Category manager to marketing manager
A category manager already meets 54% of what the marketing manager role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
62.8/ 100
1 How much of what a marketing manager is expected to do is already part of a category manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the marketing manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A marketing manager role treats 32 of its required skills as things a category manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- align efforts towards business development
- analyse consumer buying trends
- analyse customer service surveys
- analyse external factors of companies
- analyse internal factors of companies
- analyse work-related written reports
What stands in the way is 11 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 42 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A marketing manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a category manager background worth leading with.
- already held evaluate marketing content information skills
- already held define measurable marketing objectives management skills
- already held perform product planning management skills
- already held identify potential markets for companies management skills
- already held integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy management skills
- already held marketing mix business, administration and law
All 42 carried skills, including the 32 the marketing manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 67 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn project management required
- still to learn services marketing required
- still to learn marketing analytics required
- still to learn marketing management required
- still to learn marketing principles required
- still to learn relationship marketing required
- optional, not held customer insight optional
- optional, not held neuromarketing techniques optional
- optional, not held sales argumentation optional
- optional, not held sales strategies optional
- optional, not held search engine optimisation optional
- optional, not held web strategy assessment optional
- optional, not held business intelligence optional
- optional, not held contract law optional
- optional, not held customer segmentation optional
- optional, not held international trade optional
- optional, not held market entry strategies optional
- optional, not held online ads campaign techniques optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
- optional, not held sales department processes optional
- optional, not held social media management optional
- optional, not held social media marketing techniques optional
- optional, not held telemarketing optional
- still to learn organise participation in local or international events required
- still to learn plan social media marketing campaigns required
- optional, not held conduct online competitive analysis optional
- optional, not held create media plan optional
- optional, not held develop business plans optional
- optional, not held manage content development projects optional
- optional, not held set sales goals optional
- optional, not held supervise sales activities optional
- optional, not held analyse data about clients optional
- optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
- optional, not held coordinate events optional
- optional, not held identify market niches optional
- optional, not held manage accounts optional
- optional, not held manage distribution channels optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held manage the handling of promotional materials optional
- optional, not held plan events optional
- optional, not held prepare exhibition marketing plan optional
- optional, not held use theoretical marketing models optional
- still to learn analyse business plans required
- still to learn evaluate advertising campaign required
- optional, not held carry out sales analysis optional
- optional, not held estimate profitability optional
- optional, not held forecast sales over periods of time optional
- optional, not held use analytics for commercial purposes optional
- still to learn implement marketing strategies required
- optional, not held develop online community plan optional
- optional, not held implement sales strategies optional
- optional, not held promote event optional
- optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
- optional, not held approve advertising campaign optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held conduct mobile marketing optional
- optional, not held liaise with advertising agencies optional
- optional, not held liaise with distribution channel managers optional
- optional, not held liaise with managers optional
- optional, not held e-commerce systems optional
- optional, not held information confidentiality optional
- optional, not held keywords in digital content optional
- optional, not held web analytics optional
- optional, not held conduct search engine optimisation optional
- optional, not held use content management system software optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a marketing manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 organise participation in local or international events practise this
- 02 plan social media marketing campaigns practise this
- 03 project management study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 42 skills that carry over
- already held align efforts towards business development skill
- already held analyse consumer buying trends skill
- already held analyse customer service surveys skill
- already held analyse external factors of companies skill
- already held analyse internal factors of companies skill
- already held analyse work-related written reports skill
- already held apply strategic thinking skill
- already held brand marketing techniques knowledge
- already held channel marketing knowledge
- already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
- already held content marketing strategy knowledge
- already held coordinate marketing plan actions skill
- already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
- already held create annual marketing budget skill
- already held define measurable marketing objectives skill
- already held evaluate marketing content skill
- already held identify potential markets for companies skill
- already held impart business plans to collaborators skill
- already held integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy skill
- already held integrate strategic foundation in daily performance skill
