At the core of any business is its ability to reach customers, and the way businesses do that is through marketing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates marketing careers to be among the top 20 occupations with the fastest projected growth between 2010 and 2020. There are many diverse career options for those who hold a bachelor's degree in marketing, and what route you choose to take depends on your career goals.

Management Material

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One career for goal many people with a marketing degree is breaking into management in fields such as sales, marketing, advertising and public relations. This objective is ideal for people with strong leadership, coaching and project management skills. A career in management may require you to lead a team while juggling a variety of projects, so people skills and organizational aptitude are key. It may not be possible to become a manager immediately after graduation, but you can achieve this goal by working your way up through more junior marketing positions. Becoming a manager is a profitable goal, as mean annual salaries for managers in marketing and related fields ranged from $107,060 to $129,870 in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Creative Freedom

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Inventive types often aim to use their creativity in their work. If this is your goal for your bachelor's degree, pursuing a career in advertising or promotions may fulfill it. While still centering around attracting customers and profits to an organization, advertising and promotions focus more on producing creative marketing materials. There is still solid career potential for the more design-oriented side of marketing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that advertising and promotions managers earned an average salary of $107,060 in 2012.

Charity Begins at Home

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For some people, helping others is their main goal. If altruism is your focus, a marketing degree can put you on track. An article in "Occupational Outlook Quarterly" mentions that many who pursue a career in fundraising have a degree in marketing. Fundraising involves a lot of direct marketing, focusing on securing funds for projects and nonprofit organizations. You may have to start small in the nonprofit world, doing jobs like writing mailers and personally contacting donors, but if you are successful, there is room for advancement to management-level roles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the mean salary for public relations and fundraising managers in 2012 was $108,260.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

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A common goal in any field is business ownership. If you aim to own your own business, earning a degree in marketing can be useful. Skills taught in the marketing degree program are important ones for a business owner to know, as they focus on customer attraction and retention and how to boost and measure profit. Starting a business can be a difficult and risky process that involves a lot of man hours, financial risk and heavy regulations. If done successfully, however, it provides you with more freedom than you'd have working for someone else.