Connecting Consumers to Organizations and Brands Through Marketing and Sales, a Career Field in Demand

What should high school students and their parents know about being a marketing and sales major at Point Park? 

For students looking for practical knowledge with career-focused experience in marketing and sales, this could be the program for them! The marketing and sales program at Point Park University is offered in both on campus and fully online.

Faculty are industry professionals with strong academic backgrounds who bring a wealth of professional knowledge and expertise to the classroom. We focus on providing experiential opportunities for students by connecting them with marketing and sales professionals though classroom projects, field experiences and competitions.

Our students have been involved in the Direct Effect® Innovation Challenge, GfK NextGen Data Science Hackathon, American Marketing Association collegiate case competition and Steel City Sales Challenge and competed in class projects for clients including Amazon Web Services, Verizon, Unabridged Press and the City of Pittsburgh Office of Nighttime Economy.

In addition to marketing and sales courses, we also provide practical knowledge through a robust business education covering essential functional business areas including digital marketing, professional selling, market research and analytics, buyer behavior and personal branding.

What makes marketing and sales careers fun and exciting? 

Marketing and sales is a dynamic field of study! Innovative ways of connecting with customers, analyzing data and integrating technological advances continue to evolve and marketers — and their careers — evolve, too.

Skilled professionals in digital marketing, sales management and marketing research are in demand and many areas of marketing are projecting faster than average job growth with strong salaries. Building skills in digital, research and sales, along with communication, collaboration and problem solving abilities, can help position students for a variety of career opportunities.

How will Point Park make me career-ready in marketing and sales?

Our focus at Point Park University is on career readiness. In our marketing and sales program, we demonstrate this through incorporation of active, experiential learning in our classes and encourage student participation and community engagement in a variety of experiences. These include live client projects, competitions and certifications that provide practical-based experiences.

We’re building our capacity to provide even more for our students and the community with our forthcoming Sales and Innovation Lab. Also, Point Park has been ranked among the best colleges and universities for preparing students for sales-related careers by the Sales Education Foundation. 

If you’re considering a career in marketing and sales, seek out training and practical application opportunities in addition to your courses to learn and build marketing and sales knowledge and experience.

Here are some tips:

• Seek out training and practical application opportunities in addition to your courses to learn and build marketing and sales knowledge and experience.
• Practice role playing and simulating sales interactions.
• Enhance your innate curiosity by exploring new areas, asking questions and considering possibilities.
• Join student organizations or volunteer with community groups and assist with marketing including areas like recruiting and fundraising, to enhance communication, promote collaboration, refine problem solving and build resilience. 

Why is marketing and sales a sustainable career field, even during challenging times like the pandemic?

Marketing and sales connects an organization and its brands to consumers, driving revenue for the organization. Consumers don’t cease to have needs during times of crisis, whether it be a pandemic or a recession … instead, needs and how those needs are prioritized, may shift.

Understanding changing needs and shifting priorities through marketing and sales efforts can allow organizations to better meet consumer demands by adjusting products and strategies. For example, consumer consumption has increasingly shifted online and this shift may be long term. While marketing and sales initiatives might require adjustments even in challenging times, they are essential to bringing in revenue.

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