Pros and cons of the most common graduate career paths

Pros and cons of the most common graduate career paths?

Before you start applying for jobs you might want to make sure you understand what you're getting into...

When I was a young gun firing off applications I used to think.. "Hmm I wish I knew what I would actually be doing on a day to day basis and what the pros and cons are."

And so here I am writing about what I would have loved to read when I was a student or recent grad.

I can't cover off every job role but here is a snippet on some of the most common graduate career paths and what you should know before you apply.

SO HERE WE GO we're going to focus on these roles: Product Manager, Project Manager, Marketing Manager, Consultant, Business Development Manager, Partner Manager, Account Manager, Brand Manager, Advertising Manager, Sales Manager, Accountant and Legal Manager.

Product Manager

Works between developers/designers and commercial functions. On an app, for example, this would involve deciding on which features to add and how this should be experienced by the user before informing other teams.

Pros: Creative, if you enjoy creating new things and have an innovative mind this could be a career path for you.

Cons: You’re often at the mercy of what the developers tell you what you can and can’t do. To really thrive in this role it’s helpful to have a good grasp of the technical elements.

You need to be: Able to listen and learn from one group and then influence another

Project Manager

The person in the team whose job it is to keep everyone else on track, often chairs the team meetings and holds everyone accountable to the deadline

Pros: wide exposure across a range of job functions so it’s a great place to start to find out more about what each job role entails

Cons: may not have autonomy of any individual area as the focus is on keeping everyone else on track

You need to be: Organised, you may not be driving the ship but you better be keeping track of where we're going and who is doing what

Marketing Manager

Creates and executes on marketing plans to attract or engage with customers across different platforms (digital, social media, TV, radio, newspapers)

Pros: varied, no two marketing campaigns should be the same, often get a chance to work on engaging projects that are interesting enough to catch the eye of customers

Cons: likely to have limited control of the product that you’re actually marketing so you better hope you have a great product team

You need to be: Someone who is keen to stay on top of the latest marketing trends, how else are you going to come up with campaigns that actually cut through?

Consultant

Provides expert advice to other businesses within specific fields. Huge amount of PowerPoint, you’ll try to condense large amounts of information into short conclusions.

Pros: an excellent way to start a career as it allows you to build a foundation of knowledge of how business should be done

Cons: for long periods of time you could be working on-site with your client when you apply for a consultant position you don’t know where or who the client will be

You need to be: The type of person who is happy to be working on varying projects potentially in different locations

Business Development Manager

Focuses on generating revenue for the business, involves a lot of time on excel creating new business cases. The Business Development team often works closely with 3rd parties like agencies and other businesses to find new ways to make money out of customers

Pros: allows you to have a measurable impact on an organisation which can be a great feeling

Cons: can be very analytical, you need to get into the detail in order to reliably suggest new ways to generate revenue

You need to be: A people person, if we don't get on, I'm probably not buying

Partner Manager

Manages relationships between two companies trying to generate revenue together. This is very different from a client agency relationship. In a partnership, payment and value in kind can go both ways depending on what is trying to be achieved

Pros: gives you a chance to get experience with a variety of products and services outside of your company’s remit – a great chance to get some big names on your CV

Cons: what you’re able to do and how your work is executed is greatly dependent on who your partner is

You need to be: A people person, get your small talk ready

Account Manager

Typically working agency-side managing the relationship with a client. Ultimately they’re responsible for the performance of the account and its growth

Pros: quite fast-paced, involves putting together new proposals to advance the account which you then pitch to the client

Cons: you essentially work for the client, they tell you what they want and you figure out how to do it

You need to be: Willing to take a bit of heat from a client and occasionally deliver some bad news

Brand Manager

Ensures all the content produced by the business aligns well with the company’s core brand guidelines.

Pros: a collaborative/creative role helping other teams understand if their work gets the green light. If not, they provide guidance on how to bring it to life in the image of the company

Cons: can be known as the ‘brand police’ preventing people from doing things they want to do and may have spent significant time on

You need to be: On it with your attention to detail, don't get caught slipping with the company logo on the wrong colour background or it could be a long day

Advertising Manager

Responsible for managing the company’s paid media campaigns to acquire new customers. Involves buying ad space on different platforms e.g. Instagram

Pros: creative, you have to come up with new campaigns that will stand out in the market so there’s plenty of fun to be had

Cons: may not always be as glamorous as it sounds, you might find yourself marketing products/services you don’t have an interest in

You need to be: Someone who can spot a good ad take inspiration

Sales Manager

Leads and coaches a team of salespeople while carrying out some sales activity. Consider whether the type of sales involves pitching on major projects or repetitive selling of smaller products or services

Pros: fast-paced environment in which no two days will be the same

Cons: sales is not for everyone, every day you have to try and influence customers into buying your product in a high-pressure target driven environment

You need to be: Driven by closing deals and making money

Accountant

Ensures financial reports are accurate, attempting to help the business make a profit while cutting costs. Lots of excel analysis involved.

Pros: at times you can work in a bubble independently, this role of course also gives you a great understanding of finances which will be valuable for your personal life

Cons: for most, not the most exciting job ever created. Naturally, it can be very cyclical and repetitive.

You need to be: Someone with great attention to detail and an interest in the numbers under the hood of the business

Legal Manager

Stays up to date with regulations and advises other teams on how to stay within these boundaries while performing their role. Huge amount of reading of contracts and regulations etc.

Pros: usually get to work across a variety of business functions, keeping this role varied

Cons: an eye for detail is extremely important, any errors could have a significant impact on the company

You need to be: Patient, if you're looking for a run around try things no two days the same type role then this one might not be for you

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