Question

Topic: Career/Training

Job Security Of Marketing Positions

Posted by Anonymous on 12/1/2014 at 4:29 PM ET 250 Points
I've been in the marketing profession off and on (mostly on) for the better part of 25 years, with positions of increasing responsibility (most recently, Director of Communications for a mid-sized professional association). Before Thanksgiving, my position was eliminated, which makes 5 times I've been RIFed throughout my career. I know that when revenues fall, marketing is considered part of the "fat" and tends to be the first to get trimmed to save money, but 5 reductions (none due to performance) seems a bit extreme. Just wondering if anyone else who's been in marketing a while has had similar challenges, or if you've been able to "bulletproof" your marketing career and avoid the chopping block. I still enjoy marketing, but the instability is getting old, and I may need to explore other options. Looking forward to your feedback!
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 12/1/2014 at 4:56 PM Accepted
    While there's no real way to armour plate a career (sadly), there are things you might want to do to become your own boss, either through consulting (where you're paid for your knowledge and experience), or through content creation (that you can package and offer as a product). You'd do well to connect with our very own Michael Goodman for more advice on this. Michael, over to you ...
  • Posted by mgoodman on 12/2/2014 at 6:06 PM Accepted
    A quick reaction: While "Director of Communications" may be under a broad heading of "Marketing," I think it is sufficiently different from the "Marketing" about which you are asking.

    When I think about Marketing, I see it as that part of the business charged with ensuring the long-term profitability of the venture. That would include understanding what consumers are going to need, how best to communicate features and benefits, identifying changing trends in the marketplace environment, sales/distribution, pricing, packaging, etc.

    Communication is just one piece of that pie, and I would expect it to be more vulnerable to elimination in tough economic times than the bigger-picture "Marketing" function. That said, the only way to "bullet-proof" any career path is to deliver results that make the company money and to prove that you've done so. This isn't always easy in Communications or Marketing.

    I suspect you've been the victim of an unusual run of "wrong place/wrong time."
  • Posted by mgoodman on 12/2/2014 at 6:14 PM Moderator
    If you are considering consulting between jobs or as a second career, you might want to check out a book I authored a few years ago -- Rasputin For Hire. It may be at your local library, bookstore or Amazon.com.

    Or order it here -- https://bit.ly/k3Z7m -- where there's a special offer for MarketingProfs members. It includes a free downloadable report containing interviews with 5 of the experts from this forum.
  • Posted by telemoxie on 12/3/2014 at 8:26 AM Accepted
    to lower your risk in the future, I would recommend allocating more time and effort to lifelong learning.

    Being let go five times sounds like a string of bad luck to me as well. But it would probably be a good idea to fill out a couple of those online "career assessment surveys" to see if this can provide any additional insights.

    Re: entrepreneurial activities: I strongly believe in diversification, which is difficult to do when you just receive one paychecks. I would encourage you to seek another full-time job, space and once you are established in it to try to find some small noncompeting entrepreneurial activity and/or investment.

    The best of luck to you.
  • Posted on 12/3/2014 at 11:19 AM Author
    Thanks everyone for your insights. Based on your comments, it seems that I've had a bad run when it comes to marketing jobs, and maintaining multiple income streams would be my best bet. As for your specific comments:

    Gary: I am kicking around a few ideas for a sideline. I had my own unrelated business when I started my last marketing position, but as my "day job" started demanding more of my time and energy, I couldn't devote enough attention to my business to make it worthwhile.

    Michael: Although my title was Dir. of Communications, I was responsible for all of the marketing and PR initiatives for the association. Unfortunately, the volunteer leaders dictated the business priorities, which tended to focus on specific initiatives rather than strategies for long-term growth. My entire career has been in B2B marketing (B2C isn't really my cup of tea), and I've found that in most cases, when leadership doesn't truly understand the function or value of marketing, it becomes susceptible to cuts when revenues are down.

    telemoxie: I agree that continuing education is vital to success in any career, and I belong to professional associations, attend conferences/seminars, listen to webinars, participate in discussion forums, and read articles about my chosen field as much as possible (that's why I'm a member of MarketingProfs!). As a result, I'm learning about opportunities that will help me diversify so I can enjoy marketing work, and maintain my income.

    Thanks again, for your feedback--I really appreciate it!
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Career/Training)