Comparing Marketing Manager with Sales Manager:

Deciding the Better Internship for Me

Prepared for:
Jenna Drenten

Prepared By
Julie A. Donnelly
John Carroll University
March 17, 2014

Date:

March 17, 2014

To:

Jenna Drenten, Academic Advisor

From: Julie Donnelly

Re:

Report Depicts the Internship Choice between Marketing and Sales Manger

This report responds to your request for a decision between an internship as a Marketing Manager or
Sales Manager. I would appreciate any suggestions on whether or not the career found to be more
desirable is a good option.
The criterion that I value the most is that the career offers the opportunity to help those who are in need. A
Marketing Manager tends to hold more control over how the philanthropic services are chosen and how
the company will help. While a Sales Manager is still involved, a Marketing Manager holds more creative
freedom and influence.
The additional criteria for each career, in ascending order of importance, are a comfortable salary, the
employment and the outlook for the career, and offering a stylish product or service. The Marketing
Manager met these standards more significantly than the Sales Manager, helping me conclude it is the
better choice.
As a Marketing Major, I believe I possess the necessary business and social skills to succeed as a
Marketing Manager. Additionally, I am minoring in Population and Public Health, which embodies my
most valuable criterion of helping those in need.
Please send me any recommendations by March 20, 2014 on whether or not pursuing an internship as a
Marketing Manager seems like a promising choice. I can be reached by email at jdonnelly16@jcu.edu or
by cellular phone at (330) 304-6926.

Regards.

Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ii
Purpose Statement......................................................................................................................... iii
Background ....................................................................................................................................iv
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1
Salary ..............................................................................................................................................1
Employment and Outlook for a Career........................................................................................... 4
Offering a Stylish Product or Service .............................................................................................7
Helping the Less Fortunate .............................................................................................................9
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................11
Recommendation ..........................................................................................................................12
Works Cited ..................................................................................................................................13

Executive Summary
The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast the careers of a Marketing Manager
and a Sales Manager in order to find an internship. The report assesses these two careers based
on four criteria listed in ascending order from a comfortable salary, employment and outlook for
a job, a trade aimed at offering a trendy product or service, and one that contributes to those in
need.
A Sales Manager leads a Marketing Manager based on employment and outlook for a job.
However, the criteria of a comfortable salary, a trade aimed at selling a trendy product or service,
and one that contributes to those in need are fulfilled more significantly by a Marketing Manager.
According to the data on employment and outlook for a job, a Sales Manager possesses
around 48% higher chance of both.
On average, a Marketing Manager makes a higher salary than a Sales Manager. The
median salary for a Marketing Manager in the United States falls around $119,000, which is
about 12% higher than that of a Sales Manager. As for offering a stylish product or service, a
Marketing Manager holds more creative freedom and involvement in the products sold and
advertised by a company. For a Marketing Manager, involvement in philanthropic causes tends
to hold a high significance because of their responsibilities to publicize and organize such events.
If a Marketing Manager does not organize and advertise for the event, a Sales Manager would
have nothing to sell.
The report concludes that a Marketing Manager fulfills the criteria more accurately than a
Sales Manager, indicating that I should seek an internship in this position.

Purpose Statement
The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast the careers of Marketing Manager
and Sales Manager in order to pursue an internship.
Scope
The report assesses the preceding two careers against salary, employment and outlook for
a job, a trade aimed at offering trendy product or service, and one that contributes to those in
need.
Ranking of Criteria
In ascending order of importance, the criteria include salary, employment and outlook
for a job, providing a stylish product or service, and most importantly helping those in need.
Research Strategy
The report uses secondary information from reliable sources such as the Ohio Career
Information Center website and the Do What You Are results.
Assumptions
The report assumes that I will graduate from John Carroll University in May 2016 with a
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. A career as a Marketing Manager or Sales
Manager is expected to be available. I will work in the United States of America. Last, I will
complete any graduate school classes and training for the occupation I pursue.
Limitations
Limitations include the restriction of two occupations to evaluate according to the
criteria. Additionally, only secondary research was performed, which diminishes information
from first-hand experience.

