Press Release

Employment prospects in marketing profession remain buoyant

• Substantial percentage of organisations still looking to recruit more marketers
• Professional training supported by employers across the marketing profession

London, 22 November 2007 - The latest Marketing Trends Survey, from The Chartered Institute of Marketing, has found that job prospects remain sound within the marketing profession. While just 8% of those questioned for the study said that their company was planning to axe marketing jobs, a much more bullish 27% said that they were expecting to take on more marketers. Nearly two thirds, (64%), of marketers do not expect to see any changes in the size of their marketing department by the end of this sales year.

Employment prospects for marketers remain similar across all business sectors. However, those looking for a job in technology and telecoms, where 33% of organisations are looking to take on more marketing staff, are likely to fare better than those in retail, distribution and leisure or the public and charity sector where a less impressive 25% are planning to swell the ranks of their marketing department. Marketers in the South West, where 33% of organisations were anticipating a head count increase, and the Midlands, where 28% were planning to take on more staff, were the most likely to find it easy to land a new position.

Smaller organisations were the least inclined to be recruiting. While just 16% of businesses turning over one million pounds or less per annum were expected to take on more marketing staff, this figure rises to 31% in organisations with a turnover of 100 million pounds or more.

There is considerable support available for marketers seeking to continue their professional development. Over four fifths, (82%), of working marketers said that their organisation had personal performance management processes in place, while this figure rises to 93% among the largest companies. 

Support for marketers in achieving professional qualifications was most likely to come in the form of help with attending workshops, conferences and forums, (74%), followed by paying for qualifications, (69%). Just over half of marketers questioned, (52%), said that they received time off in lieu for training and just under half, (49%), were given financial help to buy books or the opportunity to attend in-company knowledge sharing events. The least common training initiatives were additional e-learning packages, (32%), and supplying a mentor or coach, (21%).

Commenting on the findings, David Thorp, The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s director of research and information said: “We know from our studies here at The Institute that it’s a case of; ‘the more you learn the more you learn’ in the marketing profession. It’s good to see from this survey that it is not only the individual who benefits from formal training but that organisations across a diverse range of business sectors also recognise the importance of continuing professional development.”

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