ChatGPT might be dominating the headlines but marketers looking to get a new job will need far more rounded and traditional expertise, with the most in-demand skills being social media management, search engine optimisation, Adobe Photoshop, email marketing and market research.
So says LinkedIn’s 2024 Global Marketing Jobs Outlook report, which names the top 15 skills to make marketers’ CVs standout, which also include online marketing, analytical skills, copywriting, graphic design and CRM.
And, despite there being no end in sight to the economic pressures, the report suggests brighter days are ahead for the profession, with 83% of chief marketing officers saying they are likely to hire in the coming year due to growth.
Employers are also prioritising a mix of creative “left-brain skills” and technical “right-brain skills” are required for marketers looking for a new job, now and in the future.
LinkedIn data shows that the skills which grew the fastest among marketing professionals over the past 12 months were web3.js, A++, SaaS sales, Discord and social media strategy.
And, even though AI skills do not currently feature in the “must-have” lists of employers, just over two in three marketers are currently using AI applications in their activities and they are enhancing their resumes with the AI skills they are learning. LinkedIn internal data shows that twice as many marketers added AI as a skill to their profile in Q4 2023 than in Q4 2022.
In fact, the way marketers plan to use GenAI in 2024 include generating more content in less time (56%); increasing efficiency to focus on higher value work (55%); creating optimised and engaging content (51%); building more creative campaigns (39%); and gaining competitive advantage (36%).
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions global senior director of customer insights Allyson Hugley said: “After a year defined by workforce changes such as mandatory return to work and sluggish job growth, which limited workers’ flexibility and mobility opportunities, the workforce is adapting by managing the present while preparing for a rapidly evolving future.
“With a majority of marketing leaders already using AI tools to bolster marketing efficiency and innovation – the significant increase in global marketers adding AI skills to their profiles reflects the urgency most feel to acquire skills and establish pole position as we enter fully into the next cycle of digital transformation.”
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