Background
I want an internship that I am proud of and that energizes me. As a person motivated to be
an independent adult, I intend to provide for myself, and not rely on my parents monetary
success. My personal mission includes being involved in a trade that contributes to society,
particularly to persons who are less fortunate than I am. I hope to find that both Marketing
Managers and Sales Managers earn solid incomes and incorporate helping the needy into their
daily routine.
As a public health minor, I am aware of the hardships people face, such as a lack of clean
water, food, and shoes. I need to pursue an internship that gives back to those in need. As a
lifelong product of a Catholic education through St. Pauls Grade School, St. Thomas Aquinas
High School, and now John Carroll University, service is ingrained into my mind.
I volunteered at The House of Loreto Nursing Home, tutored two sophomores in
Spanish, painted nails at Eliza Bryant Nursing Home, helped underprivileged children wrap
presents for Christmas, did stamp crafts with children and adults with Down Syndrome on
Danies Day, helped children make cards for their families at Through the Eyes of a Child, and
helped set up props for Relay for Life on campus. Not only have I been taught to always
contribute to the well-being of others, but it is also a part of who I am as an individual.
My Do What You Are results describe me as an ESFJ. I am more extroverted than
introverted, I remember information collected from my senses better than my intuition, I make
decisions based off of my feelings rather than thinking, and I favor judging over perceiving to
possess a more structured life. It also states I am a talkative, energetic committee member who
likes bringing joy to others, and someone who likes to see the results of helping the less fortunate
(Do What You Are, 2014).

In high school and college, my involvement in clubs and extracurricular activities such as
Student Council, the Right to Life group, Key Club, Pep Club, OXFAM, Students Empowering
Women, and Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority help me to be more extroverted and comfortable
with people. My service involvement displays that I enjoy seeing the results of helping others
and bringing them joy.
My interest in an internship that incorporates a philanthropic cause stems from when I
purchased my first pair of TOMS shoes. For every pair of shoes that the TOMS Company sells, a
pair of shoes is given to a child in need in an impoverished country. Another characteristic that I
find appealing is combining philanthropy with fashion. TOMS sells and markets in a manner that
appeals to buyers with concern for others. This also incorporates aspects of my Do What You
Are results, the information in my report that will help the reader see a correlation between my
career choices and the qualities I need for a gratifying occupation.
By Friday, March 14 an executive summary must be prepared for peer review, and the
report on Wednesday, March 12. The final business report is due on Monday, March 17. Turning
in the report four days late will result in failing the Business Communications course.

Comparing Marketing Manager with Sales Manager:

Deciding the Better Internship for Me
The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast the careers of Marketing Manager
and Sales Manager in order find a fulfilling internship based on four criteria. A marketing
manager works to develop marketing plans to sell products or services (Marketing Managers:
Common Work Activities, 2014). A Sales Manager is intended to direct and coordinate the
sales of goods and services for businesses (Sales Manager: Common Work Activities , 2014). If
the reports recommendation is followed I can decide my future internship.
The report depicts the recommendations after the criteria and analyses. It is organized by
criteria in ascending order starting with a comfortable salary, to employment and outlook for a
job, to offering a stylish product or service, and ending with the opportunity to help those in
need. An analysis follows the criteria elaborating on each which of the two is suggested.
Salary
The first criterion to be assessed is attaining a comfortable salary. According to my
Reality Check completed on the Ohio Career Information Services, I will live most comfortably
if I make at least $58,000 per year (Reality Check, 2014). Preferably, my occupation will allow
me to make enough money in order to be independent, and not self-reliant on my parents. The
salaries of the two careers being taken into account are for a Marketing Manager and a Sales
Manager. Then, they are compared to each other in the analysis to display which one fulfills the
criteria better.
Marketing Managers
Marketing Managers can make a very significant income. According to the Ohio Career
Information Services (2014), the entry level salary for employees in the United States of America

is $86,000. The median salary sits at an impressive $119,000, while the salary of an experience
employee averages $160,810. The averages in Ohio include the entry level at $83,840, the
median at $113,000, and the experienced average at $148,000. The salaries of some of the major
cities in Ohio are also listed including Canton, Cleveland, and Columbus (Marketing Managers:
Wages, 2014).
The entry level salary in Canton is $83,000, the median salary is $113,000, and the salary
of an experienced employee is $148,000. All of these numbers fall below the average salaries in
the United States. For Cleveland, the beginning salary is around $80,000, the median falls at
$108,000, and the experienced employees salary is $145,000. The salaries at entry, median, and
experienced levels of work all fall slightly lower than the salaries in Canton and the United
States as a whole. On the other hand, the entry level salary in Columbus is $94,000; the median
salary sits at $122,000, and the experience workers salary falls at $155,000 (Marketing
Managers: Wages, 2014).
According to this data, the entry level and median salaries are higher in Columbus than in
Canton, Cleveland, and the average in the United States. The salary of an experienced employee
sits higher in Columbus than in Canton or Cleveland, but falls below the salary for the average
Marketing Manager in the United States. (Marketing Managers: Wages, 2014)
Sales Manager
In the United States, the entry level salary for a Sales Manager falls around $72,000,
while the median salary is $105,000, and the salary of an experienced employee is around
151,000. In Ohio, on the other hand, the average entry level income is about $70,220; the median
salary falls around $100,000, and the average pay for an experienced worker is about $140,000.
The entry, median and experiences levels of pay fall slightly below the averages in the United

