Update: Sine this post was published, we’ve seen marketing take a huge turn towards digital. From video content, SEO, to employing social influencers for brands, marketing has gotten on board with the digital trend. We updated this post with trendy marketing skills marketers need to add to their stack and the best places for careers in digital marketing.
Things are, without a doubt, turning around in the job market. Brands are setting the stage to make new investments and executives are already setting a new, more vigorous tone for 2015 with ambitious goals emerging from their planning process.
Last year, many companies were pushing skeleton crews trying to make progress through the dissipating storm. People were left scrambling to keep the lights on with their marketing programs. Now, as some of the companies emerged sooner than others, the competitive tone has been set and companies are filling out their ranks to compete.
If you are looking to grow your marketing career, now is the time to act. Understanding the market demand will help you find the best opportunities. Top marketing jobs in 2015 include:
Analytics Jobs
What was once the arena of geeks, finance pros, and mathematicians, analytics is now the name of the marketing game. We didn’t always have the depth of analytical tools and software available to us in marketing that we have today.
Or, we would take a look at impressions and click-throughs and judge advertising performance based on those couple of factors. Now, marketers are recruiting math majors, statisticians and the like into the marketing game with the expectation that we can measure everything. Jobs in analytics abound in marketing departments and at agencies everywhere (and, it is far more fun to do this work in a creative environment rather than in a finance department cubical).
Web Developer Jobs
With companies willing to invest again this year, they will be back on track with rebuilding their websites. Some companies have been operating with Band-aid and Duct tape solutions in place and may undergo a “replatforming” (where they put new technical infrastructure underneath an existing creative look), while others will choose to overhaul the whole thing. In either circumstance, the people who have the technical capability to do this work, software developers and software architects, will be in demand to bring this work to life.
Creative Jobs
Any new investment in marketing will require the creative minds and talents to envision where the brand can go. This isn’t about a set of hands that can work a keyboard and design programs, but it will be the people who can help a brand stand apart from their competitive set. It is a lot harder to rise above the noise as more and more voices enter the fray, so the creative people– writers, designers, creative directors– who can deliver beyond making things look or sound “pretty” are the ones who will be in greatest demand next year.
Jobs Driving Personalization
For some, this could be categorized as people with experience with CRM. It could be related to marketing automation, triggered messaging, analytics, etc. There are a number of ways into the job, however what companies are looking for are ways to take the insights gained from analytics and finding ways to improve targeting, customize messaging for the right audiences and ultimately catch prospective customers with the right message in the right place at the right time.
If you have this experience, dial it up. Develop your expertise in adjacent disciplines that all line up with the core purpose of automating and personalizing marketing. Then, keep your eyes out for job descriptions at interesting companies that allude to the need. Hiring managers and HR departments don’t know what to call it, just yet, so the title may, at best, be a bit vague.
Offline + Online Marketing Skills
Soon to be gone are the days when marketers thought that digital was “online” and traditional was “offline” and never the twain shall meet. Consumers are always prospective customers whether or not they are online, offline, mobile or IRL (in real life). Brands are looking for senior marketers who have a digital first mentality (because they live to measure), but can operate in the larger world of marketing (which includes in-store, offline, outdoor, etc.).
Update: The 15 Hottest Job Markets for Digital Marketing in 2017
We now know that digital marketers are in great demand more than ever. This year, your talent can go far digital marketers. MarketPro crunched the numbers for you and was able to paint a strong general picture of where the most bountiful job markets are across the country for digital experts. You can probably guess some of the names on the list, but others will likely surprise you. Check it out!
Marketing Jobs That Are Becoming Less Popular
“Social” isn’t the “hot job” that it once was. Yes, social media is a critical component of so many marketing plans. The supply and demand economics are not in the social media expert’s favor. Everyone coming out of school wants to “do social media” or believes that they are an expert. Worse, many marketers actually agree with them. There is no standard for what a social media expert looks like, what skills they have and with what toolsets they are familiar. There are a million people who want to do the job and most employers still can’t judge quality in the role.
Bonus: 5 Hot Digital Marketing Skills in 2015
As the landscape changes, it’s vital that you be able to evolve alongside it. Even a great marketer today can be obsolete in just a few months. If you want to ensure your relevance in the coming year, consider mastering one of these hot skills that are sure to be in high demand for full time and digital staffing positions in organizations of all shapes and sizes. Read more
Update: 5 Trendy New Marketing Skills to Add to Your Arsenal in 2017
Since 2015, marketing has greatly shifted towards digital. Its more vital than ever to stay relevant in the job market. As marketing and advertising recruiters, we recommend you keep your current skills sharp–and add a few new ones that are in high demand but low supply. Round out your marketing stack and make yourself even more desirable to employers. Need somewhere to start? Try one of these hot emerging skills that employers want but the marketing workforce hasn’t yet fully adopted.
Top 10 Marketing Talent Trends for 2015
Demand for specialised skills in digital marketing will continue to increase in 2015 as more companies optimize their websites for mobile and IT and marketing departments work more closely together. Recruitment company Hays has put together the below list of the top 10 talent trends for 2015.