In this highly competitive world, one has to move forward, or else, he will be left behind. This is especially true for people working in the fast-developing marketing field.

Ernest Ngai, Director of Executive Council and Chairman of Education Committee, Hong Kong Institute of Marketing, comments that as the world is changing every day, marketing people always need to update themselves with new ideas and concepts in their industry. Marketing is a very broad profession, covering branding, market research, advertising, personal selling, publicity, etc. Each of these functional processes is itself a specialization, and relevant academic knowledge can be acquired.

Theory & Practice

Mere knowledge is insufficient for advancing in any career industry. Both theoretical knowledge and practical experience are important in marketing. Mr Ngai says, “Academic qualifications can of course enhance one’s competitiveness, but experience is equally important. In marketing, observation is vital. This is a process in which you have to understand your market and find out your niche.”

Mr Ngai points out that even if one has no relevant training in marketing, basic qualities such as good communication, people skills, creativity and patience are essential if one wants to pursue in marketing. He also suggests job seekers to start with a trainee position and learn the basic skills in marketing.

Going Up

“Promotion in the marketing field depends very much on the business nature and company size,” Mr Ngai says, adding that some small-scale companies have a simple hierarchy and even the marketing manager may have to do every thing including the work of a marketing executive. He says that on average, one has to gain 4 to 5 years of experience before being promoted to marketing manager. A few more years are needed if one is to be promoted to marketing director. For marketing manager and director, planning, budgeting and administration work is usually involved.

Commenting on working in large corporations or small-size companies for the marketing professionals, Mr Ngai says, “Large corporations are more systematic and usually offer more training and benefits to staff, whereas small firms offer more development opportunities and hands-on working experience in different areas. In Hong Kong, 98% of companies are SMEs. People working in SMEs are encourage d to develop entrepreneurship and therefore given more flexibility and development prospects. But the most important is that you have to look for your interest.”

Personal Interest

Mr Ngai advises young people to find out their interest, take professional training, and engage in positions involving basic marketing skills. “Don’t just consider the job title. Business nature and your interest are more important. If you like your job, you will have the motivation to upgrade yourself and you will get promotion more easily later.” He also says that being sensitive to the market environment is certainly an advantage. For example, the hotel and tourism industry is flourishing in Hong Kong now and there are lots of job opportunities.

Unique Perception

What should job seekers prepare if they are going to attend interviews on marketing positions? Mr Ngai suggests candidates to study the company and its products beforehand. “Develop your unique perception about the company or its products. In addition, prepare your personal portfolio of work and let employers know that you have knowledge in specific projects.” Apart from these, he mentions that confidence, sincerity and punctuality are essential. “It is more important to let employers know what you can give them instead of what you can get from them.”