High School

Marketing and public relations classes are a must if you plan to enter the field. You’ll also need strong communication skills, so be sure to take as many English and speech courses as possible. Taking a foreign language—such as Spanish—will come in handy if you work at a mutual fund company that markets to customers who are not fluent in English. Mutual fund marketing workers need an understanding of financial and investing concepts, so classes in economics and business will be useful, as well as participation in your school’s investment club. Other recommended classes include psychology, sociology, computer science (especially web design), mathematics, science, and social studies.

Postsecondary Education

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in marketing or advertising is required to enter the field, although some marketing specialists have degrees in English, communications, social media marketing, economics, journalism, finance, or business administration. The most qualified job candidates have master’s degrees in marketing or a related field and educational and/or work experience in the investment sector or banking.

U.S. News & World Report publishes a list of colleges and universities that offer the best marketing programs in the United States. In 2020, the top 10 schools were

1. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
2. University of Pennsylvania
3. New York University
4. University of California-?Berkeley
5. University of Texas-Austin
6. Indiana University-Bloomington
7. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
8. University of Virginia
9. University of Wisconsin-Madison
10. University of Florida

Visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-marketing for more information.

Typical courses in a marketing degree program include Statistics for Marketing, Financial Management, Marketing Management, Marketing Analytics, Customers in a Digital World Data, Product and Brand Management, Digital and Social Media Marketing, and Marketing Intelligence Capstone. Students also complete at least one internship during their studies.

Other Education or Training

It’s a good idea to participate in continuing education (CE) classes, workshops, and webinars to keep your skills up to date. And if you become certified, you’ll be required to complete CE courses to renew your certification. Many professional associations provide such programs. For example, the American Marketing Association offers training series, marketing workshops, and online sessions on topics such as strategic planning, social media, branding, web and digital analytics, and integrated marketing communications. The eMarketing Association offers online courses in basic e-marketing, advanced search engine optimization, and advanced Web site design. The Internet Marketing Association and Marketing Research Association provide webinars, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification

The American Marketing Association offers the digital marketing elearning certificate, which features five modules: Social Media, Email Marketing, ?Web & Digital Analytics, Mobile Marketing, and Digital Content Marketing. Another module—Online Advertising—will be added soon. Visit https://www.ama.org/events-training/eLearning/Pages/eLearning.aspx to learn more. Additionally, undergraduate- and graduate-level marketing and social media marketing certificates are offered by colleges and universities.

Certification or Licensing

Several marketing associations provide certification programs. For example, the American Marketing Association offers the professional certified marketer credential to applicants who pass a comprehensive online exam that covers core marketing concepts. To be eligible for certification, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and four years of professional marketing experience, a master’s degree and two years of professional marketing experience, and/or seven years of professional marketing experience. Certification is valid for three years, but credential holders must meet continuing education requirements during this time period. Visit https://www.ama.org/certifications for more information.

Other certification credentials include:

• certified Internet marketer (Internet Marketing Association)
• certified mobile marketer, certified emarketing associate, certified emarketer, certified social marketing associate (eMarketing Association)
• professional researcher (Marketing Research Association)

Some marketing specialists earn financial-related certifications such as the chartered financial analyst credential, which is offered by the CFA Institute.

Marketing professionals are typically required to have their Series 7 (General Securities Representative) credential from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the self-regulatory arm of the investment industry. Other companies hire marketing workers who do not have these credentials, but require them to earn them within three to six months of being hired.

For entry-level positions, you’ll need marketing experience (ideally in the mutual fund industry), which can be obtained via college internships and co-operative education programs or work in summer or full-time marketing positions at a corporation, government agency, or nonprofit organization. For management positions, you’ll need at least five years of experience in the mutual fund industry. Chief marketing officers need at least 10 years of experience. 

To be a successful marketing specialist, you’ll need expertise in mutual fund investment products and investment strategies; proficiency in the use of Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word; enterprise collaboration software such as Intralinks and Qumu; and customer relationship management software such as Microsoft Dynamics; and skill at using social media and search engine optimization and marketing techniques. You’ll also need excellent verbal and written communication skills (including presentation skills); a talent for translating complicated investment concepts for various audiences; strong organizational, critical-thinking, and time management skills; creativity; and the ability to work well alone and as a member of a team.