States as a whole. As described in the salary information for a Marketing Managers, the pay for
Canton, Cleveland, and Columbus are also significant in correlation to my future employment
(Sales Manager: Wages, 2014).
In Canton, the average pay for a Sales Manager at the entry level is $56,000; at the
median level it falls at $85,000, and for and experienced employee it is around $112,000. All of
these numbers fall below both the Ohio averages and the United States averages for a Sales
Manager. In Cleveland, the average entry level is $77,000, while the median is $106,000, and the
experienced employee receives $148,000 on average. As for Columbus, the average entry level
salary is $73,000; the median salary sits at 109,000, and the average salary for an experienced
employee falls at $153,000 (Sales Manager: Wages, 2014).
According to these numbers, the best place to seek employment out of these three cities is
Columbus based on the median and experienced employees pay (Sales Manager: Wages, 2014).
Analysis
As represented by the previous data, a Marketing Manager and a Sales Manager make
significantly different wages. Having lived in Ohio my entire life, the wages in cities in Ohio are
depicted due to the likelihood that I will pursue a career there. I am not limiting my search to
Ohio, though. The average median wage for a Marketing Manager in the United States is
$119,000, while for a Sales Manager it sits at $105,000.
This displays a fair representation of the average pay difference for a Marketing Manager
and a Sales Manager showing a Marketing Managers makes around 12% more than a Sales
Manager per year in the United States. However, both of these career options exceed $58,000,
which represents the amount of money I need to live a comfortable life, according to my Reality

Check done on the OCIS website (Reality Check, 2014). If I wanted to choose the one that
offered a higher salary, I would select the Marketing Manager position.
Employment and Outlook for a Career
Another important criterion between the two careers is the opportunity for employment
and outlook for a job. It would be trivial to pursue a career that does not exhibit a promising
future. Therefore, I plan on following the career that offers the higher likelihood of me getting
hired and staying employed for an extended period of time. The employment and outlooks are
both described, and then compared to display which better satisfies this criterion.
Marketing Managers
For Marketing Managers, the highest demand lies in manufacturing, finance, insurance,
information, business management, and technical service companies. The increase in foreign
competition requires companies in America to spend additional funds on improving their
marketing tactics. This results in an increased demand for Marketing Managers in order to stay
on track in relation to competition. That being said, computer and advertising companies possess
the highest need for people in this position in the future (Marketing Managers: Employment and
Outlook, 2014).
The average amount of employees hired in the United States in 2010 was a high 178,000
in comparison with other countries. In Ohio, about 5,000 people were employed as Marketing
Managers, which is a medium amount in comparison with other states. In Cleveland, a small
average of 800 people were hired while in Columbus, about 1,000 were in comparison with other
cities. Figure 1 depicts the anticipated growth rate through 2020, while comparing the Marketing
Manager occupation to all occupations. Additionally, it displays the annual openings available,

most consistently being few to moderate in the major cities of Ohio (Marketing Managers:
Employment and Outlook, 2014).

Figure 1. Displayed above are the average employment, growth rate, and annual
openings for a Marketing Manager in the United States and Ohio.

Sales Manager
The employment and outlook for a Sales Manager is more promising due to their ability
to work in practically every trade. Sales Managers usually seek employment from retail trade
companies, wholesale trade companies, manufacturers, and finance and insurance agencies. As
each individual company grows, the number of Sales Managers increases to ensure the company
stays efficient (Sales Manager: Employment and Outlook, 2014).
A Sales Manager that sells to companies rather than consumers possesses a higher
growth rate because of the increase in online shopping. As long as the economy remains in good
standing, and the purchase of goods and services is consistent, then their expertise remains
needed. However, strong competition results as other skilled professionals pursue employment
in this area of expertise (Sales Manager: Employment and Outlook, 2014)

The 2010 employment rate of Sales Managers was an impressive average of 342,000. In
regards to Ohio, the number of Sales Managers hired was around 13,000, a large amount for a
state. Canton held a medium amount averaging to around 300 employees. Cleveland, on the
other hand, possessed around 3,000 Sales Managers, and Columbus held around 2,300, both
notably high amounts. Figure 2 demonstrates the growth rates through 2020 and the annual
amount of openings in different parts of Ohio and the United States in its entirety. (Sales
Manager: Employment and Outlook, 2014)

Figure 2. Depicted about are the average employment, growth rate, and annual
openings for a Sales Manager in the United States and Ohio.

