Table 1Transition record

marketing managertocategory manager

A marketing manager already meets 76% of what the category manager role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From marketing manager

76%

Overlap1

To category manager

42 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

36.7 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 36.7

This move: 36.7 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the category manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the marketing manager profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 42 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A category manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a marketing manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

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 37 the category manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 16 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 business, administration and law 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held company policies required
required, not held conflict management required
required, not held consumer goods industry required
required, not held market participants required

optional, not held employment law optional

02 management skills 3 required

required, not held manage inventory required
required, not held identify suppliers required
required, not held select optimal distribution channel required

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held develop product design required

optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
optional, not held develop professional network optional

04 information skills 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held perform risk analysis required

optional, not held report accounts of the professional activity optional
optional, not held inspect data optional

05 arts and humanities 1 required

required, not held store design layout required

06 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held abide by business ethical code of conducts optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a category manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 42 skills that carry over

Skill Type

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 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 cost management knowledge
already held create annual marketing budget skill
already held define measurable marketing objectives skill
already held ensure client orientation 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 maintain relationship with suppliers 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 negotiate sales contracts skill
already held perform market research skill
already held perform multiple tasks at the same time skill
already held perform product planning 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 brand marketing techniques knowledge
already held communication principles knowledge
already held ensure cross-department cooperation skill
already held teamwork principles knowledge
already held use different communication channels skill

6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held abide by business ethical code of conducts optional
optional, not held report accounts of the professional activity optional
optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
optional, not held develop professional network optional
optional, not held employment law optional
optional, not held inspect data optional

67 held skills the category manager role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role analyse business plans skill
not needed by the target role analyse data about clients skill
not needed by the target role apply social media marketing skill
not needed by the target role approve advertising campaign skill
not needed by the target role assist in developing marketing campaigns skill
not needed by the target role business intelligence knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out sales analysis skill
not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
not needed by the target role conduct mobile marketing skill
not needed by the target role conduct online competitive analysis skill
not needed by the target role conduct search engine optimisation skill
not needed by the target role content development processes knowledge
not needed by the target role contract law knowledge
not needed by the target role coordinate events skill
not needed by the target role create media plan skill
not needed by the target role customer insight knowledge
not needed by the target role customer segmentation knowledge
not needed by the target role develop business plans skill
not needed by the target role develop online community plan skill
not needed by the target role e-commerce systems knowledge
not needed by the target role estimate profitability skill
not needed by the target role evaluate advertising campaign skill
not needed by the target role forecast sales over periods of time skill
not needed by the target role identify market niches skill
not needed by the target role implement marketing strategies skill
not needed by the target role implement sales strategies skill
not needed by the target role information confidentiality knowledge
not needed by the target role international trade knowledge
not needed by the target role keywords in digital content knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with advertising agencies skill
not needed by the target role liaise with distribution channel managers skill
not needed by the target role liaise with managers skill
not needed by the target role manage accounts skill
not needed by the target role manage content development projects skill
not needed by the target role manage distribution channels skill
not needed by the target role manage staff skill
not needed by the target role manage the handling of promotional materials skill
not needed by the target role market entry strategies knowledge
not needed by the target role marketing analytics knowledge
not needed by the target role marketing management knowledge

27 further entries not listed here

6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held company policies required
required, not held store design layout required
required, not held conflict management required
required, not held consumer goods industry required
required, not held market participants required
optional, not held employment law optional

Index

Other moves recorded from marketing manager

Full index of moves from marketing manager

Note

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.