How to make the most out of your professional journey as a marketer

Here we are, dear PLM fabulous soul, about to embark on a first ride together.

I'm Anaïs, a Career Strategist passionate about empowering professionals like yourself to thrive career-wise.

And I hope you are as excited as I am, because today, my friend, we'll talk about how to make the most out of your career, on your own terms.

The reality of being a marketer in 2025:

When working with marketing professionals, I've noticed a recurring theme: how challenging and complicated it is to find the right role.

And the obstacles show up pretty quick in that happiness quest, as navigating a job search platform can bring its lot of challenges.

Let's talk numbers:

1. There are more than 90+ marketing job titles in today's market

2. A marketing manager position's salary ranges from £30,000 to £65,000

The takeaways?

1. Job titles don't necessarily mean much on their own, as there are so many different ones out there

2. If you're aiming for a marketing manager position, you might be able to double your salary (or, being more realistic, being offered less than your current one).

Standardised criteria for career success, such as a job title or a salary, unfortunately do not have the same reliability as they once had, yet that's still the driving force on which the job market relies.

So, how to build a successful career in today's market?

Well, I'm glad you asked ;) It might seem like all hope is lost with what I shared above, but fear not, as we live in very exciting times!

Here's what I'd invite you to consider if you're wondering how to make the most out of your marketer journey:

‍Focus on skills and experiences instead of job titles:

Alright, I heard you loud and clear across the screen, saying, "But what does she think? Of course a job title IS important". And yes, it is. But not the most important.

Like we've seen above, there are loads of different job titles out there, and my personal theory is that companies make a point at creating new ones, just to keep us all confused!

What is not subject to interpretation, however, is what skills you've got and how much experience and exposure you've gained throughout the different roles and projects you've worked on.

If you're reading these lines, I'd invite you to open up the latest version of your CV or your LinkedIn profile and ask yourself: Is the information included in there truly reflecting how much I've done?

But more importantly than what's on your CV and LinkedIn profile, keep staying curious and open about what you want to learn more about and do more of.

Because that, my friend, is what makes the difference between someone who has a job and someone who loves their job.

Supercharge your networking skills:

I know, I know. I almost lost you just before when saying that a job title is not important, and now I'm talking about networking?! What is happening?!

Well, first, let's make sure we're on the same page. When I'm talking about supercharging your networking skills, I'm not referring to putting yourself out there in a sad room and speaking to random people with whom you might have nothing in common.

I'm talking about building genuine, meaningful relationships that will help you in your professional and personal growth.

Here's how you can approach it:

• Who inspires you and is on the career next step you'd love to take? Invite that person for a virtual coffee or lunch, and be curious to know about them and how they got to where they are

• Who's got your back and cheers you up when you're doubting yourself A solid network is first and foremost a supportive network. So who is able to pick you up and reboost your energy when you're feeling low and stuck?

• Who could use your help? Whether it's someone you're interested in mentoring or someone who requires your unique expertise, it's all about paying it forward, without expecting anything in return.

Here are my top 3 networking tips:

1. Practice the art of not having an agenda: The art of listening is truly an underrated skill, yet super valuable. Forget about what you want or have to say, and truly lean into the conversation, you'd be curious to see where it takes you!

2. Get QR-code ready: Whether you're looking for a job, building connections in a specific industry, or showcasing your portfolio, having a QR code ready to share with who you're speaking with is the best IRL CTA you could aim for. Stefanie Sword-Williams talks about it brilliantly here.

3. You're better than a one-night stand: Following up, truly caring, and connecting is what makes the difference in the networking game. And it does not have to be too much of a hustle: think annual tradition to send happy new year messages to your connections, celebrating work milestones on LinkedIn, asking your network out for rooftop drinks when the sun is out (and I personally cannot wait for that last part!).

Being clear on what matters:

Circling back to what we covered before, of course a salary is important, especially in the current economic context. But when it comes to career happiness and success, I'd invite you to explore what's important to you:

• Are you looking for opportunities to keep growing and developing in your current role and company?

• Do you want to do something slightly different career-wise, and if so, are you clear on how to make it happen?

• Are you looking to earn a certain salary and to meet specific money goals you've got in place?

• Do you care about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and not having to work extra hours or on weekends?

• Are you looking to prioritise other aspects in your life -whether family, friends,etc- and be in a role where you're not expecting to overdeliver every single day?

• Is it something else?

I hope that you've been able to answer mentally the questions above and you've got that captured somewhere, as this should be the driving force for your career growth and success.

Don't let employers, recruiters, and other people in your network decide for you what these answers should be.

To summarise:

• Keep being curious: follow the opportunities that you care about and what you're interested in doing more of. Don't let a title hold you back.

• Have conversations that inspire you and lift you up: peers, mentors, professionals from completely different walks of life, maybe. Networking does not have to be this super sad and formal thing you either do or don't; it can be organic.

• Never lose sight of what's important to you: you get to decide what happiness and success look like. This might evolve over time, so don't be afraid to have an honest conversation with yourself and revisit your priorities.

If you're keen to explore the topic further:

I see you, reading all the way to here, wondering what's happening next!

Here are some extra resources to support you on your journey:

• If you need a little pick me up to help step in that bolder version of yourself: I'd recommend the book Playing Big, by Tara Mohr

• If you need some inspiration to help you make sense out of your career journey so far: check out the podcast Squiggly Careers

• If you want to chat things through as you're not sure about what needs to happen next, book some time with me!

Anaïs Comot

Career Coach, DEI Trainer, Speaker and Women Empowerer.

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