Employers

There are about 259,200 marketing managers and 681,900 market research analysts working in the United States. Marketing specialists work for mutual fund companies and for firms that provide marketing services to these companies. Some marketing specialists are self-employed. Opportunities are available throughout the United States, but are best in large cities. In addition, many marketing positions can be found outside the mutual fund industry with businesses of all sizes, government agencies, and nonprofits. 

Starting Out

One of the best ways to break into the mutual fund industry is to participate in an internship. Fidelity, Vanguard, USAA Funds, Franklin Templeton Investments, and many other mutual fund companies offer internships, fellowships, co-ops, and other opportunities that will help you learn more about career options, gain experience, and build your network. Even if you can’t land a marketing internship in the mutual fund industry, an internship at a Fortune 500 corporation will look good on your resume and improve your chances of landing a job. 

Another good way to learn more about job opportunities is to become active on LinkedIn, where you can create a profile (and get noticed by recruiters), follow mutual fund companies, and build your professional network. Other effective job-search strategies include using employment Web sites, attending career fairs and other networking events, using the resources of your college’s career services office, and contacting companies directly regarding job openings (the Investment Company Institute offers a list of its members at https://www.ici.org/about_ici/membership). The American Marketing Association offers a wealth of general career advice on becoming a marketing professional at its Web site, https://www.ama.org/career-resources.

Your best opportunities to advance will be found at large mutual fund companies, which employ a significant number of marketing professionals. Marketing assistants can become marketing coordinators/managers, and then chief marketing officers. At smaller companies, there may just be a marketing manager or chief marketing officer to handle the marketing duties. In this situation, advancement comes in the form of pay raises or bonuses. Another option for a marketing specialist at a small company would be to move on to work for a more prestigious company that offers better pay and more opportunities to advance.

If you’re in college, consider attending the American Marketing Association (AMA) International Collegiate Conference to participate in professional development opportunities, competitions, and networking events. You can meet with potential employers to ask questions about a career in marketing. Visit https://www.ama.org/events/conference/2020-ama-international-collegiate-conference for more information.

Visit the following Web sites for job listings:

• https://www.indeed.com/q-Mutual-Fund-Marketing-jobs.html
• https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/mutual-fund-marketing-jobs
• https://jobs.ama.org
• https://jobs.insightsassociation.org
• https://www.efinancialcareers.com
• https://www.emarketingassociation.com/career-center.html

Check to see if your college has a chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon (https://www.pse.org), a coed marketing and sales fraternity that offers networking opportunities, competitions, and conferences.