The latter half of 2011 has been a very difficult time for all. This accounts for the ongoing financial situations in the UK, Europe and even further afield in the USA all taking their toll on the ability, or willingness, of companies to commit their resources to expansion, with many preferring to adopt a “wait and see” approach.
However, it would appear that there are still some quite specific areas of growth, and seeds of optimism, for the New Year. Certainly in the last few months companies in the digital arena seem to be bucking the general trend reticence and reluctance. Having worked on, and filled numerous roles for, companies operating in the digital world of branding, marketing, advertising and web-based services, this would appear to be a potential bright spot.
The search continues today for digital marketing/creative standouts with bonafide project management credentials
Although this seems to be an area of growth, there also seems to be a shortage of suitably experienced Project Managers. A disconnect like this between supply and demand may, in some part, be due to the way this particular marketplace is developing. Clients are seemingly looking to engage agencies that are offering full-service, fully integrated solutions covering all marketing fundamentals, such as branding, PR and direct marketing events, as well as digital & SEO/web-based elements.
In turn, this seems to have led to the following request: “Can you find me a Project Manager who has a marketing or creative background?” This is almost an oxymoron in ‘traditional’ project management!
Whilst there seems to be a talent bank of experienced/qualified marketers that have worked on smaller projects in their particular field, the complexity of projects and depth of their project knowledge doesn’t seem to be what is required moving forward. Conversely, there is a wealth of seasoned project professionals with solid experience of many diverse sectors, but lacking the necessary experience of working in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.
This is definitely an element to keep an eye on in 2012, and it will be particularly interesting to see how the relationship between recruitment needs and the current talent-pool develops.
