Marketing and Business Development Courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Marketing and Business Development

What is a Marketing course?

A Marketing and Communications course is the perfect first step into an exciting career path. Combining your industry experience, a Marketing course will afford you the real-life skills needed to succeed in a career in Marketing.

Whether you’re after an entry-level or senior position, you’ll develop your skills in copywriting, communication, and digital marketing to make you desirable to employers and step into a Marketing role.

What skills will I learn in a Business Development course?

Our Business Development courses will teach you the in-demand business growth and development skills that you can use immediately in your career. You’ll learn how to increase profits by generating sales and onboarding more clients while discovering how to expand into new markets.

Some of the hard and soft skills you’ll learn in our business development courses include:

  • Develop, implement and review business resource plans
  • Explore and evaluate marketing opportunities
  • Successfully manage relationships with suppliers
What is the benefit of an online Marketing course?

Our online Marketing courses are perfect for those ready to kickstart their career in an exciting industry. Learn the marketing and communication skills needed to go into both entry-level or senior positions in marketing.

The flexibility of our online course allows you to fit your study in with your busy lifestyle, and still work and gain experience to further your career prospects. Study anywhere, anytime, progressing at your own pace — there are no scheduled deadlines by which to submit work. Marketing courses online will save you travel, time, and money.

How long does a Marketing course take?

A Diploma course can take approximately 12 months to complete if studying full-time, Certificate IV courses can be as short as 10 months full-time, while you should expect around 18 months to complete an Advanced Diploma.

The duration of your qualification is also dependent on how many hours you put in each week to study, however at CAL all students are offered a generous 24-month enrolment period to complete their Marketing qualifications at their own pace.

What are the best Marketing and Business Development courses to study in Australia?

The best Marketing and Business Development courses to study are vocational qualifications, including the Diploma of Business (Business Development) (BSB50120). Getting qualified with a Nationally Recognised course demonstrates a level of skill that employers can rely on, with the right combination of practical skills and interpersonal capabilities to move up the career ladder and apply your knowledge in a variety of roles and sectors relating to Marketing and Business Development.

Do you need to study a Marketing course to become a Marketing Coordinator?

Getting a Marketing Coordinator role in the Marketing and Business Development industry is a key first step in your career. Studying a Marketing course will give you the foundation skills you need to kickstart your career and apply practical skills like how to monitor consumer behaviour to analyse trends in spending and develop media schedules and arrange advertising activities straight into your job. With a few years experience, the right set of hands-on skills and a recognised marketing qualification, you can look to make the move into becoming a Marketing Director, or other managerial roles in the industry.

Do you need to study a Business Development course to become a Business Development Director?

Becoming a Business Development Director usually needs at least a Diploma-level qualification coupled with a few years’ experience to be taken seriously in the industry. A Business Development course will teach the relevant technical skills and know-how like developing, implementing and reviewing business resource plans, as well as the transferable people and business management skills essential for getting ahead in the Business Development and Marketing industry. Industry experience is strongly recommended, with most professionals having two years of experience before undertaking a Business Development Diploma.

Your future in Marketing and Business Development

A marketing and communications career is a challenging, but deeply rewarding choice for those ready to upskill and step into a senior role. Becoming a marketing and communications professional will see you creating reports on marketing initiatives, pioneering new strategies and communicating new projects to both teams and stakeholders. Business development managers (BDMs) will be responsible for creating new products and services while also developing and diversifying a business.

To succeed in a career in marketing or business development, you’ll need interpersonal skills such as creative thinking and strong communication. Marketing also suits those with strong numerical and analytical skills and proficiency in data management software. These skills will set you apart to employers, and see you succeed in your new role.

Your first step to gaining these valuable skills and more is to gain a qualification in marketing and business development. Find out more about the range of marketing courses available at the College for Adult Learning and get ready to start your new career.

