What can I do with a degree in Business & Marketing?

What can I do with a degree in Business and Marketing?

The University of Kent’s Business and Marketing degree provides a comprehensive understanding of business principles alongside practical and creative marketing skills. Develop expertise in strategic and operational management, consumer behaviour, digital marketing strategies including social media, and market research and analytics. Through placements, projects, and case studies, graduates gain valuable experience that enhances their career prospects in today’s competitive business environment. Get ideas and inspiration here before booking a one-to-one appointment with a careers adviser.

Careers in Business & Marketing

The following roles are examples of the types of job opportunities available to graduates of Business and Marketing programmes, drawing on skills in strategic thinking, cross-cultural communication, digital literacy, and commercial awareness.

Digital Marketer Management of online marketing strategies and campaigns including social media, SEO, email marketing, and content creation.

Marketing/Brand Executive Develop strategies to promote products or services and engage customers through digital marketing, maintaining brand identity, ensuring customer engagement and market growth.

Sales Executive Build relationships with clients, negotiate contracts, and drive sales growth using data analytics and forecasting.

Project Manager Oversee projects to ensure timely and budget-compliant completion. Project managers are prevalent in a wide range of industries from construction to IT and Healthcare enabling graduates to link business expertise to other interests.

Market Research Analyst Collate and interpret qualitative and quantitative market data to understand customer opinions, investment and marketing trends to guide business and marketing strategies.

Management Consultant Using business and finance acumen to assist organisations to improve business performance by cutting costs, increasing productivity, creating value and maximising growth.

Alternative career paths

Human Resources Officer Conduct recruitment processes, employee relations, and organisational development and act as a liaison between managers and employees.

Event Manager Plan and deliver business or public events, managing budgets, logistics, and stakeholder coordination to meet client needs.

Recruitment Consultant Match candidates to roles within client organisations, using business insight and people skills to support hiring strategies.

Public Relations Officer Build and maintain an organisation or individual’s public profile and reputation through strategic communication campaigns, and media and stakeholder relationships.

Civil Service Fast Stream Accelerated career development in government roles related to policy, economics, or business.

Where do University of Kent graduates work?

This is a selection of organisations that have employed University of Kent graduates in the past. There are many more possible employers in these and other industries. 

Large Corporations: Amazon Web Services, Facebook, Mazda UK
Consultancy Firms: Deloitte, PwC, Accenture, KPMG
Marketing and Digital: Merkle, Zalando, and various SMEs
Public Sector and Non-Profits: NHS, Civil Service, Oxfam, Local Government
Retail and FMCG: ASOS, Tesco, John Lewis
Entrepreneurship: Some graduates have launched their own businesses, supported by Kent's ASPIRE Centre.

Find a job

The Careers and Employability Service provides information and advice on job searching to University of Kent students and recent graduates. This includes a vacancy database advertising a range of graduate jobs, placement year and vacation work/internships.

Business & Marketing recruitment platforms

Campaign Jobs Marketing, media, and advertising roles

Institute of Marketing Jobs (CIM) Marketing-related roles and career advice

Institute of Data & Marketing (IDM) Digital marketing training and professional development

Spotlight Recruitment Specialist recruitment in marketing digital, design and communications

General graduate job search platforms

Useful resources

The Chartered Institute of Marketing: Professional qualifications and CPD

Get into Marketing: Online marketing careers resource for students and recent graduates.

Institute of Data and Marketing: Digital and data driven marketing professional qualifications and CPD

Institute of Promotional Marketing

Marketing Agencies Association: Represents the interests of entrepreneurial and independent marketing agencies

Tips to stand out

Gain real-world experience: Engage in internships, placements, or part time roles to build industry experience and client-facing skills.

Develop digital skills: Learn tools like Google Analytics, Excel, Canva, CRM platforms including Salesforce and HubSpot, and social media management such as Hootsuite.

Develop commercial awareness: Regularly read business and marketing news from sources like Marketing Week, The Drum and Financial Times, or listen to business podcasts to maintain commercial awareness.

Prepare for recruitment: Practice assessment centres, aptitude tests, and interview techniques using online tools like Graduates First.

Network with alumni and mentors: Use LinkedIn and Kent’s Career Mentoring scheme to build connections with alumni and professionals and attend university events to gain insights into your target roles and industries.

Engage in extracurricular activities: Participate in societies such as Kent Marketing Society, The Kent Business Society and UKC Women in Business, and engage in leadership programmes and initiatives like ASPIRE at Kent Business School to develop transferable skills.

Year in industry

A year in industry can have a big impact on your employability. By gaining real-world experience and learning key skills in the workplace, and pairing these with the knowledge you gain on your degree, you can become a highly employable candidate in the labour market. The year can be based in the UK or abroad, including your home country if you're an international student, and contribute to your final degree. At The University of Kent, many courses include an optional year in industry between your second and final year, where you undertake graduate-level work related to your studies.

Work experience