Is a Marketing Degree Required for a First Marketing Job?

Marketing graduates need skills that help them compete for jobs in the market. It can be hard for colleges to understand what skills they should be focusing on. A study of content analysis of 250 online person specifications for a range of entry level and early career posts allowed for a better understanding of what is needed in the market (Wellman, 2010). 

-Under half of employers demanded a degree and less than a quarter marketing degrees. 
-Experience is required. 
-Communications, interpersonal relationships, information and communications technology, planning, self-management, decision making and problem solving are needed. 
-Creativity, responsibility, initiative, determination and confidence

Thus a student may not need a marketing degree to obtain their first marketing job. There is no discussion on whether or not that is the case later on in the career. Perhaps a management degree is enough to get started and marketing degrees are needed later on. More importantly, at the entry level organizations are looking for basic business skills and personal attributes. 

Wellman, Neil. (2010). The employability attributes required of new marketing graduates. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 28. 908-930. 10.1108/02634501011086490.

file:///C:/Users/mabel/Downloads/MIPArticle-PRINTED%20(1).pdf

f