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About Marketing and Business Development

portrait of smiling marketing managers with laptop in office

How to Become a Marketing Manager

Marketing is a highly creative yet data-driven industry perfect for those who love brainstorming big ideas, using new technologies and enjoy working with the finer details to execute projects to a high standard. It’s a diverse sector ideal for a range of people, with solid growth and future-proofed career prospects. Becoming a Marketing Manager is an excellent way to work across a wide range of different projects and use your strong communication, organisation and leadership skills to help businesses achieve success by increasing sales and improving market share. Marketing managers need to implement traditional and digital marketing plans, and ensure they are understood by the communications and social media teams. What does a Marketing Manager do? A Marketing Manager is a broad role that allows you to bring together your leadership capabilities and creativity to drive tangible outcomes for the business. Marketing Managers may undertake project work for specific campaigns or perform ‘always-on’ marketing, which focuses on day-to-day marketing needs. Marketing Managers may focus on specific areas such as digital marketing, including social media marketing. Both written and verbal communication are among the top skills employers look for when recruiting Marketing Managers and will be used daily Click To Tweet The Marketing Manager’s responsibilities can include exploring and evaluating potential marketing opportunities for the business and thinking strategically to design and develop marketing communication plans. A primary part of the job is to establish and monitor the business’ overall marketing mix. A manager working in digital marketing will oversee digital media such as email marketing, websites, blogs and social platforms. Research and analysis is another crucial part of the role, with the Marketing Manager involved in researching consumer attitudes and buyer behaviour, as well as overseeing and analysing market research. This may also include looking at insights from a brand’s digital content, such as organic monthly Instagram reach or email open rate. Both written and verbal communication are among the top skills employers look for when recruiting Marketing Managers and will be used daily. Marketing Managers often need to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders and need to be able to write persuasive marketing copy for print, digital and audio. One of the most important skills for Marketing Managers to possess is a passion and aptitude for learning. Both traditional marketing and digital marketing are subject to frequent changes, meaning marketers need to keep across these in order to achieve the best results and be compliant with industry rules. They work cross-functionally with other business areas, particularly with senior management, operations and finance, to present strategies, brief new campaigns or report on the success of previous marketing activities. Becoming a Marketing Manager: Typical Career Path The typical career path of a Marketing Manager can vary depending on their individual experience and the type of business they work in. However, most Marketing Managers would follow a career path similar to the one outlined below: If you are new to the field, complete a Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication (BSB40820) to master the fundamentals.  Work part-time or casually while studying, in a relevant or adjacent role. There are plenty of jobs that have complementary skills, such as administration or retail management. A Certificate IV course will allow you to apply real-world case studies to your work, giving you valuable on-the-job training. You may also choose to complete internships or test your skills out through paid or unpaid freelancing to build your experience and portfolio. Upon graduation, secure your first professional role in marketing. Examples include Marketing Assistant, Marketing Coordinator or Digital Marketing Assistant. Depending on your interests and career goals, you could also look at marketing-related roles such as Junior Copywriter, Social Media Assistant/Coordinator or Market Research Assistant. Once you’ve gained experience in your initial role, you can consider opportunities to gain additional skills and specialize your developed expertise by taking a marketing course, a business course, or a combination of both. An example of this is the Diploma of Business (Business Development) (BSB50120), the Diploma of Marketing and Communication (BSB50620) and the Diploma of Social Media Marketing (10904NAT). Increase networking opportunities through further professional development such as training courses and joining professional organisations like the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI).  