Your Career, Ambitions, and Goals

Marketers told us a little about themselves and their employers.

Q: Please select your graduate degree.
MBA: 45%
None: 35%
MS: 13%
PharmD: 4%
PhD: 3%
MA: 3%
JD: 1%

Q: What size company do you work for?
One of the top 10: 50%
We’re one of the next 10 biggest: 17%
We’re in the 21-50 next biggest: 33%

Q: How long have you been in the industry?
The average response was 12 years.

Q: How many companies have you worked for in the industry?
0-5 companies: 94%
6-10 companies: 6%

Q: Roughly how many brands have you worked on in the industry?
The average response was seven brands.

Q: What therapeutic categories have you worked in?
33% Arthritis/osteoporosis
22% Autoimmune disease/immunology
54% Cardiovascular
31% Central nervous system
29% Dermatology
27% Endocrinology
40% Gastrointestinal
40% Infectious disease
10% Obesity
35% Oncology/hematology
12% Ophthalmology
33% Pain/inflammation
26% Psychiatry
36% Respiratory
23% Urology
6% Vaccines
28% Women’s health

Q: How many product launches have you worked on?
1 product launch: 15%
2 product launches: 26%
3 product launches: 19%
4 product launches: 10%
5 product launches: 5%
>5 product launches: 25%

Q: How many years have you been with your current employer?
<2 years: 23%
3-5 years: 25%
6-10 years: 24%
11-15 years: 11%
>16 years: 17%

Q: What’s your title?
Director of marketing: 23%
Product manager: 13%
Senior product manager: 13%
Product director: 7%
Vice president of marketing: 6%
e-Marketing manager: 5%
Sales manager: 3%
Group product manager: 3%
Research manager: 3%
Director of sales: 2%
Other: 23%

Q: How many people report directly to you?
The average response of our participants was five direct reports.

Okay, we now know where our participants work, their titles, and how much they earn for their expert services, but are they happy? Let’s see what they told us…

Q: How would you rate your satisfaction with your current position?
1 (unsatisfied) to 7 (very satisfied)
The average respondent score was: 4.83.

Q: How would you rate your satisfaction with the following?
(1=unsatisfied; 7=very satisfied)
Your salary 4.61
Career growth 4.34
Relationship with your boss 4.96
Your resources
(budget, sales support, etc) 4.31
Your brand team 4.85
Company regulatory environment 4.04
Your vendors 4.90

On average, our participants seem pretty satisfied with those criteria related to their current positions and day-to-day responsibilities. But what about career advancement and climbing the corporate ladder?

Q: What variables are most important when it comes to getting promoted in the industry?
#1: My professional contributions to the brand
#2: Good supervisor
#3: Right time, right place

Q: What skills are most important when it comes to being recognized and promoted in the industry?
#1: Strategic thinking
#2: Leadership
#3: Marketing knowledge