Analysis
In comparison, a Marketing Manager and a Sales Manager demonstrate a high rate of
employment opportunities overall. However, a Sales Manager possesses higher demand,
especially in growing companies. Additionally, they hold a higher rate of employment and a
more promising outlook. A Marketing Manager tends to hold less opportunity of being replaced,
because their work is highly valuable and they oversee the jobs of many other employees.
However, finding a job is more difficult for them.

A Sales Manager focuses on selling a particular product. While this holds importance to
the success of a company, the chance of them being replaced by an equally qualified individual
can be of concern. Finding a job and outlook for the future is still better for a Sales Manager in
comparison to a Marketing Manager.
Offering a Stylish Product or Service
The second criteria, offering a stylish product or service, allows for creativity and
interaction with customers in order to sell an item that is useful and in high demand. I want to be
involved in selecting the product and overseeing how it is advertised to the public. The product
should display a unique aspect that is both fashionable and beneficial to the customers. Both a
Marketing and Sales Manager possess involvement in aspects of the previous description, which
are displayed and then compared showing which lives up to the criteria more significantly.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager holds significant involvement in examining trends of sales and
determining the public demand for a given product. Therefore, they are involved in selecting the
products that a company sells or endorses. Additionally, they display their creativity through the
coordination and display of advertisements and organization of promotional events (Marketing
Managers: Task List, 2014). These factors help the Marketing Managers to lure in customers, and
improve the name and reliability of the product they are marketing. Once a Marketing Manager
is hired, they are given the opportunity to change the entire direction of the company through
close contact with higher up employees and their creative ideas such as advertisements and
events (Marketing Managers: Common Work Activities, 2014).
Hiring, training, and supervising fall under the Marketing Managers list of duties,
allowing them to hand pick their employees in order to feel confident in their abilities to market

the product and become knowledgeable about it (Marketing Managers: Common Work
Activities, 2014). The employees play a key role in selling a stylish product not only if they
possess valuable insight on it, but also if they believe in it and use it themselves. They are not
only responsible for hiring employees, but they also decide the work and duties of them. Overall,
the most important aspect of the Marketing Manager position is that they possess the opportunity
to decide what stylish product the company provides and how it is portrayed to the public
(Marketing Managers: Task List, 2014).
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager, on the other hand, holds less involvement in selecting the product and
more with selling it while building relationships with the customer. They hold the responsibility
of guaranteeing that the product or service is sold, and the needs of the customer are met. As for
their authority, they ensure that their staff works diligently in order to improve the company as a
whole. They work to promote increased sales and teamwork amongst coworkers. Customers that
display dissatisfaction with the product talk to the Sales Manager to resolve any issues or offer
alternative services or products (Sales Manager: Common Work Activities , 2014).
A Sales manager often decide the prices at which the goods are sold at and supervise
budgeting, bookkeeping, and shipping branches. If a product is not selling well, they improve
advertising tactics in order to increase sales and make the product more desirable. However, they
hold little involvement in what products the company will sell, making it insignificant to the
criteria of offering a stylish product or service, but they do help to spread the awareness of the
product once it is chosen. A Sales Manager also guarantees that the products meet safety
standards and can be placed on the shelves (Sales Manager: Task List, 2014).
Analysis

In relation to offering a stylish product or service, a Marketing Manager fulfills this role
more accurately than a Sales Manager. A Marketing Manager is more involved in selecting the
given product or service, while the Sales Managers main priority is making sure the product
sells. The Marketing Managers involvement in the analysis of current trends and the demand for
a product increases their contributions to deciding what product will be sold.
Both a Marketing and Sales Manager make sure that the advertising of the product is
attractive to customers in order to draw in more business and sell more. Additionally, they both
encourage their fellow employees in their education of the product in order to increase sales and
satisfy the needs of the customer. However, a Marketing Manager chooses and helps sell a given
product, which makes it overshadow the duties and qualifications of a Sales Manager.
Helping the Less Fortunate
The final criterion, helping those in need, is the most important qualification I look for in
an internship. By this, I mean that the Marketing Manager or Sales Manager contributes to
society in order to benefit the greater good. Avoiding an internship that only increases my
personal benefit is an obstacle I intend on overcoming.
This criterion can be paired with all of the preceding criteria to make a well structured,
fulfilling internship. Each career is broken down in relation to this criterion, and then compared
to each other to see which one better fulfills the requirement of helping those in need.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager qualifies to work for a company that gives back through
philanthropic causes, while incorporating their business background. They possess various duties
when it comes to fulfilling the job requirements in such an industry. They must display
impeccable communication skills in order to maintain close relationships with members of the

