How going back to school can give marketers a mid-career boost
Being mid-way through a career is no impediment to furthering your education, adding to your career potential and creating value for your organisation with an online Master’s.
The idea of going back to school and putting your marketing career on hold is a big decision. However, studying doesn’t have to mean the distant memories of sitting in a school classroom or starting out as a fresher at university, there are so many avenues to explore as a driven professional who wants to reach the next level. Online Master’s programmes can provide an opportunity to learn about the latest thinking without pressing pause on your career.
At Imperial College Business School, the MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) has been developed with ambitious marketers in mind – those who want to go back to school without pressing pause on their career.
Advance your skillset without taking a break from your career
One of the main concerns that comes with postgraduate study is the time commitment. Taking a whole year or two out of your career to study a Master’s is not attractive or attainable for most people. But just because you don’t want to leave your role or change your working lifestyle, that shouldn’t mean you can’t develop your knowledge and skills that will ultimately help you climb the career ladder.
With a curriculum focused on solving the challenges of tomorrow, MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) allows you to gain a future-orientated outlook, giving you a competitive advantage in your role now and for the rest of your career.
Apply what you learn the next day
Studying a part-time programme means that you can practically apply the new skills and frameworks you learn in class to your job. Our students have found that they can apply both the programme content and softer skills that they develop working with others. Yasmine Abbas, is studying Imperial’s MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) while working as a corporate communications manager at Bosch.
She said: “As we progress through the programme, I have been able to apply the material and learnings into my day-to-day tasks as a working professional. From team-building skills, and thinking more strategically and outside the box, to understanding customers and the psychology behind their behaviours, as well as making use of data to better analyse results and make well-informed decisions.
“Each module has provided me with knowledge to grow further in my role. Moreover, the elective modules I am now enrolled in will certainly feed directly into my role, especially when it comes to topics including leadership, international business and relations, and emerging technologies which are constantly changing the way we work and live.”
Add real value to your organisation
The new knowledge that you can apply to your role not only benefits you but also your organisation. When you acquire a more advanced skillset this can increase your value as an employee and in turn, help you leverage a promotion quicker.
Boost your career prospects
When studying at Imperial you gain access to our outstanding careers team, who allocate you a personal career consultant to have regular one-to-one sessions with. These experienced career professionals are the people who will help you secure that promotion and negotiate your salary, whether it is in the company you work for now, or a new organisation that you have set your sights on.
Build a network with ambitious industry professionals
An online study format means you are not regularly on-campus, however, the result of this is that your cohort is truly international, with students able to join from all across the world. The students at Imperial not only come from diverse backgrounds, but also bring with them a wide range of experience.
MSc Strategic Marketing student Guilhem Loisel McFadden says: “The cohort is smart and motivated. Since most already have considerable experience in marketing, it’s clear that everyone is keen to specialise even more. What I’ve also liked is that everyone comes from different countries and backgrounds, which has made for an extremely interesting and diverse experience.”
Prepare for the future
While undertaking a Master’s can be instrumental in setting up your own future, you want to be sure that the content you learn about is future orientated too. The Business School is closely linked to the wider Imperial College London, a STEM institute that ranks in the global top 10 of the QS World University Rankings 2022.
This means that the modules on the programme have been developed by leading experts who use the latest research in innovation and technology to ensure that the modules they deliver contain content that keeps strategic marketers one step ahead. Alongside the foundation of core modules, the programme offers elective modules in topics such as ‘Machine Learning Applications in Marketing’, ‘Marketing in the Age of Disruption’, ‘Sustainable Marketing’ and ‘Strategic Marketing Innovation’ – which all have focus on key elements that matter most to the future of the marketing and business world.
Interested in boosting your marketing career with MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) at Imperial College Business School? Download a brochure to find out more about the programme.
