It know it’s fashionable to bash recruiters here.
But they make pretty good canaries in the coal mine.
The good ones are plugged into what businesses actually want – long before job ads catch up.
Business Insider just ran a piece on how marketing roles are evolving. Recruiters are saying the big demand right now is for marketers who can flex across data, tech, and client strategy. The days of staying in one narrow lane seem to be fading fast.
I started out as a specialist, and I’m glad I built broader skills over time. The market’s been heading that way for years – more generalists, more adaptability, more pressure to connect the dots.
But the thing that’s never changed? Commercial fluency.
That’s what shapes how you prioritise, how you build credibility, and how fast it can be lost when you start speaking marketing instead of business.
Specialists or generalists aside – that’s the skill to make you you have
By Dave Heywood
A marketer who’s spent his career figuring out how real growth happens – for brands and people alike. He runs Marketing Careers Uncovered, a podcast where marketers talk honestly about the work, the missteps, and what actually moves the needle.