As your skills as a marketer grow, you’re well placed for either internal promotion opportunities or to seek new external roles with more responsibility. Becoming a Marketing Manager usually requires a good level of experience within the industry, across a variety of both digital and traditional marketing. The role of Marketing Manager can mean different things depending on the business. In some businesses, the role is usually assigned to the person with the most responsibility in the marketing team. Larger companies will have roles above this, such as Director of Marketing or Chief Marketing Officer. These roles are leadership and senior management focused, with less work ‘on the tools’. Digital Marketing In digital marketing, senior roles can be Digital Marketing Manager, Head of Social Media or Digital Marketing Strategist. Regardless of whether you work in a purely digital marketing role or a more generalist one, all marketing roles now require a strong level of digital skills, particularly around social media. The main difference between traditional Marketing Managers and Digital Marketing Managers is that digital marketing tends to be more focused around performance and data, simply because it’s easy to track metrics digitally. It can also be more ‘hands on’ whereas traditional marketing can focus more on bigger-picture strategies and the planning and overseeing of campaigns, rather than the execution. Study Options There is a range of study options for those looking at becoming a Marketing Manager, including double degree options like a Diploma of Marketing and Communication (BSB50620) and a Diploma of Social Media Marketing (10904NAT). A double diploma is an excellent way to improve employability and ensure career longevity, allowing you the flexibility to work in various areas within the business. The course length is shorter than doing two single diplomas, meaning you can learn the skills you need and start earning sooner. The well-rounded double diploma option from CAL focuses on practical skills learnt through units such as: Undertake project work Explore and evaluate marketing opportunities Establish and monitor the marketing mix for an organisation Principles and concepts of marketing, including consumer and buyer behaviour Design and develop marketing communication plans Write persuasive marketing copy for both digital and audio Plan social media content and advertising Create digital marketing strategies Download our FREE 'Your Career in Marketing and Business Development' Guide Find the latest information in our eBook about a career in marketing and business development, including current job opportunities, skills you need, salary information and more. DOWNLOAD MY FREE GUIDE Industry Snapshot: Marketing in Australia Currently, the demand for skilled marketing professionals in Australia is forecasted to increase by over 20% in the next five years, according to Seek.com. The Australian Government has reported via JobOutlook.com that future marketing and advertising industry growth is very strong. Average salaries for Marketing Managers in Australia are $100,000, and people in this role report high levels of job satisfaction. The average for the industry is approximately $90,000. The industry has a relatively even gender split, with 61% of professionals in the field being female. (payscale, joboutlook) Due to the skills required to be a successful marketer, the industry is well protected from changes in technology or developments in artificial intelligence. Marketing Managers rely heavily on communication and leadership, making it difficult to be replaced by technology in the future. Instead, Marketing Managers can take advantage of technological advancements to help them better understand data, track results with accuracy and make better predictions. They can also utilise the range of new and current digital media tools, such as social media and automation platforms. These skills help improve outcomes of their marketing activities and create strategic roles that are more enjoyable by taking away tasks that would have previously needed to be done manually. Conclusion Working as a Marketing Manager in Australia is the ideal career for those who enjoy strategy, creativity and leadership. No two days are the same, and there is scope to work within various industries throughout your career. An area with strong future growth, marketing and in particular, digital marketing, is a future-proofed career option with excellent earning potential and opportunities to advance throughout your career.

