the marketing field is unique, but generally, these positions will require you to manage multiple high-priority tasks at a time. For example, you may actively be trying to earn the business of a new client while also satisfying an existing client.
Both may demand all of your attention, and you may need to find a way to divide your attention between them without sacrificing service or results.
This is generally combined with the added requirement of needing to meet sales goals, expand market shares and even manage a team of individuals who are working under you. All of this must be completed with a clear head, focused attention and a great deal of energy and positivity if you want to succeed in your position.
The Need to Please Clients and Produce Results
Marketing is a position that requires you to produce results. More than that, the results that you produce must be superior enough to satisfy your clients. When your clients are not happy, it can result in diminished possibilities for repeat business or for referrals from that client.
Ultimately, when clients are not happy with your performance or the results they see from working with you and your company, your company’s bottom line will suffer. This may impact your job security and may even lead to termination or layoffs. Pleasing clients is a critical aspect of marketing, and some clients may be easier to please than others.
Keeping Pace With Changes in the Industry
Marketing is a field that is rapidly changing, and this means that marketing professionals must constantly be educating themselves about these changes so that they can stay at the head of the pack.
Some marketing professionals will pigeon-hole themselves in a niche of marketing that has a short life span, and this can be damaging to a career. The most successful marketing professionals are those who understand how rapidly the industry changes and who actively seek out new strategies and techniques to benefit their clients.
Marketing can be an exciting, lucrative career to work in, but it is not without its risks and challenges. Depending on your goals, personality type and what you expect from your career, some of these risks may be more or less significant to you than others. By understanding these risks, you can make a more informed decision about which career path to follow.