Company overview and organizational structure

¶ … posted job description for the job I am seeking, a marketing manager, reveals the need for diverse skills ("Marketing Manager"). Responsibilities include planning, strategy, competitive analysis, branding, budgeting, sales tool creation, Web site development, customer references, library and store content management, public relations and event management. This paper discusses how useful the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the United States Department of Labor were in researching the marketing manager job and compares the information their Web sites offer to that provided by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a wealth of information regarding the marketing manager position ("Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition"). The mean annual wage for this occupation is $118,160. However, this site reveals that pay varies greatly by state as well as industry. Top paying states for marketing managers include New York ($146,520), New Jersey ($137,730), California ($136,040), Delaware ($133,480) and Virginia ($129,450). Top paying industries for this occupation include satellite telecommunications ($154,020), motion picture and video industries ($151,430), other financial investment activities ($145,470), scientific research and development services ($144,720) and other information services ($144,280).

Though wages are good, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reveals that the field is highly competitive, but that growth is about the same as the average of all occupations ("Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition"). In 2006, there were only 167,000 marketing managers. Project employment for 2016 is 192,000, representing a 14% increase for this ten-year time frame. Growth drivers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, include domestic and global competition in products and services offered to consumers and increasing activity in television, radio, and outdoor advertising. Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that college graduates with related experience, a high level of creativity, and strong communication skills should have the best job opportunities.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics was extraordinarily helpful in researching the marketing manager occupation, the United States Department of Labor was not very helpful. For occupational specific information, this Web site refers the visitor to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The United States Department of Labor primarily provides general information regarding labor statistics and labor rights and doesn't drill down to specific occupations. Therefore, the site isn't that useful for a job search, but is more appropriate to companies for understanding the laws they must comply with and for workers to understand the laws that protect them and what to do if they have not been followed.