Marketing, goes a popular saying, is an art. An art one can master only through rigorous training and experience. Fortunately, many universities offer programs that help you to learn the required skills for marketing.
Canada is one of the most sought-after destinations in the world for marketing and business studies. With powerhouses such as Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto leading the way ahead for technological and economic growth, it is also one of the most prominent locations for jobs related to marketing and business.
Over the years, the job market in Canada has increased manifold and has been actively hiring professionals across various fields – including marketing. However, marketing positions in Canada are unlike any other. They are highly specialized and are niche players. So marketing in itself will be categorised into digital marketing, email marketing, SEO specialisation, sales, advertising, and others. This means that without a very specific set of skills, one will not be able to land their dream job in the field of marketing.
It is estimated that by 2022, more than 58% of employees will require reskilling! Marketing requires you to be really good with the way you connect with people but without the right skills, it can become very challenging. In Canada, although there are a lot of opportunities opening up, they do not have qualified individuals occupying such positions since most graduates do not possess the necessary skills required for a marketing professional. The most important skill gaps that have been identified in Canada are listed below.
- Communication skills. Without good communication skills, it is difficult to convey information about the products or services that a marketing professional is looking to provide. One will have to improve their listening, speaking, and writing skills to be able to become a good communicator.
- Understanding the needs of a consumer/ customer service. This underrated skill is especially important when it comes to identifying what works best for a customer. It is a skill that can help you to outsell your competition because everyone loves that extra bit of attention that they receive. The Canadian economy thrives on sales and customer service and therefore, it is of utmost importance that a marketing professional can interact with potential customers in an effective manner.
- Data analysis. Data analytics is important for a marketing professional since it helps to predict how a market behaves and how a product or a service fares among its competitors. However, a lack of mathematical skills makes it difficult to perform analysis on data. Therefore, it is important for those looking to land a job in the field of marketing to understand how analysis works and to learn basic mathematics.
- Digital marketing skills. Core skills such as SEO, content creation, VR/AR development, email marketing strategies, social media marketing, development, and traffic analysis are some of the key components of digital marketing.
- Market research capabilities. The ability to carry out quality research is one of the fundamental skills that a marketing professional must possess. Marketing without researching about the product, demand, customer base and the competition might spell doom for a product or service.
- The right digital skillsMost marketing jobs require you to be proficient in technical skills – particularly Microsoft Office tools! One must also be able to understand basic technical terminology that they may come across in their everyday activities. Digital marketing requires one to develop code or design interfaces that users interact with. Technical skills may also include analytical tools that can help to understand the market better.
Although these are skill gaps that are relevant to Canada’s marketing sector, they can be applied in a general sense too. Becoming a marketing professional requires the right set of skills. One must also be willing to upskill according to the demands of the market.
See also what are the skill gaps in the UK.
