How to Market Yourself to Find Your Next Role: Honest Reflections from a Senior Marketer on Changing Marketing Roles

Episode 167 with guest Mays Elansari, Marketing Director at Wasabi  The last in our mini-series on how marketing roles are changing, this episode is a little different as we hear directly from a senior marketer who has recently been looking for - and secured – an exciting new role. But the journey was not easy and we explore with refreshing honesty about what it feels like to suddenly find yourself without a role, reframing your mindset, treating yourself like a brand and how saying yes (to events, to LinkedIn, to new connections) creates visibility that ultimately led to not one but two new opportunities.    Joining Abby is Mays Elansari, Marketing Director at Wasabi, the sushi and bento brand with ambitious growth plans across the UK. A self-described generalist marketeer, Mays brings a wealth of experience across hospitality, QSR and FMCG, having held senior roles at Subway, Penhaligon's and Stonegate, and earlier in her career at BBDO and McCann Erickson.     Key takeaways  The scope of marketing leadership has never been broader… From commercial accountability and data and insight to AI, tech and creativity, the breadth and expectations of what a senior marketer is expected to own has expanded significantly.  The unicorn brief… Are hiring managers are holding out for candidates who tick every single box? Mays and Abby discuss why this risks recycling the same thinking and why transferable experience and fresh perspective are often more valuable than sector-specific credentials.  The power of mindset… Mays reflects openly about finding herself in unfamiliar territory for the first time in her career outside of her control but harnessing the power to control her own mindset.  We need to market ourselves… Mays made a deliberate decision to treat herself like a brand: defining her value, owning her narrative and showing up consistently.   Invest in your network before you need it… Building a genuine community of peers, mentors and industry contacts isn't a nice-to-have but how most senior marketing roles are actually filled.     00:00 — Welcome to the Whole Marketer Podcast  02:40 — What Is the Role of Marketing Leadership Today? 04:12 — How the Scope of Marketing Has Fundamentally Changed 05:49 — How the Senior Seat at the Table Is Shifting 07:24 — Why Senior Marketing Roles Are Disappearing 09:35 — The Unicorn Brief 12:56 — Are We Setting Marketing Leaders Up to Fail? 14:42 — The Case for Transferable Experience Over Sector Credentials 16:09 — Mays's First-Hand Experience of the Job Market 18:28 — Why Most Senior Roles Are Filled Through Relationships 19:34 — Why Your Circle Matters More Than You Think 22:16 — Finding Herself Out of Work for the First Time 24:31 — Saying Yes... How the Queen of Events Was Born 26:59 — Sharing the Journey and Why Vulnerability Matters 27:49 — The Emotional Reality Nobody Talks About Enough 29:33 — Finding the Job Search Strategy That Works for You 30:41 — Treat Yourself Like a Brand and Invest in Yourself Before You Need To 33:15 — Building Your Own Brand Positioning 34:17 — Let Go of What You Can't Control 35:24 — Career High and Grows 36:54 — Mays's Advice For Marketers of Tomorrow   Resources  The Whole Marketer 'Define your ideal role' resource – free download  https://thewholemarketer.com/resources/  The Whole Marketer 'Take the reins of your career' resource – free download  https://thewholemarketer.com/resources/     Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailcdixon/  Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayselansari/    About The Whole Marketer  The Whole Marketer podcast is here to support and empower the people behind brands and businesses with the latest technical tools, soft and leadership skills and personal understanding for a fulfilling marketing career and life as a whole.   Did you know The Whole Marketer is more than a podcast and book? We're your trusted partners for marketing capability and transformation, providing consultancy, training & workshops, speaking, coaching, mentoring and trusted advisory service.  Visit www.thewholemarketer.com to see how we support leaders to build successful and fulfilled marketing teams with the holistic skills to lead the long-term commercial agenda and deliver the true potential of marketing.    Contact [email protected] to get in touch with Abby and the team