Don’t Bet on That Marketing Degree, Gen Z

One study shows that nearly 60% of marketing majors are working high-school level jobs five years after graduating. 

Recent marketing graduates are increasingly struggling to find employment in the field.Photographer: Michael Okoniewski/Bloomberg
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Companies want to hire recent graduates who pursued business, accounting and finance. Marketing majors need not apply.

Gen Zers, many of whom have grown up marketing themselves and building followings on social media, have gravitated toward the degree in the tens of thousands, according to Handshake, especially the creative side of the field that includes brand building and advertising. The career networking platform, which focuses on undergraduate students, estimates that applications for marketing jobs have nearly tripled since 2021.