What to Expect
Marketing students are learning how to win over the hearts, minds and cash
of the consumer.
Jim Aquino studied marketing at San Jose State University. He says his
original interest was in promotions. "Then I found the marketing side much
more interesting," he says. "If you are in marketing, you are making the
decisions, whereas in promotions you are usually taking orders."
Aquino discovered a great deal while studying marketing. "If you want to
accomplish something in business and have a great deal of influence in a future
career, marketing is the way to go. With a degree in marketing, you will
be listened to simply because it encompasses so much: research, promotion,
business...everything."
Sophie-Anne Ferland also took marketing. "Marketing students must be prepared
to deal with the need for excellent presentations," she says. "This means
that students should have access to a computer and a good color printer."
That can mean a hefty investment.
"Marketing offers so many options," she says. "It's so different from accounting
or finance."
She advises students who feel they do better with a system of rules or
a structured lifestyle not to go into marketing. "Intuition and common
sense play large roles in marketing; there are no right or wrong answers."
Dave Wournell says his marketing program made him change the way he looks
at things. "Instead of being the object of advertising, now I'm analyzing
everything I see," he says. "I look at things on TV and in other media and
pick them apart, trying to see how I could do it better!"