| | | | | more likely that you will be selected for an international |
| 1. Why can’t I get a marketing job in an | | | | position. If you haven’t ever lived and worked |
| FMCG company? | | | | outside your home country, you are less likely to be |
| FMCG companies are the pinnacle of cutting edge | | | | considered for an international position. |
| marketing. Their brand managers learn a rigorous | | | | The exceptions for this are in the areas of highest |
| approach to their marketing from careful and detailed | | | | demand (see Q 6 for an explanation of this) |
| market research, product development and through to | | | | |
| mass marketing and advertising. It is certainly a highly | | | | 6. Which international marketing and |
| skilled discipline where most marketers are generally | | | | communications positions are currently the most in |
| “grown”. | | | | demand? |
| Job seekers wanting to move into this industry find | | | | Before the current economic crisis, internal |
| that they are “locked out” of this opportunity | | | | communications would have been at the top of the |
| with any of the major international FMCG firms such | | | | list in growth in demand. This is a very specialised |
| as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Heinz. | | | | market place where potential candidates have a |
| To get into FMCG, you need to do this as a university | | | | background in perhaps more general communications |
| graduate; and even here, you would need to be in the | | | | but have a passion for communicating to an internal |
| top group of your university year. | | | | audience. These roles are on the growth path as more |
| | | | | and more companies are internationalising and need to |
| 2. I have 15 years as an accountant/IT | | | | communicate their direction internationally. Because of |
| programmer/lawyer. Why am I having so many | | | | the writing element in internal communications positions, |
| problems getting a job in marketing? | | | | there is a strong leaning for native English speakers as |
| The benefits of a marketing team are not well | | | | they are more likely to also have excellent written skills. |
| understood by people from different disciplines. This is | | | | During the current economic downturn, |
| certainly apparent from the number of applications we | | | | however, internal communications positions have been |
| receive from people outside of the marketing and | | | | one of the most scarce. |
| communications disciplines who apply for positions | | | | Interactive marketing professionals are currenlty in high |
| where marketing experience is required. | | | | demand. Their knowledge and passion for all there is |
| For someone to move into marketing from another | | | | to know about Web 2.0 is highly sought after. It’s |
| discipline, it is unlikely that any recruitment firm can | | | | not just the skill, however. The ability to fit into a matrix |
| assist them. They are best leveraging their industry or | | | | multinational corporation is just as important as well. |
| company experience to get an internal transfer to the | | | | We have seen young interactive marketers command |
| marketing team. Taking up some studies in marketing | | | | premium salaries and move quickly in their career. |
| as well does show a sincere interest rather than a | | | | Public Relations professionals for PR agencies are |
| fleeting one. | | | | always in demand. The biggest challenge is that, it |
| | | | | doesn’t matter which country the agency is |
| 3. What is the difference between marketing and | | | | located, they need PR professionals from that country |
| communications? | | | | with excellent native written skills. So for Spanish PR |
| We define marketing under Kotler’s 4 P’s; | | | | professionals in the Netherlands, there is very low |
| which are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Most | | | | demand, but extremely high demand within Spain. |
| industries split their marketing positions into a number of | | | | Why this gap? PR Agencies are reluctant to recruit |
| different roles. Product Marketing uses market | | | | candidates who have not already worked within an |
| research and insights, manufacturing and product | | | | agency environment, so immediately narrow their pool |
| development as well as pricing. Place (ie: distribution) is | | | | of potentials. Candidates coming from agencies want |
| often with Trade Marketing, Channel Marketing or | | | | to try “client side” or even set up their own |
| even sales. Promotion includes all ways of contacting | | | | freelance operation to “go it alone”. If you’re |
| the target customer ranging from traditional avenues | | | | in your native country, have excellent writing skills and |
| such as advertising and direct marketing through to | | | | great personal communication style and want to make |
| PR, interactive solutions and events. These roles | | | | a move into a PR agency, you certainly have a |
| usually fall under Communications. | | | | chance. |
| Corporate Communications, on the other hand, are less | | | | |
| about the product but more about the company as an | | | | 7. Why are their so many international or |
| overall brand. This includes job functions such as PR, | | | | pan-European marketing positions in the Netherlands? |
| crisis management, internal communications. The | | | | The international and pan-European positions in the |
| diagram below identifies how this fits in the overall | | | | Netherlands certainly stand out from the local positions |
| scheme of things: | | | | as they are normally advertised in English. There are |
| | | | | probably even more similar positions in the UK, but |
| 4. What are the pros and cons of interim | | | | given that the language there is in Enlgish, both local |
| marketing? | | | | and pan-European positions are not so distinguished. |
| O’Connell Marketing Recruitment are a little biased | | | | The Dutch government give financial incentives to |
| in this regard. We focus on permanent marketing | | | | companies to set up businesses in the Netherlands. It is |
| recruitment as we want to help further the marketing | | | | certainly an attractive destination as the workforce is |
| careers and growth of our candidates and provide | | | | well educated and multi-lingual, English is widely used |
| excellent people for our clients. | | | | and the country is centrally located. |
| Interim marketing, we feel, is a lifestyle choice, but it is | | | | The international mindset of the Dutch (“we’re |
| not a choice which facilitates growth. You will certainly | | | | from a heritage of traders”) also creates an |
| be very well paid (especially in the Netherlands where | | | | environment for international business. |
| hourly and daily rates are extremely high compared to | | | | |
| counterparts in the UK). You will have more flexibility of | | | | 8. What is the difference between B2C and |
| when you work in a good market, however when the | | | | B2B marketing? |
| economy turns, you are the first to go. Interim | | | | B2C or consumer marketing is focussed on the |
| marketers of more than 2 years experience are less | | | | research and promotion of products or services based |
| likely to be “accepted” back into a permanent | | | | on population trends (ie: lifestyle or demographic) |
| position as companies are concerned that you will now | | | | where as B2B marketing has more definable target |
| be too independent and not so easy to manage. | | | | markets of companies and businesses. |
| Interim roles often do not challenge the freelancer – | | | | |
| companies look for people who can just come in and | | | | 9. Which companies do marketing and |
| do it – so the learning curves tend to be less. | | | | communications people have the most challenging |
| Companies are less interested in investing in your | | | | time? |
| future, due to the limited time you work with them. | | | | The more a company is focussed on technology or |
| | | | | sales, the lower the voice is of marketing. |
| 5. How can I get an international marketing job? | | | | |
| With the growing centralisation of marketing | | | | 10. Will an MBA help my career? |
| campaigns and product offerings, there are more and | | | | Not necessarily. Some companies do require a |
| more international and pan-European marketing | | | | professional to possess an MBA. However, in recent |
| positions than ever before. English tend to be the | | | | research conducted by O'Connell Marketing |
| common language for this, so you certainly need a | | | | Recruitment, we found that only 23.1% of Chief |
| business level of English to be considered for any such | | | | Marketing Officers had an MBA. A large number of |
| roles (as well as a track record in large corporations). | | | | CMO's only have a Bachelor's degree. |
| The more international your experience to date, the | | | | |