Hiring managers across industries are finding it difficult to hire qualified digital marketers, with the use of AI tools emerging as the technical skill most frequently missing from candidates’ resumes, according to a new report by the Digital Marketing Sector Council (DMSC).
The Digital Marketing Skills Gap Survey, which surveyed nearly 100 stakeholders across various sectors including technology, financial services, and engineering, revealed that 56 percent of employers find it extremely difficult to recruit qualified digital marketers due to a lack of suitable candidates.
“Ultimately, employers want to know if you can take what they give you and help achieve their goals.”
Chris Penner, DMSC Operations Manager
As digital marketing becomes increasingly vital for businesses of all sizes, the DMSC report was created to identify key skills gaps and specific expertise sought by employers.
The top three technical skills prioritized by hiring managers—organic social media management, paid social media advertising, and search engine optimization—are also the skills most commonly found on resumes.
But while this bodes well for job seekers, other critical skills are notably absent.
Almost 30 per cent of employers identified “influencer management” as a skill commonly missed on resumes. Given the growing consumer reliance on influencer recommendations, the report suggests candidates should gain experience managing influencer relationships to remain competitive.
The top technical skill found to be missing on resumes is “utilization of AI tools” (32.26 percent). This directly reflects the increasing importance of AI in digital marketing, as highlighted by the McKinsey Global Survey showing 65 percent of companies already regularly use generative AI. Job seekers who want to stand out should not only list their AI skills but also consider formal training to deepen their expertise.
In fact, education remains a considerable factor in hiring decisions, even as expertise shifts rapidly.
The Digital Marketing Skills Gap Survey found that nearly 69 percent of hiring managers view a bachelor’s degree as a requirement, and fewer than half (49.46 percent) recognize industry certifications as sufficient qualifications.
Chris Penner, Operations Manager at the DMSC, suggests this reliance on conventional education may be hindering the hiring process.
“When it comes to digital marketing, those technical skills where you’re going to be able to optimize the backend of the website for search engines, launch a retargeting meta ads campaign, those practical lessons are not in traditional forms of education,” he said.
To address these issues, the report recommends that employers prioritize skills over traditional education. By recognizing certifications, such as Jelly Academy’s Digital Marketing Bootcamp or Brainstation, businesses can better attract and retain top digital marketing talent while staying competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. Other recommendations include offering remote positions to expand the talent pool, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
These changes can help the urgent issues employers face in hiring digital marketers. More than half (57.41 percent) of survey respondents said they struggle with a lack of qualified candidates, while 33.33 percent noted difficulty finding local talent for in-office roles. Additionally, 25.93 percent reported a shortage of skilled employees within their teams to train and onboard new hires.
For digital marketing candidates looking to stand out to employers, Penner suggests focusing on highlighting measurable results on resumes.
“Everyone that applied for a job can say ‘I managed social media’. What about that social media management did you do that was unique, how did you develop the strategy, what did it look like, and what were the results?” he said. “Ultimately, employers want to know if you can take what they give you and help achieve their goals.”
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Feature image courtesy Melanie Deziel via Unsplash / BetaKit.