Join the marketing and sales boom

There are opportunities galore, writes Rebecca Martin.

Booming economy means companies are looking to expand and that's good news for marketing and sales professionals. Employer expectations of hiring permanent media, marketing or advertising staff are the highest they've ever been, according to the latest Hudson Report.

"It's on the up and up," says James McConochie, the NSW sales and marketing practice manager at Hudson, a recruitment company. "Most employers are feeling confident, right across ... industries like IT, telecommunications, financial services, energy, professional services and healthcare."

Grahame Doyle, an analyst with recruiter Hays, says the high demand for marketing and sales professionals is here for the foreseeable future.

"It's a great time to be a graduate," he says, "I don't know a market that's not under pressure to recruit people. We might even be entering an employment economy where business plans are built on their ability to hire people rather than the business they create, because you can't do the work if you don't have the people."

Recent mergers and acquisitions meant many marketing and sales departments were restructured. The latest incarnations look for proof of a return on investment.

Mark Crowe, chief executive of the Australian Marketing Institute says: "There's a strong demand for marketers who not only bring strong strategic skills, but who also have a strong emphasis on financial literacy."

Specialisation is another trend. McConochie says while there's a broad range of sales roles, in the marketing arena employers are looking for specialist skills for particular campaigns, such as online or public relations.

"Generalist marketers are finding it harder to find work, whereas younger specialists are picking up jobs much easier."

Direct marketers remain in high demand, as they have for the past few years. These roles are often combined with online sales and marketing responsibilities.

Jacqui Pollack, managing director of specialist recruiter the SG Group, says it's a hugh growth area. "Demand is so high that if you're a candidate in online direct marketing then it's likely you'll have two or three job offers."

Salaries in the sector remain healthy but don't necessarily reflect the shortage of talent. According to the Hays 2007 Salary Survey, sales and marketing salaries have risen less than 1 per cent in NSW over the past year. Recruiters say employers are sticking to their salary budgets and are less likely to give counter-offers if a candidate hesitates.

Luke Partridge, associate director of sales and marketing at Robert Walters, says candidates cannot write their own salary.

"Clients are not necessarily bowing to candidate demands," he says. "They're being equally as selective."

A smaller pool of candidates has made it easier for professionals to change industry stream, from IT into fast moving consumer goods and vice versa.

Moving overseas has never been easier, a factor Pollack says has contributed to the shortage. Local candidates are now competing on a global stage.

"There's a lot of interest in overseas talent," she says. "Companies are more willing to sponsor people to come over if they've got the right experience, and also because they like candidates that have worked on big brands with big budgets."

Published: 14 July 2007