company such as the CEO, the potential national team, and partners of the company, as well as
member of the organization and the media (Position: Marketing Manager, 2014).
Along with the CEO, a Marketing Manager holds the responsibility of implementing
specific objectives, budgets, and strategies to keep the philanthropy structured. They are in
charge of both internal and external affairs that include digital media, billboards, brochures, and
websites to provide thought evoking and encouraging advertisements. One of their main duties is
to ensure that their charitable causes continue to grow and thrive in order to provide the
necessary services to those in need. They do this by attracting a market towards the charity and
demonstrating the impact of their contributions (Position: Marketing Manager, 2014).
They must hold the capabilities to multitask in order to guarantee that the product or
service is produced in a timely and organized matter. Along with this, they are required to prove
their writing, editing, and public speaking abilities. Lastly, a Marketing Manager must display a
passion for the philanthropy and desire to help it prosper (Position: Marketing Manager, 2014).
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager can also provide significant contributions to a charitable cause. To
become an employee of a philanthropically conscious company, they are required to be caring
and considerate of the needs of the population requiring assistance. Additionally, they must be
aware of healthcare policies and what benefits the people hold outside of the foundation to begin
with. Along with this, experience in healthcare sales and working closely with colleagues to
attain a goal is essential (Family Laison (Sales) Manager, 2014).
The Sales Manager is required to possess coherent verbal skills, while being sympathetic
of the needs at hand. Not only do they need to exemplify strong speaking skills with those in
need of assistance, but also with their colleagues in order to make their expectations known. A

beneficial trait necessary for success in this career is the ability to network and team up with
other organizations so that both can benefit from each other. A Sales Manager is very involved in
communicating the need for people to donate to a given cause in order to benefit the less
fortunate. Therefore, they must be convincing and willing to work hard for a cause that they are
dedicated to an engrossed in (Family Laison (Sales) Manager, 2014).
Analysis
Both careers possess traits that contribute substantially to those in need, while
incorporating the business aspects into their daily routine. To me, the Marketing Managers
contributions are more interesting and involved with the company and people in need as a whole.
The most attractive aspects of this career is that they still maintain a close relationship with
higher members of the organization such as the CEO, and therefore, possess more creative
freedom and say on matters concerning the advancement and impact of the company on others.
While the Sales Manager is still essential and a major contributor to a philanthropic
cause, based on my research, I believe that the Marketing Manager holds more power. With this
power, they hold more responsibility which provides them with a higher potential to impact the
company and its employees and strive to improve the well-being of those in need.
Conclusion
The report determines the first criterion for salary favors a Marketing Manager because
they tend to make significantly more money than a Sales Manager. The second criterion,
employment and opportunity for advancement, depicts that a Sales Manager is offered more
opportunities in both categories, and therefore overrides a Marketing Manager in this area.
Offering a trendy product or service, the third criterion, embodies more involvement from a
Marketing Manager over a Sales Manager. This is due to their creative freedom and close

relationship with higher members of the company. Finally, the fourth criterion requires the
opportunity to give back to those in need.
A Marketing Manager possesses more power over who the company helps and how they
advertise their campaign. The Sales Manager holds more responsibility in selling what the
Marketing Manager advertises. These qualities lead the report to suggest an internship as a
Marketing Manager.
Recommendation
The report recommends that I pursue an internship as a Marketing Manager because it
fulfills the criteria more effectively than the Sales Manager. The most important criteria of
offering a stylish or trendy product and giving back to those in need involve more of the duties of
a Marketing Manager than a Sales Manager. Also, a Marketing Manager makes a higher salary
than a Sales Manager, which provides for a more comfortable lifestyle and less monetary
concern.
Next Steps
The information compiled in the report suggests that I pursue an internship as a
Marketing Manager. Therefore, I plan on searching for an internship involving Marketing for a
company focused on a philanthropic cause. Following the internship, I intend on pursuing a
career as a Marketing Manager and gradually moving up in the company.

Works Cited
Do What You Are (2014). [Results from on-line assessment conducted by John Carroll University
Career Connections]. Unpublished raw data.
Family Laison (Sales) Manager. (2014, March 9). Retrieved from Guardian Jobs:
http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/4817243/family-liaison-manager-sales-care-homecharity/
Marketing Managers: Common Work Activities. (2014, March 9). Retrieved from Ohio Career
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Marketing Managers: Employment and Outlook. (2014, March 9). Retrieved from Ohio Career
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Reality Check. (2014, March 9). Retrieved from Ohio Career Information Services: 1.
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