The scenic route: Why marketing careers don’t go in a straight line – and why that’s a good thing

Overview

Whether you’re early in your marketing career, stepping into leadership, or wondering if your job title matches your actual role – this event is for you. Join CIM Yorkshire for an honest, energising discussion about how marketing careers really unfold today.

We’ll unpack how job titles like Head of Marketing, Marketing Director, and even CMO can mean very different things in different organisations. And we’ll explore how a blend of experience, opportunity, and lifelong learning – not always formal qualifications – often shapes the most successful careers in marketing. We’ll also tackle a common issue for business owners: the unrealistic expectations placed on in-house marketing execs or managers. It’s not unusual to see job descriptions that demand a full team’s worth of skills from a single person, with a salary that doesn’t reflect the scope or complexity of the role. If you’re hiring, or thinking about building a team, this session will help you get real about roles and responsibilities.

Why attend?

• Get clarity on what marketing job titles really mean in today’s market
• Hear from marketers who’ve made unconventional career paths work for them
• Learn how to position yourself for the role you want – not just the title you’ve got
• Build your network with marketers from all walks of career life

Discussion themes:

• Get clarity on what marketing job titles really mean in today’s market
• Hear from marketers who’ve made unconventional career paths work for them
• Learn how to position yourself for the role you want – not just the title you’ve got
• Build your network with marketers from all walks of career life
• Unpacking the job title confusion
• Are we calling ourselves the wrong thing? Head of Marketing vs Marketing Manager vs CMO: What do these really mean in practice?
• The power of experience over qualifications
• What truly matters: Academic paths, CIM training, certifications, or time in the trenches?
• Strategic career shaping in a non-linear world
• How to navigate changes, pivots and unexpected opportunities without losing direction
• Hiring and being hired
• What do employers really want from their marketing leads? How do we assess candidates beyond the CV? Why some job descriptions are setting people up to fail

The prices shown when purchasing tickets are ex-VAT. When you get to the checkout page the VAT will then be added to the price. Light refreshments are included in the price of the ticket.

The event is kindly sponsored by Met Marketing. 

On the day

Registration and networking is from 17:30, with the event starting at 18:00 and finishing at 19:30. 

For those on our CPD programme, by attending this event you can claim the following credits:

CPD category: General business skills
CPD duration: 1 hour