Welcome to the marketing function page!

If you are exploring this function, you’re in the right place. Marketing is a dynamic, creative, and strategic field that plays a vital role in almost every industry, from tech and healthcare to entertainment and retail. On this page you will find the tools and resources to explore marketing deeply, reflect on your interests, and connect your strengths to real-world career possibilities.

Your journey starts here—let’s explore what’s possible!

What is marketing?

Marketing is the business function that connects a company’s products or services with the people who need or want them. It involves planning and carrying out activities like advertising, social media, market research, and customer communication to attract and keep customers. Marketing professionals work to understand what people value, how they make decisions, and what influences their behavior. They use this knowledge to help businesses grow, build strong brands, and stand out from the competition. Marketing combines creative thinking with the smart use of data to make decisions that support the company’s goals.

Take a look at the undergraduate marketing or graduate student marketing career map to explore marketing visually. You’ll also discover how marketing connects with different industries and how it influences business success at every level. After you have explored the function of marketing, we encourage you to visit other function pages within the W. P. Carey career website to compare and gain a clearer picture of where you might thrive professionally.

Core skills needed for marketing careers

To be successful in marketing, you will need to develop core professional skills such as strong communication, analytical thinking, creativity, digital and technological fluency, and strategic thinking. These are the key skills every marketing professional should work to build:

• Communication: Share ideas clearly—whether you’re writing a social media post, creating an ad, or presenting a marketing plan.
• Creativity: Think of new ways to attract attention, solve problems, and tell compelling stories that make people care about a product or brand.
• Analytical thinking: Use data—such as customer feedback or campaign results—to determine what’s working and how to improve future efforts.
• Digital and technology fluency: Be comfortable using digital tools like social media platforms, email marketing, websites, and analytics software.
• Strategic thinking: Understand how marketing fits into the bigger business picture and make decisions that support long-term goals.

Related clubs and organizations

Adworks

American Marketing Association at ASU

ProSales Club at ASU

Explore all student organizations at ASU here

Learn more about networking via professional chapters here

10-Year demand forecast

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in marketing is projected to grow steadily over the next decade. Key roles such as Market Research Analysts and Digital Marketing Specialists are expected to grow by 14.39% through 2034. Marketing Manager jobs are expected to increase by 8.98%. Remember that there are many additional jobs related to marketing.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How you can expect to engage in your job search

There are three primary ways business school students find jobs. Understanding which of these is part of your job search will help you build an efficient plan. Although each of these types of job searches requires a different plan, they all require the same core capabilities for success: Personal narrative, market research, networking, applications, and interviewing. Let us help you figure it out!

• On-campus/Global Job Search
  The majority of on-campus recruiting happens in the fall semester with a smaller set of firms doing campus recruiting in the spring. This requires you to be prepped and ready to interview soon after school starts. If the firms you are focused on do not visit ASU’s campus, then you will need to supplement your On-campus strategy with a Networked or Just-in-time job search.
• Networked Job Search
  All job searches require networking skills. If you are targeting firms that do not recruit on-campus at ASU then a Networked job search is your avenue. This requires a proactive approach to research, as well as developing relationships with the goal of building advocates within a firm. You’ll need to ensure your personal narrative and job search skills are well developed to convince these firms to consider you.
• Just-in-time Job Search
  A majority of firms, whether they participate in on-campus recruiting or not, will have a need for immediate hires throughout the year. Although applications are submitted at the time of need, your preparation and networking should be ongoing in order to be ready when these opportunities arise. These opportunities can be limited and are not predictable, so you’ll want to view this as a back-up strategy, rather than an excuse to delay your job search.