First, some facts. Of the Marketing graduates from Western Washington University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:
These are estimates based on AI analysis of 15 LinkedIn profiles (see below).
The verdict? Significantly below average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 55%, Marketing graduates from Western Washington University have a much lower likelihood (-12%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:
And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.
Also, after graduating, only 20% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Marketing graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.
See the details:
Relevance score: 38%We think this person has NOT gone into a career related to their degree.DEGREE INFOGraduated in 2012 from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of the Arts in Marketing. No other secondary education since. JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATIONExecutive Team Leader - SalesfloorTarget Aug 2013 - Mar 2015 Executive Team Leader - Guest Experience Target Mar 2015 - Oct 2017 Executive Team Leader Target Oct 2017 - Nov 2019 Certified Flight Instructor Self-employed Sep 2022 - Present ABOUTI have 10 years of store leadership experience working for one of the top competitors in the retail landscape. I have been successful in varying positions throughout Washington, Texas, and Arizona in several different store volumes and assignments. I am a professional in driving and improving sales/profit, cost-reduction, and company performance metrics.In the workplace, I am a visionary and a problem solver. I am extremely creative, ambitious, and driven, diving into challenges head on with a sense of urgency. I drive for efficiency in all things and enjoy streamlining processes. I am resilient, positive, a great communicator, and have a passion for managing talent. |
The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:
When looking at the career paths of those who graduated with a Marketing degree from Western Washington University, there’s a pretty wide range of job types. Many alums have taken on roles that don’t directly align with the marketing principles they studied. For instance, positions like Business Analyst at Boeing or Project Manager at Starbucks focus more on general management and support duties rather than straight-up marketing tasks. Even roles at places like Target, while related to customer service, often don’t require a marketing background to succeed. It appears that lots of graduates found themselves in roles like Executive Team Leaders or Analysts where their degree wasn’t necessarily a core requirement for the job.
That said, there are definitely some standout positions where alumni effectively utilized their marketing knowledge. Jobs like Marketing Manager or Digital Marketing Specialist are great examples where the skills learned in their degree really come into play, helping to craft strategies and engage with consumers. However, overall, it seems like many graduates have ventured into roles that aren’t strictly marketing-focused, relying more on their general business acumen or team coordination skills rather than specific marketing expertise. So, while some have smoothly transitioned into marketing-centric careers, a significant number are navigating paths that don’t fully tap into their marketing education.
Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Marketing graduates (this is across all Marketing graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Western Washington University):
So, when you look at the career paths of Western Washington University marketing grads, there are some interesting trends. Generally, many of these graduates kick off their professional journeys with internships or entry-level positions that are somewhat related to marketing. For example, you'll see a lot of them starting as marketing interns or in roles that involve customer interactions, like sales or guest experience at big retailers like Target. A few years into their careers, many of them seem to move up to more specialized roles, like project managers or consultants at major companies like Boeing and Microsoft, which shows that they are finding their footing and climbing the corporate ladder pretty well.
Fast forward about five to ten years post-graduation, and you notice a mix of success stories. Some graduates have taken on significant roles, like management positions in marketing or even starting their own companies. Others seem to branch out into slightly different fields, such as data analysis or communications, which still leverage their marketing skills but aren’t strictly traditional marketing roles. However, there’s also a fair number of graduates who have found themselves in roles that don't quite connect to what they studied, such as various non-marketing positions or even jumping into the trades. All in all, it looks like most of these marketing graduates maintain ties to their field or at least build on their skills, but not everyone stays strictly within the marketing realm. So, there’s a mix of success and diversions along the way!
Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at Western Washington University, like most schools, has its challenges but isn’t super crazy difficult either. You’ll dive into topics like consumer behavior, digital marketing, and market research, which can be fun if you like creativity and understanding people. There’s definitely a mix of group projects, assignments, and some tough classes, but most students find that it’s manageable with the right effort and time management. Overall, it’s about average in terms of difficulty, so if you stay organized and stay on top of your work, you should do just fine!
Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Marketing.
So, looking at these Marketing grads from Western Washington University, it seems like some of them have really landed on their feet money-wise, while others might be still hustling a bit. The 2011 grad at Boeing and Microsoft progressed through some impressive roles, which likely means a decent salary today, especially with their current position at Slalom. On the flip side, the 2014 grad who bounced around from dive resorts to a communications role might not be pulling in the big bucks just yet. A few of the more recent grads still seem to be in entry-level or transitional roles, like the 2023 graduates, which probably means they're earning at the lower end of the spectrum. Overall, there’s a mix; some are definitely on their way to making good money while others still have some climbing to do in their careers!
Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Marketing (this is across all Marketing graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Western Washington University). This may or may not be useful:
Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Marketing (ordered by the average relevance score of their Marketing graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates: