Though marketing positions might have been cut during leaner times, many companies now are looking to these professionals to come up with new approaches to help jump start business.
"They're looking to pick up new clients, new business, new accounts, to help turn around the business," said Mark Millman, president of Millman Search Group, a national search firm based in Owings Mills.
At Stephen James Associates in Baltimore, which specializes in placing mid- to senior-level managers, executive Kay Calivas said she has seen growth in e-commerce and online marketing jobs. She said marketing directors at education-related companies and institutions also are in demand.
Blue Corona, a small Gaithersburg firm that specializes in analysis and online marketing for clients such as remodelers, plumbers and roofers who have been hammered by the downturn in the housing market, has seen growth during the recession as clients looked for ways to turn limited marketing dollars into new leads.
"My biggest problem is finding competent people to hire quick enough," said Ben Landers, Blue Corona president.
While it helps to have an in-demand special set of skills or experiences, applicants with a proven track record in marketing also will find themselves with an edge, Millman said. Employers "are not hiring inexperienced people. They can't afford to go with people who are questionable or who haven't proven themselves," he said.
But he cautions that even experienced applicants may have to lower their salary expectation in the current market and be "willing to take a step down, so to speak."
"There's a plethora of people available out of work, through no fault of their own," he said.
