Before you apply for your next role, read this: The hard truths marketers need to hear

If you’re a marketer who feels stuck in your career, it might just be time to stop lying to yourself.

As Director at Gybe Consulting, and after nearly 20 years recruiting marketers across London, Sydney and Brisbane, Cass Barker has seen countless hiring decisions play out. She knows what employers are willing to pay for, and when a candidate’s self-perception doesn’t match the market’s view.

Ahead of her session at Content Summit Australia, we spoke to Cass about the skills employers are actually prioritising, where marketers are falling short, and how a more honest self-assessment can change the trajectory of a career.

Content Summit Australia (CSA): When you look at the briefs coming across your desk right now, what skills are employers consistently looking for?

Cass Barker (CB): There are three broad areas I see again and again.

The first is digital fluency. There’s no longer a split between “I’m more digital” or “I’m more traditional”. If you don’t have experience across digital channels, you’re simply less competitive.

That includes AI. Not in a buzzword way; in a practical way. Are you using it daily? Have you embedded it into your workflow? Are you more efficient because of it?

You need to be a super-user of AI in your role. That might be ChatGPT, Copilot or another tool entirely, but you should have some form of digital agent you use every day to refine what you do and make yourself more effective.

The second is commercial awareness. Do you understand why marketing exists within your organisation? Do you understand the competitive landscape? Are you curious about what’s working in the market and why?

It’s not enough to just execute tasks. You need to see the bigger picture.

The third is interpersonal capability, and specifically self-awareness. Can you ask for feedback? Can you take it? If someone tells you you’re too abrasive, or not speaking up enough, do you reflect on that or blame everyone else?

The instinct is to react defensively. To say it’s everyone else’s fault. But that’s the moment where self-awareness matters most. You have to stop and think, “Okay, something I’m doing isn’t working. What can I do differently?”

Have a really honest look in the mirror. Maybe you are too abrasive. Maybe you need to speak up more. Maybe you are too introverted. Whatever it is, you have to take it on board and be comfortable identifying those areas for development.

If you’ve been told time and time again that you’re not very strong at people management, maybe stop pushing against that. Maybe leadership isn’t your strength.

Maybe you’re better strategically. Maybe you’re stronger on the tools as a MarTech specialist. Maybe you’re at your best as an analyst in a room solving problems rather than managing a team.

There’s this assumption that progression automatically means leading people. It doesn’t have to.

CSA: That’s such a good point. Not everyone is a leader. And if everyone is a leader, then no one is a leader. 

CB: Exactly. It’s awareness. And everyone needs it; not just marketers.

Work is personal. It’s sensitive. It’s tied up in your emotions and your identity. But the more personally you take everything, the bigger that becomes, and that’s when it starts affecting your health, your purpose, everything.

If you’re super honest about where you sit in the market and the kind of job you’re genuinely good at, life just gets easier.

CSA: You mentioned AI. How well do you think employers understand it now? Is it still the Wild West out there, or is there a better understanding of how it should be embedded into workflows? 

CB: It’s much more embedded than it was even 12 months ago.

Personally, I’ve become about 40% more productive because of AI. It’s cut down admin time dramatically. And most organisations are seeing similar gains.

We’ve moved past the “this is scary” phase. Now it’s about practical adoption. There are specialists, agencies, courses, workshops everywhere. If you’re not actively learning how to use AI effectively in your role, that’s a blind spot, and it will hold you back.

Marketing is tightly tied to technology. If you’re not on the front foot, you’ll fall behind.

CSA: What are the emerging skills that marketers don’t know they need yet? The stuff that might not be showing up on every job ad right now, but will be in a few years?

CB: One big shift is that “digital” is disappearing from job titles, because it’s assumed.

A direct marketing specialist might now be a lifecycle marketing specialist. It’s automation, CRM, EDM, digital platforms; all integrated. There’s much less of a grey area between traditional marketing and tech.

At a senior level especially, you need to understand how platforms talk to each other. If you walk into an organisation and everything’s a bit of a dog’s breakfast, you should be able to say, “Here’s how we integrate this, and here’s the business case.”

That integration mindset is becoming critical.

CSA: On the flip side, are there things marketers are putting on their CVs at the moment that don’t actually help them?

CB: I see a lot of CVs that look identical.

Some candidates are using ChatGPT to rewrite everything in a blanket way. And sometimes I can literally see my own job brief language reflected back at me.

Use AI as a starting point, sure, but tailor it. Every role I recruit for is specific. You either have the competitive skill set or you don’t. You can’t rewrite yourself into experience you haven’t had.

And yes, cover letters matter in marketing. How else are you going to stand out?

The other issue is overreach. Don’t position yourself as an events specialist if you’ve only dabbled in events. That mismatch is often why people feel frustrated. They’re applying for roles they’re not genuinely competitive for.

CSA: Once someone gets to the interview stage, what separates the ones who get the job?

CB: Preparation. Always preparation.

Treat an interview like an exam or a presentation.

It’s not enough to glance at the website. You need to look at the job description and map your experience to it. Practise answering questions out loud.

Have examples ready. Even failures. Saying, “Here’s something that didn’t go to plan and here’s what I learned” is powerful.

I can get someone in the door, but if they haven’t prepared properly, that’s where it falls apart.

CSA: If a marketer left CSA and did one thing to future-proof their career, what should it be?

CB: Get real about your strengths and your areas for development, and not just what you think they are.

Actually ask. Ask your manager. Ask someone two levels removed. Ask people across the business, “How do you perceive me?”

I did that in a previous role after I’d been there a couple of years. I had no idea how the business saw me. I thought I was doing fine.

The feedback wasn’t easy to receive. I ended up in tears more than once. It’s hard to hear someone say, “I don’t see this from you,” or “You could be doing that better.” But I took it all on board.

Some of it stung. Some of it was actually really positive, and surprising. There were things people said I was strong at that I hadn’t even realised.

Once I had all of that, I could look at it properly and say, “Right. Now I know what this is about. Now I know where I need to improve.” And then you can put a plan in place to develop further.

That’s the key. Getting really real about your strengths and weaknesses from other perspectives, not just your own.

And alongside that, keep learning. That might be a Grad Cert, a Master’s, Google or Meta courses, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, or something like Mark Ritson’s Mini MBA.

But it has to add something new, not just repeat what you already know.

Find something that gives you an edge.

Want to hear more from Cass? She’ll join the lineup at Content Summit Australia, sharing practical insights into how marketers can position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

Across two days and three dedicated content tracks at Brisbane Powerhouse, Content Summit Australia brings together marketers, strategists and creatives to talk all things content, from brand storytelling and strategy to social, video, design and audience engagement. Secure your spot now