Business Development vs Marketing: Which is right for you?

Business is a popular study field and career choice thanks to its broad nature, the variety of roles on offer and career progression opportunities. Two key areas of business are Business Development and Marketing Communications. Both have many similarities and work closely together, which is why studying both can be an excellent way to ensure long-term employability. Read on to learn more about these business areas and decide what’s best for you and your career. You may find you even want to work in both at different times. What is Business Development? Business Development is an umbrella term that comprises multiple activities with a single goal – to develop and grow the business. In most businesses, the plan is to increase profits by generating more sales or onboarding more clients. However, it can also involve growing the business in other ways, such as expanding to new markets or developing new products or services. Business Development is a highly strategic role that looks at ‘the big picture’ and then creates plans and processes to implement those development goals. This sector is highly integrated with other facets of the business, mainly marketing, human resources, finance and operations. Business Development is a highly strategic role that looks at ‘the big picture’ and then creates plans and processes to implement those development goals. Click To Tweet Successful business development professionals need to have a good grasp of the current market, keep an eye on competitors, and consider business goals in everything they do. Due to the need to work cross-functionally, people skills and excellent organisation are required attributes of those working in business development. What is Marketing Communications? Marketing Communications is another broad term that includes various types of marketing and communications such as digital marketing, advertising, public relations, event planning, and traditional marketing. These activities often have significant cross over with each other. Working in marketing communications is a highly creative yet data-driven field that is perfect for those who enjoy brainstorming big ideas but are also skilled at working with finer details. Marketing Communications is a sector which works closely with other areas of the business, in particular business development. Finance and operations are two other areas where crossover may occur, allowing this career choice to act as a launch pad into a variety of other pathways. A typical day in Marketing Communications depends on the segment you’re working in. For example, those working in PR might write press releases, answer media inquiries, and monitor the media for brand mentions. In contrast, someone in digital marketing may create a social media content calendar, carry out paid ad buying, or facilitate online market research. Business Development vs Marketing Communications Both Business Development and Marketing Communications focus on achieving key business goals, whether that be by increasing sales, increasing market share or expanding the business into new areas. Business development is more strategic in that it sets out the overall business plan and goals, where Marketing and Communications focus on branding and customer acquisition to help achieve those strategic business goals. For example, business development may be focusing on increasing market share in the 18-25-year-old segment. Marketing communications would then concentrate efforts on achieving this broader business goal by creating marketing strategies to speak to this audience, carrying out focus groups with this segment or creating new advertisements featuring younger people. Marketing and communications tend to be more creative, whereas both of the fields are strategic and data-focused. Both areas require strong written and verbal communication skills, but business development may require more frequent communications with stakeholders about larger-scale operations or goals. It’s not uncommon for someone to begin their career working in marketing communications and then progress to business development as they develop their strategy and stakeholder relations skills. Or vice versa, by moving into marketing communications from business development for a more creative approach to their work, as the skills are highly complementary. However, you don’t necessarily need to work your way into business development from marketing communications or vice versa, as many different areas of experience can put you in good stead for success in either role—for example, experience in sales or finance. Why should I study both Business Development and Marketing Communications? It is common for people to work in both areas at different times throughout their career, which is why studying for a double diploma is a clear way to ensure long-term career success. Even if you have a strong preference for one area, there are still many advantages to studying both. Remember, it doesn’t mean your course length doubles. A double diploma is strategically designed by the College for Adult Learning to make the most of crossover units and knowledge, saving you time and money instead of doing the diplomas separately in the future. Career opportunities By having two diplomas instead of one, you’re automatically opening yourself up to a broader range of career opportunities. It also gives you scope to move into other areas more easily as your interests or career directions change in the future. Salary progression Being highly qualified with two diplomas means that you’re more employable from the outset, improving your desirability to employers and the ability to receive a higher salary or be successful when applying for higher salaried positions. Well-rounded skill set By learning business development and marketing communication skills, you will possess the skills to excel in your chosen path and work capably with the other area, too. For example, you may choose to secure a role in business development upon graduation, but using the marketing knowledge gained during your Diploma of Marketing and Communication (BSB50620) qualification, you’ll be able to deliver high-quality briefs to the marketing team, resulting in a higher quality outcome. Future-proofed career Both business development and marketing communications require a wide range of skills centred around strategic thinking, communication, and managing stakeholder relationships. Therefore, the human-centric roles in these areas are well-protected from technological developments that could threaten some industries. With a varied range of career outcomes and the ability to work in different industries, studying a Diploma of Business (Business Development) (BSB50120), and working in business development or marketing communications is a wise choice. With a range of study options, such as the double diploma qualification, you can stand out from the crowd and ensure a rewarding career upon graduation and into the future.

