The Best Marketing Qualifications That'll Land You a High-Paying Job

When I started my Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, I never would have thought how much it will change my professional life and how beneficial it will be for my career progression. I spent 6 years working in education and childcare so it was a huge change for me. I also had not worked in an office setting before so I had a lot to learn. During my apprenticeship, I learnt a lot of new skills and met some amazing people through my course and my individual networking events.

Working in marketing and acquiring an accompanying qualification can help you gain experience, expertise, and connections in the professional world. It can also teach you great skills that you can use in any other career or profession. Marketing is a field that is often misunderstood or gets mistaken for sales. While it is true that marketing and sales are tightly connected, the role of marketing is to create opportunities – leads – for sales and to promote a service or product. Advertising is also crucial in the world of sales and marketing. They all work together to provide the best customer experience for clients and consumers. As a business, you need to make sure all of these elements are set up correctly and adapted to your customer’s needs.

Whether you have been a job seeker for some time or a very experienced professional with tens of years under your belt, marketing is a good industry to get into if you are looking for something else – something exciting, unexpected, and adventurous. There are various fields in marketing – digital marketing, search engine marketing, product marketing, event marketing, brand marketing and much more -, and you can gain qualifications in all these fields. Next, we will look at the top 4 marketing qualifications that will help you land a great marketing job. These qualifications can provide you the best foundations in your marketing career path and support your rise to more senior and better-paid positions as you progress your career.

The qualifications described below are all approved and recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing or CIM. The CIM is an organisation that provides remarkable training and qualifications for aspiring business leaders and professionals interested in expending their knowledge and expertise in marketing, while also providing training opportunities for marketers already working in the field. CIM also supports marketers around the world and represents the best interests of marketing professionals. You can learn more about the important work of CIM here: https://www.cim.co.uk/about-cim/

1. Level 3 Foundation Certificate in Professional Marketing and Level 3 Foundation Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing:

These Level 3 CIM qualifications are great for professionals entering into marketing who would like to gain more knowledge and skills in the field before they start applying for relevant marketing positions. The Level 3 qualifications offer individuals the foundation to begin their career journey in marketing. The knowledge and skills acquired during these courses enable the individuals to enter a support role in marketing within any organisation.

You can find more information on these Level 3 CIM courses here: https://www.cim.co.uk/qualifications/foundation-certificate-in-professional-marketing/

2. Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing and Level 4 Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing:

The Level 4 CIM qualifications can support the marketing professional to progress their marketing career into a more advanced level. CIM offers two different options at a Level 4 stage depending on your area of interest or expertise: you can become a more accomplished Digital Marketer or Marketer with these Level 4 qualifications. You can achieve a more senior level position at an operational level with these courses which will also enable you to seek higher-paid positions either within your organisation or outside.

You can read more about the Level 4 CIM qualifications and the two different marketing paths here: https://www.cim.co.uk/qualifications/certificate-in-professional-marketing/

3. Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing, Level 6 Diploma in Professional Digital Marketing, and Level 6 Diploma in Sustainable Marketing:

Achieving these Level 6 CIM qualifications will enable the marketing professional to advance their career to a management level position. Marketing Managers handle the strategic marketing planning for their organisation that can also affect the company’s sales and advertising planning. At this level, Marketing Managers will be in charge of very important strategic, operational and financial decisions. To be able to oversee all these important elements within the company, Marketing Managers will learn a more advanced level of marketing. These Level 6 CIM qualifications offer 3 individualised career and training options: Professional Marketing, Digital Marketing as well as Sustainable Marketing. Sustainable Marketing is a new field in marketing that has been gaining popularity steadily.

You can visit https://www.cim.co.uk/qualifications/diploma-in-professional-marketing/ to gain more insight into the Level 6 Diploma options offered by CIM.

4. CIM Level 7 Marketing Leadership Programme 

This Level 7 CIM qualification can offer a gateway into leadership opportunities for the successful candidates. The qualification is the equivalent level to a Master’s Degree so it is ideal to undertake this course after a previous Bachelor’s Degree or other Master’s Degree. Marketing professionals have to bear in mind that the CIM Level 7 Marketing Leadership Programme requires at least 5 years of experience at a senior marketing manager’s role.

You can choose to study different modules as part of the programme which you can find here: https://www.cim.co.uk/qualifications/cim-marketing-leadership-programme/.

Whether you are just starting out as an entry-level marketing professional or you have a senior management position, these qualifications can help you gain more experience, confidence and open new opportunities for you and your marketing career. It is never too late to learn and all these courses can be undertaken while you are working or having a family. There are great finance options available as well as in-person, online or hybrid learning opportunities to suit the different needs of people. You can find the nearest study centres here: https://www.cim.co.uk/study-centres/

Jobjar can help you find entry-level and more senior level marketing positions. Simply register here: Jobjar for Job Seekers, complete your profile, upload your CV, and have a look through the marketing roles specifically matched to your skills and experience. We also provide more guidance for job seekers here: Career Tips and Employability Skills. Watch our latest webinar to learn 5 resume tips to get noticed by recruiters: 5 Resume Tips to Get Noticed by Recruiters.