Satisfaction with Knowledge and Competencies: A Multi-Country Study of Employers and Business Graduates

This study of job advertisements extends our understanding of how employers, rather than researchers, describe the specific skills and attributes sought in candidates for employment in graduate marketing roles in Australia. The paper presents the findings of a content analysis of 359 marketing job advertisements downloaded in 2016, in two periods six months apart, from the dominant job finding website in Australia, seek.com.au. This data offers detailed primary records authored by employers, and sets the research apart from most studies, which rely on generic variables imposed by academics, despite the mooted gap between academia and the business sector. The most demanded attributes included motivation, time management, communication skills, and digital marketing experience. This raises questions about the purpose of a degree, and whether marketing curricula are fit for purpose. The paper explores these findings and other preconditions for being "work-ready", and the study contributes to the underdeveloped employability research from Australia.

show abstract

Digital marketing employability skills in job advertisements – must-have soft skills for entry level workers: A content analysis

Kovács¹,

Zarandne²

2022

Economics &Amp; Sociology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of the study is to explore the employers' demands for personal skills in graduate and junior positions in the field of digital marketing. The research summarizes the review of academic literature on transferable soft skills, focusing on the digital marketing sector. Job requirements in digital marketing related to graduate and junior employability skills are studied for the following occupations: junior digital marketing manager, social media manager and digital marketing manager assistant. The article presents the findings of a content analysis of 5548 digital marketing job advertisements downloaded in February 2021, in a period of one month, from the top five job finding websites in Hungary. The authors’ classification framework includes a core set of relevant skills and competences that can be used to conduct the assessment. Thirty-one most frequently mentioned soft and hard skill categories are grouped into five main categories and analyzed with quantitative methods. Within the scope of the study, an occurrence frequency analysis is conducted in job advertisement texts and the data is analyzed with descriptive statistical methods. Moreover, the findings cover the importance of foreign language knowledge and software knowledge as they appear in job ads. The differences between foreign and multinational companies’ soft skill requirements are still under examination. The data show that, while hard skills in job advertisements are still dominant, soft skills are also emphasized in the field of digital marketing. In analyzing the results, the authors look at what employers focus on when searching for graduate students and employees for junior positions. The academic and practical implications of the study are useful for further research, as it presents a collection of essential digital marketing employability skills.

show abstract

Satisfaction with Knowledge and Competencies: A Multi-Country Study of Employers and Business Graduates

Cited by 7 publications

References 45 publications

Small Is Beautiful – How a Young University Can Successfully Establish University Partnerships – The Case of FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences

Small Is Beautiful – How a Young University Can Successfully Establish University Partnerships – The Case of FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences

The Employers’ View of “Work-Ready” Graduates: A Study of Advertisements for Marketing Jobs in Australia

Digital marketing employability skills in job advertisements – must-have soft skills for entry level workers: A content analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About