So far, 2015 is proving vibrant for jobs across Marketing & Communications and Corporate Communications at all levels.
By Amanda Fone.
It has been very busy these first weeks of January. We have seen an unprecedented number of excellent people wanting to move on, particularly at senior levels – associates and directors in agencies & heads of in house Consumer PR / Marketing across all sectors.
It seems to reflect cautious but good news from the economy: last week the Office of National Statistics reported the number of people out of work in the UK fell to its lowest level for more than six years (in the three months to November). Lower oil prices are putting a little more cash into our pockets. George Osborne’s intention for London to become the FinTec (financial technology) capital of the world has caught the imagination of many. And, closer to home, the recent IPA Bellweather report says that expenditure on PR by marketing executives has grown at its fastest rate for two years.
Our experience mirrors this: the job market seems characterised by optimism and innovation so far this year. Agencies are setting up in London. Australia’s One Green Bean, for example, has opened its Clerkenwell office with first client, Costa, as part of an international expansion plan. We are working with other integrated (earned, owned and shared) agencies based outside London looking to flex their muscles in the Capital.
Companies are finally letting go of the purse strings and we see in house marketing and communications teams hiring again. Over the last five years many in house PR and marketing teams outsourced work to agencies, where they could commit to working with them on a project basis. It’s good to see them hiring again.
Reflecting George Osborne’s enthusiasm for FinTec, agencies big and small are harnessing the opportunity in this sector. The UK has always had a world class corporate communications and reputation management sector, and a world class creative services sector and these are now readying themselves for the next wave of technological innovation to impact businesses and consumers. We’ll see lots of new job opportunities in FinTec and recommend it for the challenge, intellectual rigour and speedy career advancement it will give ambitious communications and marketing professionals.
We’re also working with a global communications agency to grasp the flexible working nettle and fill new jobs by unlocking the extraordinary senior talent currently being wasted just because it doesn’t work a 24/7 week. You can read all about this on our blog soon. It’s a complete game changer and others will be bound to follow.
Does it feel like a good job market to you, too? Let us know what you think. Amanda@f1recruitment.com
More reading –
To read more on the latest ONS figures http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30913960
You can read the seven trends we think will make an impact in the next 12 months here
Here’s our role with a London start-up: http://www.f1recruitment.com/consumer-pr-director-for-exciting-london-start-up/
Here’s our new FinTec role: http://www.f1recruitment.com/associate-directors-pr/