About Marketing & Sales Professionals in the Education Industry
Is it possible to work as a marketing & sales professional in the education industry? Can I join the education industry and utilize my past work experience? Is working in the education industry a good financial decision?
These are a few of many questions that might come into your mind when you think about having a career as a marketing & sales person in the education industry. But the good news is, the answer to all the above-mentioned questions is - YES!
If you’re wondering how? Keep reading!
The two hot-potato terms that colleges and universities used to avoid were Marketing & Sales. But in this competitive and borderless business environment, efficient sales and marketing operations are extremely important. And the education industry can’t afford to be left behind on these terms.
Marketing in the education sector is all about sharing knowledge with the purpose of building trust. It is used for establishing credibility and trust with parents and students. While marketing is about introducing and promoting the products & services, the sales department is responsible to bring in the revenue generated through marketing.
Now, you might be thinking about how to join the education industry as a marketing & sales professional?
You can work with any school, ed-tech organization, educational institution, educational consultancy, and even start your own business. There is a dire need for people in the industry coming from a corporate background, especially, from marketing and sales. Every independent organization, even yours (in case you run) requires lower investment and lesser working capital to see higher returns and greater rewards. And to help achieve this milestone, a marketing & sales expert plays a major role.
Career Prospects
Marketing in the education industry doesn’t mean just plugging a product or service. It includes providing information to students/ parents on a certain topic, industry or product. It’s a technique that requires skilled & professional marketers who cannot only resolve the queries of students and parents but also help them with the best solutions.
When it comes to the career prospects of marketing & sales professionals, the scope is vast. The education industry is booming in India. Both public and private schools emphasize on quality education.
With lakhs of schools and institutes in the country, the demand for professionals who can understand the education system, promote it, and manage its resources is steadily increasing. There was a time when schools/ colleges used to rely solely on their reputation and word of mouth. But now, millennial parents are more tech-savvy and conscientious decision-makers. Therefore, there’s an ever-growing demand for marketing professionals in the education sector.
Talking about the education, an admission counsellor should possess:
An admission counsellor informs students and their parents about the education and courses offered, the admission process of the school or college, the expertise of the faculty, fees and scholarships, and other related aspects. They work at reputed colleges/ universities to recruit students, assist them with admission paperwork, establish outreach programs, and more. Not only colleges, but admission counsellors also work at the school level to assist students with the college application processes.
Admission consultants have a variety of responsibilities at school and college levels. They work to enhance the visibility of the institution and invite potential applicants. They guide students at every stage, from school level to college and even while choosing professional course options.
Talking about the role of a marketing and sales professional in the education sector involves
Required qualification and skills to work in the education industry as a marketing & sales person:
Jobs & Salary
A Marketing & sales professionals implement various strategies to promote valuable educational content. They provide a better way to reach students/ parents and gain traction.
Being in the same profession, they can work for:
School Marketing: Students and parents have become tech-savvy. They explore every possible solution and accordingly make decisions. Therefore, they require marketing professionals to let the world know about what facilities they offer, what services they provide, and more.
Social Media Marketing for Different Institutes: Today’s world is digital. Parents and students spend a lot of time on social media sites. Therefore, colleges/ institutes want to establish a great presence on these sites. They want to let them know about every service. Here, the marketing & sales experts play an important role to attract students/ parents.
The Promotion of Educational Apps: The current educational app market is so competitive. To create the best marketing strategy and get ahead of the competition, various educational institutions hire marketing experts.
Marketing & sales experts have become important professionals in the education industry. Schools/ institutes pay them well. The average salary of a marketing and sales person starts from 4.0 and 5.0 LPA in India. Freshers usually start their career from this range which increases with experience.
Pros & Cons
Marketing as a career in the education industry is booming. Traditional marketing & sales strategies relied on attracting students/ parents on a small scale. However, the new marketing techniques provide real-value content to the clients in an effective manner.
Being in such an honourable and rewarding profession, the job also has the best and worst aspects to it. Take a look:
Pros:
Cons:
Testimonials
Supti Karmakar
Educational Consultant and Career Coach, Bangalore UrbanGetting into Career counselling was actually not difficult, though I was from an HR and Education background. It is more about understanding the needs of the students and matching their requirements with our products and services and helping them. So even if you are from a Marketing & Sales background, the education industry is definitely a good option, as at the end of the day you need to market the products and services that you offer. Actually, marketing is a very important skill to have to be successful in this field.
Padmavathi Devarakonda
Career Counsellor, ACA Sports Counselling, HyderabadMarketing is a core element of any industry. Therefore you will have plenty of opportunities in the educational sector also. If you are from a marketing or sales background, you have an edge over others. As you already have the skills like good communication, identifying needs of the customer, use of digital media, research and analysis, thinking creatively etc, you can be equally good in the educational sector too!
Raksha Kamani Kejriwal
Founder & CEO, PR Career Solutions, BengaluruSales and marketing is an essential part of any industry. Since the education industry has become one of the most demanding and growing industries in the world, with effective sales and marketing people, any educational Institution can grow. It is the most effective way of providing a detailed understanding of the need of such customers and ensuring that the Institution addresses these needs in an efficient and comprehensive manner.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I become a professional marketer?
Working as a marketing and sales professional in the education industry is a great opportunity. To be successful marketing and sales professional, you need to have a set of particular skills mentioned below:
Is marketing a good job in the education field?
Technology has evolved so quickly. Therefore, there’s a growing demand for marketing & sales professionals. From schools, colleges to universities, even ed-tech consultancy search for the best marketing and sales people to grow their business. Hence, in the ever-green education industry, the need for marketing & sales professionals will never end.
How can I succeed in education sales?
If you are working in the sales department in the education industry, it’s necessary to have the required skills like:
Once, you are skilled enough, work on the below points: