Digital skills in demand: We ask ecommerce veteran Russell Gould how to stand out in the jobs market

It’s an interesting time in marketing and ecommerce – there are positive signs in the form of rising ad budgets, and the likes of Unilever, Spotify and Nestlé are increasing marketing spend.

On the other hand, redundancies have slackened the jobs market (“still horrible” according to one senior marketer back in May), even if there seems a demand for new skills (AI) and some skills gaps continue to persist (data).

As the industry looks for green shoots, it’s a good time to reflect on the skills in demand, how this has changed over the last few years, and which sectors are still ripe for digital transformation.

We put these questions to Russell Gould – veteran of ecommerce leadership at the likes of Thomas Cook, Homeserve and Bradford & Bingley, who has launched digital businesses in fintech and proptech, and is now advising on growth.

Econsultancy: How would you advise a marketer or a digital professional to stand out in the current jobs market?

Russell Gould: This is an interesting question to answer – having recently wound up my latest venture I am potentially exploring this path myself!

The market has been odd over the last 24 months with the post-COVID impact, a lack of money in the VC world, and turmoil in the political landscape creating a lot of uncertainty. This has made the recruitment space difficult. There have been many redundancies, many new ventures have run out of runway and shut down, and for the first time in many years, there has possibly been an abundance of digitally skilled expertise looking for new roles. It has been a real struggle for many.

On a more positive note, with the recent change of government (like it or not, change always drives growth) and new money starting to come into new ventures, there are signs of green shoots! Especially in the start-up arena. I think this will continue to build and have a positive impact on the digital and marketing job market.

If you want to stand out, build your network. Attend industry conferences, webinars, and events to connect with other professionals. Make sure you introduce yourself, ask questions, and provide opinions. Reach out to people you know and let them know you are looking. These connections can lead to valuable job referrals and opportunities that aren’t publicly advertised.

For the first time in many years, there has possibly been an abundance of digitally skilled expertise looking for new roles. It has been a real struggle for many.

Don’t underestimate the power of a strong personal brand. Use social media, particularly LinkedIn, to share your insights, write articles, and engage with industry leaders. A robust online presence can set you apart and attract job opportunities.

Continuous learning is crucial. Earning certifications from respected platforms like Econsultancy, Google, HubSpot, or AWS, and staying updated with the latest industry trends shows your commitment and keeps your skills sharp. Additionally, mastering essential digital tools and platforms such as Google Analytics, Tableau, and various CRM systems can significantly enhance your value to any team.

Most recruiters are somewhat overwhelmed with the number of applications for each role, and will only put forward people who are already doing the exact same role elsewhere. Unfortunately, AI will not help the situation here! Ensure that you hone your specialist skills and focus on areas that are in demand (or will be in demand). Reformat your CV as appropriate so this part stands out. Once you have the role, you can branch out, but getting in is the tricky part.

E: What skills do you think are most useful in a digital team in 2024?

RG: I think anyone operating in digital and marketing must upskill themselves on AI and the technology advances this provides across the digital marketing landscape. They don’t need to be first to market with AI but they do need to understand what is changing and where the opportunities lie.

Many organisations have pockets of AI related trials happening in admin, operations, HR, marketing and data teams. These trials need to be coordinated and pulled into a more holistic and comprehensive AI transformation strategy and this is where the real expertise will be important – those people with experience of innovation around ecommerce, digital marketing, mobile tech and to some degree digital transformation will be critical to successful AI integrations and to make sure money is spent on the right things and in the right places.

Continuous learning is crucial.

AI is moving the needle very quickly, and those in the digital marketing and management fields will need to embrace new skillsets in order to navigate complexity. They will also need to take a more entrepreneurial approach to innovation and utilizing AI tools.

Salesforce UK&I CTO on the genAI upskilling challenge facing businesses

E: What are the most surprising/valuable skills you have seen commodified over the last decade?

RG: Having run teams across multiple jurisdictions including London, Israel, Kiev, South Africa, Dublin, Europe, and the USA, the ability to adopt remote management strategies and frequent travel were key. However, the pandemic accelerated the need for remote collaboration skills and tools. Proficiency with tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack has become essential for effective remote work. This shift, I believe, is one of the positive outcomes of the COVID period and would not have happened so quickly otherwise. In the start-up world it was how we played and it was a competitive advantage but now this has become mainstream and corporates have the same capability.

And back to AI, building a digital commercial lender taught me a lot about the expertise and skillset required for delivering advanced data science and machine learning. Open-source frameworks and cloud-based AI services have democratised these technologies, making them accessible to businesses of all sizes, especially those with access to vast data pools.

AI is moving the needle very quickly, and those in the digital marketing and management fields will need to embrace new skillsets in order to navigate complexity.

The speed of this evolution is both fascinating and somewhat frightening for late adopters!

E: Which are the sectors where you see most opportunity still to be gained in optimising digital/customer experiences?

RG: While many sectors have potential, a few stand out as particularly ripe for change.

Education – The education sector is a prime candidate for digital transformation and optimisation. EdTech is attracting significant investment, and these technologies can enhance engagement and address individual educational needs, leading to better outcomes. The sector is currently grappling with how to optimize for AI without negatively impacting individual learning experiences. Preventing students form ‘cheating’ with AI is also a core focus and an area to watch! Used the right way, AI will enhance education massively and speed up learning.

Financial Services – Much of my career has been in financial services, and I see the banking and insurance sectors as ripe for further optimisation through AI implementation and digital improvement. The challenge for many organisations in this sector lies in their size and regulatory constraints, making agility and responsiveness difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. However, innovative players like Revolut and Monzo have revolutionised personal banking.

New entrants like Griffin Bank, which I was involved with, are set to deliver banking as a service, potentially changing the dynamics of the banking industry once again and enhancing how non-banking businesses serve their client’s needs. AI will speed up the route to market and allow more start-ups to take on the incumbents, so it is important that they explore, innovate, and test in order to retain their competitive positions.

Digital skills benchmarking: Which industries are still closing the gap?

Retirement Sector –  The retirement sector is also ripe for optimisation. As our aging population becomes more tech-savvy, there will be increased demand for improved retirement and financial services. Managing money through retirement is a vastly untapped market that is likely to become a focus for start-ups and existing corporations in the coming years. Improving security and customer service will be essential.

Healthcare – The healthcare sector has immense potential for digital transformation and optimisation. Take the NHS, for example. Despite the brilliant work by its staff, they often battle with outdated and cumbersome technology. Enhancing patient care, streamlining operations, and reducing costs through digital optimisation present massive opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth, but there’s still significant room for improvement. Integrating AI and big data to predict patient needs and improve outcomes, along with telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and personalised patient portals, will continue to revolutionise healthcare delivery.