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Career Insight: Marketing vs Finance

Date published: June 04, 2019
Last updated: June 4, 2019

Marketing and finance are the two big global career path superstars, offering some fabulous career options, and excellent remuneration. The choice isn’t at all easy, particularly if you like both options. 

Fortunately, the basic career paths for both marketing and finance are easy to define and follow. Both offer valuable qualifications and opportunities which can take you exactly where you want to go. Earnings in both fields can be spectacular, and both offer truly exciting career and multi-role prospects. 

Qualifications

The two career paths include excellent qualifications which lead to exciting career path choices: 

  • Certified Practicing Accountant
  • Professional Certified Marketer
  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Finance
  • Bachelor of Mathematics
  • Bachelor of Economics
  • Double degrees in commerce, finance, mathematics, marketing and economics are possible
  • Marketing degree(s), Bachelor or Masters
  • Double degrees in marketing may include finance components or specialised degrees are optional
  • An MBA is possible in both career paths

Please note that the double degree options are highly flexible, and may be more suitable for some career choices. Double degrees are typically provided by higher-tier colleges and universities. 

Skills and experience

In these very diverse fields, skills and experience in different career roles have a direct bearing on your career moves and also impact your remuneration. In these two highly diversified career paths, depth of experience is the defining factor in earning top pay packages. 

Finance

In finance, skills and experience will be channeled into a staggeringly large range of career roles, like:

  • Accountant
  • Auditor
  • CPA
  • Asset manager
  • Banker
  • Financial planner/manager
  • Financial Analyst
  • Credit financier
  • Personal investment manager

You’ll note that many of these areas are in different sectors, although the core skills are common to all of them. In finance, you can be a specialist in your field, while also having the overall finance skill sets.  

Some finance roles, notably CPAs, cover an astonishingly wide range of business functions, from baseline accounting to advanced finance. If you explore all the accounting certifications available. this profession is truly stunning in its scope. Please also note that any accountant’s salary levels differ depending on experience and location, and types of accounting roles. This is one of the reasons accountancy, like many successful finance careers, includes a built-in “upward mobility” in ongoing career development. 

Marketing

Marketing can be an incredibly diverse career, covering a full bandwidth of marketing functions: 

  • Market strategist
  • Market researcher
  • Market analyst
  • Branding market specialist
  • Niche marketer specialist
  • Merchandising marketer
  • Advertising (Accounts manager, sales, etc.)
  • Public relations
  • Media relations

Unlike finance, in marketing, most of these fields are specialist jobs, derived from basic marketing skills and qualifications. The big difference is that these areas of specialization are far more developed and advanced in these specific areas.  

Tips For Choosing Your Career 

Career choices are major commitments. You’re very strongly advised to research your choices and speak directly to the professionals before making your decision. 

Practical options include;  

  • Internships: These jobs can be very useful. You’ll get actual experience, and you’ll see the realities of the work first hand. You’ll also be able to ask your internship provider about everything to do with the work, career options, and get expert guidance.
  • Academic advice: Whether you choose finance or marketing, those qualifications are major considerations. Planning ahead and thoroughly exploring all your choices, including elective subjects, will definitely help.

Very important, please note 

Your first choices, qualifications and career options are directly linked. Both marketing and finance are evolving rapidly with new technologies and new market environments, like fintech, social media marketing, and a host of other new elements. Talking to the people who know the current environment is absolutely critical. They’ll help you to decide, and give you any help you need to start your career.

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