Marketing

Marketing graduates understand key marketing principles and can contribute to the success of businesses with their analytical, planning and presentation skills.

Marketing is focused on the research and promotion of products, services and social issues across a wide range of areas. It concerns understanding consumer behaviour, creating marketing plans online and offline, managing relationships and risk, monitoring sales and analysing data.

Roles and career pathways

Marketing graduates gain specialised knowledge about marketing practices and skills in market research, analytical skills and business communication.

Graduates entering the marketing field may start in administrative, coordination or assistant advisory roles before moving into a generalist marketing adviser role. Some Marketing graduates work in an advisory capacity and some use their quantitative skills in roles as data analysts.

Graduates may specialise as an in-house digital or website adviser, social media manager, communications adviser, public relations adviser or events marketer and move into senior or marketing manager roles in larger organisations.They also work for communications, marketing, market research, public relations or advertising agencies as account managers, art directors or copywriters who are contracted to work on marketing campaigns or events. Graduates may also work in roles with a sales component such as IT account managers, recruitment consultants and real estate agents.

Postgraduate qualifications in business administration, trade or global marketing or complementary study in Psychology, English, Commercial Law, Management or Information Systems can open up career options and opportunities to specialise in these areas.

Where Marketing graduates work

Marketing graduates work across all industries and in a range of roles, as all businesses are involved in marketing in some form. Graduates who work in marketing specific roles tend to work in medium to large organisations that employ specific marketing staff. These include large Government departments, non-profit organisations or private businesses such as professional services firms or advertising agencies.

Marketing graduates have worked in organisations including:

Build relevant skills and experience

Relevant part-time work and volunteering during study all help to increase your job prospects when you graduate. Many employers offer internship roles, where you can gain valuable work experience and connections before completing your studies. You can explore internships on the NZUni Talent job board and find out more about internships here.

Programmes such as Wellington Plus, Wellington International Leadership Programme (WILP) and the WFHSS Internship course run by the Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for students from all disciplines help develop employability skills and provide practical workplace experience. Government programmes may offer different internship positions.

The Business Consulting Club offers real-word opportunities to work on business problems with local employers during competition events.

Build career connections

There are a range of marketing related groups where you can connect with others interested or working in the marketing field, and learn more about career opportunities. The Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) offers discounted student memberships, networking events and resources. VicCom is a student-led group that offers a range of business networking and social events for Commerce students.The Alumni as Mentors programme for final-year students also helps enhance your connections and employability while studying.

Graduate career stories

Moses Fruean photo

Moses Fruean

Moses combined a lifelong love of computers with studies in Marketing to build a career in technology and leadership.