Whether you went to school and studied business, or if you attended university and studied marketing, marketing will forever be considered a ‘glamourous’ industry to work in. One of the reasons why marketing is considered so attractive is that people can choose their career path. It’s not as black and white as a profession like dentistry or accountancy. Individuals have the autonomy to determine their career paths. The purpose of this blog is to look at the different avenues available within marketing, from freelancing for clients to in-house marketing, and finally exploring what it is like to work within an agency. Let’s get started, shall we?
The freelance industry has exploded since the start of the pandemic. According to recent research by ipse, in 2020 almost 2.2 million people were working in the UK as freelancers. Now, we don’t know about you, but we think this is a pretty significant statistic! If nothing else, it points to the fact that the landscape of the job market is changing. Whether you are just starting your career, or have been working for many years, freelancing is definitely worth considering. Before we go any further we should probably explain what freelance work involves.
What does being a freelancer involve?
As a marketing freelancer, you’re responsible, for finding your work and for managing your taxes and expenses. You ultimately run your own small business. Some freelancers expand their businesses, to take on other freelancers or virtual assistants to manage their workload. There are many roles available within the freelance marketing industry, see a couple listed below.
- Copywriter: This is where you write copy for your clients. This could be copy for their websites, social media content, blogs, or email marketing.
- PPC Advertising: This is a more specialised field of freelance marketing. This involves having a deep understanding of Google’s advertising platform and Google’s analytics tool.
Of course, working for yourself does come with a lot of perks, but it also comes with a lot of additional stressors. As a freelancer, you are responsible for finding work, you are responsible for managing your time, client work and keeping your clients happy as they could drop you very easily if they’re not satisfied. This working style is not for the faint-hearted, which is why most people tend to prefer working in-house in a marketing role for a company. How does this differ – let’s unpack the role below!
Working in-house for a company
To quote our dear friend Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 anthem: “folks like me working 9 to 5”, this is probably the most common role someone can have within marketing. This generally involves reporting to a line manager or department head, creating marketing that works towards achieving the company’s overall business objectives. Doesn’t sound too bad right? The company will provide you with your salary, they will sort tax out for you, and you get benefits like paid holidays, sick leave and pension support. You may be reading this and thinking: “what’s the downside?” Although the 9-to-5 role does come with a level of guaranteed security and stability, creativity can be squashed. It’s your responsibility to meet deadlines and KPIs and work towards achieving the company’s overall goals and objectives.
Companies are often guilty of delegating marketing tasks to sales teams, to keep costs down. Furthermore, in the case of a recession, marketing spend is often one of the first things to be cut (Harvard Business Review).
So, although an in-house marketing role does come with perks, for someone who craves more variety in their role, a marketing role within a digital agency may be a better proposition. Not that we’re biased or anything…
The benefits of working for an agency
Working for an agency has many unique advantages. Agency employees get all the benefits of working in-house; they receive a salary, paid holiday, sick leave, but they also get the added benefit of increased variety in their day-to-day roles. Working for an agency ensures that you get to work across different industries, sectors, and build relationships with a variety of different clients. Want to work for an agency? Check out some of the current job opportunities at Ape Technology Solutions here.
Do you still need convincing that working for an agency is the way to go? Here are the top three reasons why we think you should apply to join the team at Ape Technology Solutions:
Number one: Our clients are awesome!
At Ape Technology Solutions, we look to work with clients with similar values, goals and ethics to our own. We are lucky enough to work with a large variety of clients, from large organisations like Acas and Red Training and Consultancy to smaller, family-run businesses like Saxon Cleaning Services. No two days are the same. One day we could be focusing on content creation for a client’s social media channels, and another day we could be focused on helping our clients host a webinar. The variety is one of the major selling points of an agency role. Every day, we get to come to work and genuinely add value to our clients. This is something quite special and certainly delivers significant job satisfaction.
Number two: We’re rapidly growing
In the last year, we have worked with over 50 organisations on website design, marketing campaigns, ad management and more. Our client base continues to expand, and that means the nature of our roles evolve.
So, what qualities or attributes are important for an employee working for an agency?
You’ll need to be someone who can roll up your sleeves and get involved with all areas of business. With this required adaptability, there are also many opportunities for you to carve out your ideal career path. Say you’re particularly interested in advertising; in agency work, there are more opportunities to work within the areas that interest you the most.
Number three: We are all for flexible working
Has the last year got you used to working unusual hours? Does the thought of having to wake up at 6:30 am and drag yourself onto a busy train make you break out in hives? Don’t worry friends, we may have a solution for you. Since our agency was founded during the pandemic, we have blended remote and in-office working.
If the last year has shed light on anything, it’s the fact that employers need to be flexible with their workers. At Ape Technology Solutions, we will continue to facilitate remote working, through conducting virtual meetings and giving our employees the equipment and support they need to be able to carry out their work.
If you’re reading this and thinking: “this sounds great, where do I sign up?!” We’ve made it easy for you. Click here to start your agency adventure.
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