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held manage profitability skill
- already held market pricing knowledge
- already held market research knowledge
- already held marketing mix knowledge
- already held perform market research skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held plan marketing campaigns skill
- already held plan marketing strategy skill
- already held pricing strategies knowledge
- already held study sales levels of products skill
- already held track key performance indicators skill
- already held communication principles knowledge
- already held cost management knowledge
- already held ensure client orientation skill
- already held ensure cross-department cooperation skill
- already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- already held negotiate sales contracts skill
- already held perform multiple tasks at the same time skill
- already held perform product planning skill
- already held teamwork principles knowledge
- already held use different communication channels skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held content development processes optional
- optional, not held statistics optional
56 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held carry out sales analysis optional
- optional, not held conduct online competitive analysis optional
- optional, not held create media plan optional
- optional, not held customer insight optional
- optional, not held develop business plans optional
- optional, not held develop online community plan optional
- optional, not held e-commerce systems optional
- optional, not held implement sales strategies optional
- optional, not held information confidentiality optional
- optional, not held keywords in digital content optional
- optional, not held manage content development projects optional
- optional, not held neuromarketing techniques optional
- optional, not held promote event optional
- optional, not held sales argumentation optional
- optional, not held sales strategies optional
- optional, not held search engine optimisation optional
- optional, not held set sales goals optional
- optional, not held supervise sales activities optional
- optional, not held web strategy assessment optional
- optional, not held analyse data about clients optional
- optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
- optional, not held approve advertising campaign optional
- optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
- optional, not held business intelligence optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held conduct mobile marketing optional
- optional, not held conduct search engine optimisation optional
- optional, not held content development processes optional
- optional, not held contract law optional
- optional, not held coordinate events optional
- optional, not held customer segmentation optional
- optional, not held estimate profitability optional
- optional, not held forecast sales over periods of time optional
- optional, not held identify market niches optional
- optional, not held international trade optional
- optional, not held liaise with advertising agencies optional
- optional, not held liaise with distribution channel managers optional
- optional, not held liaise with managers optional
- optional, not held manage accounts optional
- optional, not held manage distribution channels optional
16 further entries not listed here
16 held skills the marketing manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role abide by business ethical code of conducts skill
- not needed by the target role company policies knowledge
- not needed by the target role conflict management knowledge
- not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role develop product design skill
- not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
- not needed by the target role employment law knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role inspect data skill
- not needed by the target role manage inventory skill
- not needed by the target role market participants knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform risk analysis skill
- not needed by the target role report accounts of the professional activity skill
- not needed by the target role select optimal distribution channel skill
- not needed by the target role store design layout knowledge
29 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn project management required
- still to learn services marketing required
- still to learn marketing analytics required
- still to learn marketing management required
- still to learn marketing principles required
- still to learn relationship marketing required
- optional, not held customer insight optional
- optional, not held e-commerce systems optional
- optional, not held information confidentiality optional
- optional, not held keywords in digital content optional
- optional, not held neuromarketing techniques optional
- optional, not held sales argumentation optional
- optional, not held sales strategies optional
- optional, not held search engine optimisation optional
- optional, not held web strategy assessment optional
- optional, not held business intelligence optional
- optional, not held content development processes optional
- optional, not held contract law optional
- optional, not held customer segmentation optional
- optional, not held international trade optional
- optional, not held market entry strategies optional
- optional, not held online ads campaign techniques optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
- optional, not held sales department processes optional
- optional, not held social media management optional
- optional, not held social media marketing techniques optional
- optional, not held statistics optional
- optional, not held telemarketing optional
- optional, not held web analytics optional
Common questions about this move
Can a category manager become a marketing manager?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A category manager already covers 54% of what a marketing manager is expected to do: 42 skills carry over, 32 of which the marketing manager role treats as required.
What skills does a category manager need to become a marketing manager?
11 required skills are missing, plus 56 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by business, administration and law. The single most important is organise participation in local or international events.
How hard is the move from category manager to marketing manager?
Its learning distance is 62.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.