For years, marketing was considered a dream field for creative souls – an industry where you do “cool things” and make good money. Today, it is a sector where artistic vision must go hand in hand with hard analytics. Candidates are assessed based on their ability to think analytically and draw logical conclusions.
The biggest surprise for people entering the market is the fact that modern marketing is primarily about numbers and specific business goals. The romantic vision of creative work collides with the tough requirements of corporations.
— Marketing is all about numbers. These are specific goals that we need to achieve for the organization. Today we are talking about the great importance of the analytical part: data analysis, trend analysis, insight analysis, analysis of the situation on the consumer market and the entire environment – emphasizes Justyna Malinowska, Michael Page labor market expert.
It turns out that analytics is the most difficult resource to find on the market today. – If I had to point out one thing, this area can be a challenge – admits the expert. Employers are looking for people who can dig through reports, draw conclusions and translate them into specific actions. Creativity must go hand in hand with strategy and business knowledge.
The competition is high and employers' requirements are increasing
There is no shortage of people willing to work in marketing. A lot of applications are sent to the advertisements, which is confirmed by recruiters.
At the same time, the market situation no longer resembles that of a few years ago, when employees had a clear advantage. After a dynamic period of growth that began around 2022, the relationship between the number of offers and candidates began to stabilize.
— Since 2022, we have observed a significant increase in recruitment processes – in brand management, trade marketing, shopper marketing and insight marketing, i.e. in areas related to data analysis. It was a moment of intense development, the expert recalls.
Today, there is still a lot of recruitment, but the competition among candidates is clearly greater than during the post-pandemic boom.
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These competencies are essential today
Regardless of the level of experience, employers today are looking for specialists with a specific set of skills:
- Strategy and project management – the ability to plan and coordinate activities
- Data analysis – drawing conclusions from numbers and translating them into specific marketing activities
- Cross-functional cooperation – cooperation with stakeholders within the company and external partners
- Knowledge of AI tools and technologies – Although organizations are at different stages of implementation, knowledge of these tools is crucial today
- English – a must-have in international organizations
- Flexibility and adaptability – the ability to quickly adapt to changes
- Curiosity about the world – inquisitiveness, staying up to date with market and consumer trends
— Learning and acquiring new competences is crucial today, regardless of whether we are talking about marketing, HR, finance or other areas – emphasizes Justyna Malinowska.
A new set of starting competencies. The “personal brands” generation
The entry threshold is also completely different. Generation Z entering the labor market are digital natives for whom building a personal brand in social media is as natural as breathing.
— Today, each of us has plenty of opportunities to express our creativity. We have countless tools for this, which are constantly changing, notes Justyna Malinowska.
This translates into the pace of your career. Young people do not wait for a diploma to start working. — They start their career path much earlier. People finishing master's studies often have already completed 2-3 internships and gained specific experience at the beginning of their studies – explains the recruiter. “Zetki” is also characterized by a lack of attachment to one place or sector. They are flexible and ready for frequent changes.
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Salaries. After the jumps, stabilization came
Recent years have been a time of a sharp increase in financial expectations. Candidates could expect 20-30% when changing jobs. more than before. It was a natural reaction to inflation and rising costs of living.
Today the situation is calming down. — Salaries are relatively stable, there are no jumps like a year or two ago, says the recruiter. Expecting a 20% increase remains the standard. when changing jobs, but the era of spectacular growth is over.
The expert also pays attention not to look only at the salary itself. — You always have to look at the full package. Wage and non-wage benefits can constitute a really large part of the salary, he emphasizes.
Artificial intelligence and the future of creative work
The technological revolution forced rapid changes. Artificial intelligence hits content areas the hardest. — Simple content, graphics, initial concepts – all this can be generated today in a few minutes. It is important to constantly update your competences and keep your finger on the pulse, the expert emphasizes
Is this the end of creative work? Not necessarily.
The recruiter emphasizes that knowledge of AI tools is not yet an absolute barrier to entry. – We must remember that organizations have very different levels of implementing artificial intelligence and using these tools – he reassures. However, the key is to be open to learning in order to keep up with changes. It is important to realize that this industry today requires more than just creativity. In marketing, you need to stay up to date with technology, understand the numbers and the consumer, and at the same time keep your ideas fresh and flexible to change.
