As a marketing major, I've always wanted to explore the various jobs and tasks that I could use my skills in. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for an advertising agency because of the fast-pace work environment. The Mad Men-esque culture is definitely something that is extremely intriguing to me. As a marketing major, there are tons of paths that you can go down including sports marketing, sales, and marketing analytics.

A recent problem that has been occurring though is that companies are starting to misinterpret what "marketing" really means. Some companies view marketing as graphic design. They want someone that can make posters, digital graphics, and distribute flyers for their business. Sure, this is a great part-time job if you want to develop those skills but by calling this position a "marketing assistant," they are downplaying what it means to be a marketer. Marketing is much more than providing graphic assistance for a company; in fact, we don't even have a class in the marketing department that teaches us those skills. By associating the major with a job description that couldn't be further from the truth, a degree in marketing starts to become less meaningful. If you want graphics, I would suggest hiring a graphic designer that, I know it's hard to believe, actually does that for a living.

Marketing is more than just getting out to people and letting them know of a certain offering. Marketing is the key strategic basis behind every successful advertisement, target segment, and analytical decision involving where and when to put a product out. Without marketing, we wouldn't have Coca-Cola uniting people on top of a hillside singing about giving the world a Coke (if you haven't seen this ad, please go check it out on YouTube). We can't let the term marketing be used interchangeably with something that does not reflect the true work that we put in.

Marketing has unfortunately become synonymous with the word "scam." I hate to see marketing be associated with these various scams that lure in high school and college students alike because it deters others from pursuing an interest in marketing after having a bad experience.

It's important that, as future marketing professionals, we preserve what it means to excel in the art and science of marketing.