Are you feeling like your digital or marketing role is losing focus?
Do you feel that additional responsibilities are being ‘bolted on’ as your firm’s view of marketing & digital continues to grow?
Well if you do, you aren’t the only one…
Across all career levels over the last quarter we’ve spoken to individuals who’ve started their digital & marketing positions with real clarity but now 6 months, 1 year, 2 years down the line their position has snowballed into an unmanageable heap of tasks that make it difficult to achieve anything substantial when all you’re really trying to do is balance your projects & survive the week.
Speaking to individuals in the market, there have been occasions where colleagues have left and their duties have simply been allocated to the next person (i.e. you). These responsibilities have been PPC, SEO, Events, or Social Media, adding to the daily tick list, whereas in other firms these could all be full-time positions in their own right!
So how do you stop this and look after number 1?
It’s a difficult one and will probably take direct conversations with your boss, but you’ve got a few options:
1. Get back into your initial job description and ask yourself what were you brought into the business to do. If the responsibilities change so should your remuneration. Try not to get paid the same for doing 1.5 or 2 positions. Make sure it’s a discussion point at your next appraisal.
2. Regain clarity. After defining your position, take the left over additional responsibilities and create the outline of a new job description to discuss with senior management. An idea of possibly taking advantage of the many Intern or Trainee level candidates in the market has worked for other candidates.
For an ambitious Marketing/Digital Executive, this could be your way into mentoring/management or for a Marketing/Digital Manager/Head of Marketing/Digital; this could mean having another member of staff to keep your responsibilities less ‘hands on’ and more strategic, which will benefit your career moving forward.
3. If neither of these are an option, focus on the aspects of your job you can measure. Remember justifying a marketing & digital role in the current market is all about proving ROI, so if it can’t be measured and senior management don’t consider it fundamental to the business don’t make it your number 1 priority.
If you feel this blog rings true in your career currently, feel free to get in touch for confidential support and advice. will.thomas@proximityrecruitment.net or 0330 113 1498.