Qualified Business Development Manager

How to become a Business Development Manager

Philosophers have always shared the thought that there’s no standing still: you’re either moving forwards or backwards. In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven global environment, that’s truer than ever before. It’s a philosophy that applies even more so to business. Unless a business is innovating, researching, planning and investing in the future, it’s going nowhere. Unless a business is innovating, researching, planning and investing in the future, it’s going nowhere. Click To Tweet What is a BDM? A Business Development Manager (BDM) is at the forefront of addressing the challenge of growth in an organisation. Their role is to understand a business’ operational capabilities and then plot and implement a strategic path one, five, or even ten years forward. That’s only possible by identifying and creating strategic opportunities to ensure growth and facilitate innovation. A business without a plan will go backwards, along with its’ workforce. Those charged with the responsibility of getting business development right are well regarded and well rewarded. So what skills does a Business Development Manager need? What does a Business Development Manager do? A Business Development Manager is often the ‘front of house’ presence for potential clients. The BDM takes charge of developing sales in unexplored areas while also responding to ‘business as usual’ (BAU) opportunities in areas like requests for proposals or responding to tender opportunities. Essentially, a BDM creates sales leads and establishes relationships with potential clients while planning marketing initiatives to attract them and increasing the value of relationships with existing customers. The role is customer-focused, involving attendance at conferences and industry events while nurturing contacts and listening to what customers want. A BDM is the ‘eyes and ears’ of a business, armed with a strategic plan and an understanding of customer needs in terms of services or products. A successful BDM will also think ‘outside the square’ about how they operate. They actively seek customer feedback to inform the way they ‘pitch’ business in the future. They will also encourage customer testimonials, either written or video, to promote engagement with other potential customers further. In other words, they’ll use the effectiveness of previous contacts or campaigns to improve the likelihood of success in their next campaign. TIP: Repurposing content is a smart, authentic and effective way to manage resources as a Business Development Manager. Click To Tweet What skills help create a great Business Development Manager? Developing businesses requires thinking creatively about tactics. That process begins with identifying prospective customers to create effective brand awareness initiatives. Therefore, marketing plays a crucial role in this space. The know-how to create marketing collateral that shows how your business works and what products or services it provides are an added advantage. Creating and maintaining a relevant suite of marketing products (i.e., blogs, social media content, short videos, etc.) is a valuable tool for maintaining connections and communicating product updates. Website content explaining your products or services must be kept fresh, accurate and relevant, given it’s often the first point of contact for any potential and many existing clients. Thinking creatively about your networking is also important. Once upon a time, networking might have started with a cold call, but today that is not as effective as it used to be. These days, creating and developing contacts on professional platforms such as LinkedIn can be far more authentic and productive. COVID-19 has made face-to-face meetings difficult, but there’s no substitute for the personal touch when meeting prospective clients. Soft skills like communication are key in this space, and natural leaders and relationship-builders will excel. In short, a good Business Development Manager anticipates the questions that may be asked and provides the answers ahead of time in a proactive and engaging way. What are the career paths for a Business Development Manager? An astute company with the resources at its’ disposal is well advised to invest in building a business development team. A Business Development Representative (BDR) is an entry-level way to understand the role of a BDM. A BDR learns to identify business leads via direct contact with potential customers or even by handling complaints. They take action to understand what problems might need to be addressed at a grassroots level before they become more significant issues. Contacting prospective customers and booking sales appointments is a common second step, while BDR’s frequently ‘spin off’ into other areas such as marketing or customer service. These skills help to round out their understanding of the business while generating leads and learning more about the process. Along the way, they learn skills like time management and how to prioritise workflows. Successful and ambitious Business Development Managers often progress to managing individual customers rather than remaining part of the team generating and funnelling new leads. What can a Business Development Manager earn? As with most occupations, Business Development Managers are compensated based upon a combination of experience and talent. A typical salary in Australia starts at around $136,000 can go to $181,000 or higher, with the average sitting at about $159,000 (payscale). What’s the first step on a Business Development career path? Getting qualified with an online Business Development Diploma course will ensure you have the practical skills to move into Business Development, or get ahead in your current BD career. Which course you should take depends on your aspirations and where you see your career going. BDMs as leaders in the business The College for Adult Learning’s Double Diploma of Business (Business Development) (BSB50120) + Leadership & Management (BSB50420) is designed for strategic leaders, equipping graduates with key relationship-building and leadership skills. This course is perfect for those that want to lead from the front and develop the know-how to inspire their business to grow with them. BDMs as drivers of growth in the business The Double Diploma of Business (Business Development) (BSB50120) + Marketing and Communication (BSB50620) is designed for BDMs with a view to home in on and relationships that facilitate growth and create a brand presence that aligns with business objectives. Understanding marketing is a critical component of any BDM’s core responsibilities, and this course helps develop skills around exploring and evaluating marketing opportunities while also teaching how to develop and implement business resource plans and assess their effectiveness.

Meet your Learning Coaches

Roma Jaitly
Head Coach: Marketing

Roma is a marketing enthusiast with over 16 years of experience in training, mentoring and coaching in business and marketing both in Australia and overseas. She prides herself in being an effective leader adept at building relationships with key stakeholders and executing various campaigns and business plans. She is an MBA (Marketing), and M.Phil (Management) graduate and has been associated with reputed organisations in her career.

Her core competencies are Social Media Marketing, Customer Service, Marketing Research, and Project Management. She loves to socialise, make friends, travel and listen to music in her spare time.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would happily recommend to anyone who is in a leadership role.

Lee Hartwell

It covered all topics. Talent management, operations, leadership and metrics. Great overview issues in work place discussion. Great output.

Lenny Ewers

It was really great to be able to complete my Diploma at my own pace and I received excellent support from my CAL coach.

Kylie Jarvis

Very practical and useful information that is directly related to the workplace.

Angela Henderson

There are no other RTO's where you can do this and undertake work at your own pace in your own time. 

Shannon Watkins

Thank-you to the CAL team for providing me with a flexible learning environment that would fit around my working commitments.

Joshua Polkinghorne