Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Technical Marketing Managers Edmund Optics
Cory, a Technical Marketing Manager at Edmund Optics, notes that entry-level positions in their field include "product and application support," helping customers find the right products and answer their questions, and manufacturing, where skills in fabrication and manufacturing are highly sought after. A background in one of these entry-level roles is often a prerequisite for advancing to technical marketing, as "all of my hires have been people that were product and application engineers."
Product and Application Support, Manufacturing and Fabrication, Research and Development, Technical Marketing, Optics and Photonics
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Cory Boone
Technical Marketing Manager
Edmund Optics
University of Arizona, Graduated in 2016
M.B.A. from University of North Dakota
Biology & Related Sciences
Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Product and application support roles are a great entry point, offering valuable experience and the chance to work on cutting-edge technologies.
2. Manufacturing positions are in high demand, particularly those involving skills like polishing and fabrication; even two-year degrees can open doors here.
3. While entry-level R&D often requires a PhD, undergraduate degrees can still provide a pathway, and experience in other entry-level roles can lead to advanced positions like Technical Marketing.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
At my company, I've only worked at one place my entire career. I started right after school and have been there ever since. I'll speak to the roles I'm familiar with there.
For someone with an engineering background, the largest entry-level role is largely product and application support. When someone needs help finding the right product or has a question, they reach out via call, email, or live chat. You're the one answering their questions.
This role might sound unglamorous, but you're actually helping major companies like Google, or people working on self-driving cars. You're helping people accomplish really cool things. This is a main technical entry-level position.
There are also entry-level positions in manufacturing. One area we're lacking in is people skilled in polishing glass or understanding how to fabricate things. A four-year degree isn't always needed for this.
In fact, many two-year programs teaching fabrication, welding, and manufacturing skills are really important and currently lacking. These can be great entry points into the field.
So, manufacturing, product and application support, and even starting as an R&D engineer are options. R&D usually requires a PhD, though sometimes an undergraduate degree can be sufficient for some of that work. PhDs open doors to more research and development, and more advanced entry-level positions.
For roles like mine in technical marketing, you typically need some experience in one of those other entry-level positions. All my hires have been people who were product and application engineers. They talked to customers and helped them solve problems. I then brought them into marketing because that customer-facing context is very valuable for technical marketing.