In terms of job market and career opportunities, today’s marketers have it pretty good–especially those with a little experience under their belt and an in-demand skill.
Marketing is evolving rapidly, keeping things exciting and constantly generating new work opportunities for ambitious professionals. Businesses across the board are falling behind on the latest tech and consumer expectations, and they’re turning to new talent as a way to catch up. Marketers who keep their eyes open, engage with marketing placement agencies and exercise best practices for finding new marketing jobs (even when they’re not looking) have many options available.
With so many opportunities available, it can be difficult to make the right choice for your career and lifestyle. Choosing a new job is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your entire life, and the path you take now will have a lasting impact on your future.
Before committing to a tantalizing new job opening, make a few key considerations:
Watch it: How to Evaluate a Marketing Job Opportunity
1. Is It Forward or Lateral Progress for Your Ultimate Goals?
As a marketing placement agency, we’ve noticed it’s easy to get distracted by the bells and whistles of a marketing job and become blinded to where it ultimately leads. Maybe it offers a really nice compensation package, or it’s at an office with craft beer always on tap, or the office gets free bagels every Wednesday.
There’s nothing wrong with pursuing a higher salary or feeling pulled by sweet office perks. But they shouldn’t always be the first thing on your mind.
Instead, look beyond the opportunity in front of you to your ultimate career goals, whatever they may be.
Do you want to eventually have a particular job, or work in a certain industry, or earn some particular renown? If so, does taking this job bring you one step closer to that dream?
Evaluate whether the job you’re considering will be a meaningful vertical move toward those goals; not just a horizontal (or worse, a backwards) detour for a short-term pay raise.
2. Are You Excited About Where The Company’s Going?
Few things are more fulfilling in a job than being able to go home at the end of the day satisfied with the work you’ve completed. But you’ll only get that kind of fulfillment if you align philosophically and share the perspective of the organization you work for.
That includes the company’s products, products, and business model. Do they resonate with your interests and passions? Furthermore, are they heading in a positive direction that you’ll still want to be a part of several years down the road?
From a more practical standpoint, you’ll want to consider whether the organization really has a viable business future that you’ll want to participate in. Does the business really have potential for growth? If not, then you’ll probably have a hard time growing personally and professionally.
It’s okay to consider joining a company that’s currently experiencing some amount of stagnation and growth challenges. After all, those tend to be the places with the greatest opportunities for you to make an impact and establish a reputation as a success-driving difference maker!
On the other hand, you don’t want to hop aboard a sinking ship. Imagine signing on at Blockbuster right as Netflix and Redbox were joining the market. Some organizations will adapt to such market disruptions, but many more will fail and fade into irrelevance.
Consider whether the products, brand, and model of the business you’re considering have a viable future. And ensure that, even if the organization is sluggish now, it has leadership with a strong vision and ability to make the necessary changes to grow.
3. Your Peers and the Company’s Culture
Another important point to consider is the people and environment you’ll be working with day in and day out.
No marketer can afford to work in a silo any more. Your peers at work will often be the first people you interact with every morning, the people you’ll rely on as partners, the individuals you’ll turn to for help and inspiration.
It’s always wise to get an idea of who you’ll be working with most frequently. Are they good at what they do? Will their expertise, efforts and attitude complement and enhance your own work?
On a broader scale, the corporate culture must also be carefully considered.
Are people generally happy to work there? Does the atmosphere of casualness or professionalism reflect your own personality? Even if your marketing skillset and experience are perfect matches for the job itself, you’ll almost certainly fail in a position at a company where you just don’t fit in.
4. Your Boss
Whether you’re moving out of your first junior marketing staffing gig, or fulfilling a direct marketing executive search, the person you’ll immediately report to should be a major factor in your consideration.
Regardless of your career position, there’s always room for personal development and growth. Seek out managers and mentors that you can learn from, who will challenge you to improve and encourage further education.
It’s not even essential that you actually like your future supervisor (though that’s obviously preferred). The important thing is that you respect them and have confidence they’ll empower you to improve.