IDM Professional Skills Census

Which skills are most relevant to marketers? And which ones will be tomorrow? Read the IDM's Professional Skills Census to find out.

"Analysing customer and data insight is an important aspect of my job, but I feel like it will be fundamental for my future - I should work harder on it".

Sound familiar? What similar statements have you heard from your colleagues? How many of them think the same way? What can organisations do to reinforce their employees' confidence?

You'll find many of the answers in the IDM Professional Skills Census 2018, created in partnership with Smart Insight.

Investigating 33 skills, grouped into five categories - Content/Creative, Data, Direct/Digital, Management and Strategy/Planning - we asked marketers what skills they use day-to-day as well as those needed to progress their careers.

These are just a few of the findings:

• 27 of the 33 skills show a 'gap', meaning that marketers anticipate having to use a wider portfolio of competencies and keep updating their existing skills to advance their careers.
• The biggest skills gap is in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (25%). Future opportunities to apply AI solutions to the marketing environment mean it is vital for marketers to develop their knowledge.
• Investing in training pays off for both employers and employees. The majority of respondents applied their new skills in their current workplaces, with less than a quarter (23%) taking them elsewhere. 58% of those who received training said they received greater recognition in their organisation, with 28% getting a promotion.

Download the IDM Professional Skills Census 2018