Trends: Marketing Jobs in the UK

Understanding trends in marketing is crucial for staying ahead in the competitive business landscape. In this article, which relates to the Marketing Made Clear Podcast: EP1 What is Marketing and How to Become a Marketer we’ll delve into how trends have evolved over time, specifically focusing on typical company department names through the lens of Google Trends.

Exploring Trends with Google Trends

Google Trends is a powerful, free platform that allows users to input various search terms and compare their search volume over time using a graph. Given the broad nature of marketing trends, we decided to explore searches related to “typical company department names” to see how interest in different job categories has shifted over the years.

  • Focus Areas:
  • Marketing jobs
  • Sales jobs
  • Supply chain jobs
  • HR jobs
  • IT jobs


Note: All data presented is based on searches conducted in the UK.

Note:

This article features content from the Marketing Made Clear podcast. You can listen along to this episode on Spotify below:

Trends Over Time

Google Trends data for these search terms is available starting from 2004. Here’s a breakdown of how interest in these job categories has changed over the years.

2004: The Dominance of IT Jobs

In 2004, IT jobs were by far the most searched, with around four times more searches than marketing or sales jobs. At this time, searches for supply chain jobs were almost nonexistent. LOL.

2004-2007: Decline of IT Job Searches

Over the next three years, searches for IT jobs began to decline, eventually stabilizing at about double the search volume of marketing or sales jobs. Despite this decline, IT jobs remained the most searched category.

2010: Shifts in Interest

By 2010, the interest in IT jobs had decreased significantly, bringing it closer to the search volume for sales jobs. This downward trend continued slowly until about 2019. Meanwhile, marketing and sales job searches remained relatively consistent during this period.

In contrast, supply chain job searches were minimal, indexing at just 1 compared to marketing’s 25 to 30 (out of 100).

2010-2015: Stabilization and Slight Shifts

From 2010 to 2015, search trends showed stability with a slight decline in IT and sales jobs and a modest increase in searches for marketing and HR jobs.

2015-2019: Overall Decline

The period from 2015 to 2019 saw a general decline in searches for all job categories, with marketing and HR experiencing slight growth before the trend reversed.

2020: Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant changes in job search trends. Searches for sales and marketing jobs saw a sharp decline, while IT job searches remained steady. Supply chain job searches, however, continued to be minimal.

I would assume that this is due to an increase in requirements for IT solutions due to COVID-19 and the increase in people working from home.

2021-Present: A New Surge

In the last couple of years, search trends for all job categories have been on the rise. Notably, marketing job searches have overtaken sales and left HR behind. Even supply chain job searches have seen a slight increase, highlighting their growing importance and relevance in the business world.

Conclusion

The evolving trends in job searches reflect broader changes in the business landscape. While IT jobs dominated early on, interest has diversified with marketing, HR, and even supply chain roles gaining traction. Understanding these trends is vital for businesses and job seekers alike as they navigate the ever-changing job market.

Long may these trends continue to evolve, showcasing the dynamic nature of the workforce and the critical roles each department plays in the success of an organization.

Chris Jones - Director of Supply Chain at Paleo Ridge

Thank You Chris Jones

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my good friend and pet food partner in crime, Chris Jones – Director of Supply Chain.

Thank you for instilling distain in me for supply chain, I enjoy our “discussions” on supply chain vs. marketing immensely. Keep up the good work old boy.


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Trends: Marketing Jobs in the UK