According to Miniwatts Marketing group, as of March 31, 2011 there were a whopping 2,095,006,005 Internet users worldwide. With that kind of a number, Internet marketers have plenty of opportunities to make big bucks for themselves and even bigger bucks for their clients. To get some insight into the job opportunities out there for Internet marketers, I interviewed three experts in the field.

Hot Internet marketing jobs

In a telephone interview, Robby Monk, an Internet marketing analyst for Full Media, a leading Internet marketing firm, told me social media is the hottest career field right now. He believes social media increasingly plays a bigger role for many companies and organizations. He also thinks organic optimization skills are in demand.

Regarding hot Internet marketing jobs, Mark Stevens, a popular guest in mainstream media, author of “Your Marketing Sucks,” and CEO of MSCO Media, bluntly stated the importance of “Expertise in actually monetizing Internet marketing. Everything else is just window dressing.” He believes some of the highest paid people in Internet marketing are “Those who have developed systems that generate revenues/leads from social media.”

I also spoke with John McCarthy, the Senior Director of Digital Strategy at WebMetro, a leading digital marketing company. He agreed that social media is a hot area. He believes public relations experience in social media – shaping the message but not controlling it – is a skill in high demand. According to McCarthy, Internet marketing companies seek candidates with good Web analytic skills.

McCarthy believes mobile marketing strategy is without a doubt a hot career right now, and Google seems to support his belief. Recently Google announced its initiative focused on driving innovation on the mobile Web. Jason Spero, Director of Mobile for Americas at Google, stated, “While consumer usage continues to explode on mobile, the quality of the sites on the mobile Web hasn’t yet caught up. Web sites that aren’t optimized for mobile deliver a bad experience for users and, in turn, lead to missed opportunities for advertisers and businesses across the Web.” Become an expert in mobile Web marketing and you might be able to write your own ticket!

Where exactly are these Internet marketing jobs? McCarthy believes there are more of them at Internet marketing firms than at companies with an Internet presence. Regarding salary, he told me e-commerce manager positions are lucrative jobs, typically providing a six-figure income.

Is a bachelor’s degree in Internet marketing worth obtaining?

The three experts basically agree on this, although Stevens is the most emphatic. He stated, once again bluntly, “No. Get out, get your hands dirty and find your own way to make it work. All the great tech biz people passed on school for a reason. The marketplace beats professors as teachers every day.” Monk stated, “Experience trumps any degree,” while McCarthy said, “An Internet marketing degree shows initiative, but experience is more crucial.” He also believes the Google AdWords certification is more valuable than an Internet marketing degree.

How to enter the Internet marketing field

Monk told me one of the best ways to enter the field is by reaching out to Internet marketing agencies and asking for an internship or a volunteer position. Some of Full Media’s interns have been working for the company for more than a year, acquiring the knowledge and experience they need to make it in the world of Internet marketing.

McCarthy believes obtaining experience through an internship or volunteer time demonstrates to prospective employers you have the skills they need. McCarthy suggests that when seeking an unpaid Internship or a volunteer position, learn a lot about the company and, most importantly, show the employer how you can add value to the company. Besides gaining skills and experience, you have access to valuable networking opportunities and if you dazzle them, you just might land a job with the company.

So here’s the bottom line – Internet marketing firms are looking for people who can demonstrate success and provide a good return on a firm’s investment. Social media marketing and mobile marketing skills are in demand and with our increasingly Web oriented, mobile world, it’s highly likely this demand is going to increase.

Guest post was written by Brian Jenkins writes about a variety of different career fields for BrainTrack.com. BrainTrack is a higher education and career resource with worldwide reach. It features a directory of the world’s universities and colleges with over 10,000 institutions listed from over 190 countries. The site is the oldest (since 1996) and largest directory of universities and colleges on the Web. BrainTrack’s goal is to help visitors make better decisions about their education and careers.