UK Marketers With 2011 Reasons To Cheer

Dec. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- Guest article by Marc Ansell, Director of Europe at Firebrand Talent Search www.firebrandtalent.com

Marketers, let’s start with some good news. Despite all the mixed messages in the press and fears of a double dip recession, the market for marketing and creative jobs is actually rather upbeat. But what exactly is happening and what are job seekers letting themselves in for?

Now that the economy is on the up, companies are hiring again, ready and willing to invest in good people. But there aren’t enough. Although some of those people who kept their jobs in the recession are now considering moving positions, there is still a lot of reticence amongst marketers who are concerned about the stability of the economy. There are some great job offers on the table but not always the talent to fill them. This means good news for strong marketers – you’re likely to be snapped up quickly!

Although there are some great jobs, employers are still being a bit cautious when it comes to hiring decisions. They want to make sure they have the perfect person for the role, so the hiring process is a lot more thorough. Job seekers need to really go the extra mile and prove they are of the highest calibre to be successful in their job hunt. This longer recruitment process also means more interviews and more tests, for example copywriting, numerical tests and verbal tests. Although you can’t prepare for the unknown, preparing answers to questions you may be asked and brushing up on a few key skills is crucial to ensure you’re ready for as many eventualities as possible.

So what are employers looking for exactly? A proven track record is essential and a background of working with big brands or top FTSE companies is desirable. Marketers with two to three years of experience are in particularly short supply – with many companies cutting back on recruitment and training for junior level jobs two to three years ago, we’re now facing an experience gap. So if you fall into this category you should have a range of options available to you.

As expected, there has been substantial growth in the digital sector, with a particularly strong demand for information architects with UX experience, however a lot of professionals in this space are contractors, resulting in a lack of permanent candidates. And despite this growth, it hasn’t been as big or rapid as perhaps it was previously expected. Traditional marketing skills and experience of these campaigns are still very much sought after by employers. There has also been an increase in research roles as companies look at customer journeys, competitor analysis and so on to really focus their marketing efforts on the right areas following the downturn.

Although the recent cuts to the public sector show that we’re not out of the woods yet, it’s currently an exciting time for the marketing industry. The London Olympics in 2012 will lead to more marketing projects in the year ahead and as employers become more optimistic we’ll begin to see even more job opportunities in the market. 2011 is a year with huge potential, so if you have been thinking about a new challenge then it may just be the time to get searching.

Edited by Simon Lewis | Only Marketing Jobs

# # #

Only Marketing Jobs (www.onlymarketingjobs.com) is a digital recruitment advertising company specific to the marketing business sector. Employers and agencies acting on behalf of employers can advertise vacancies. Jobseekers can apply for the vacancies