Working within the Consumer Market, I deal with great candidates on a daily basis, either looking to move from Agency to Client Side, or Client Side to Agency.
Whilst here at PIE we recruit purely Client Side roles across FMCG, there is definitely a crossover and skills can be transferred across to either. (In fact, we've just been voted 'Best Client Side Recruiter' by The Marketing & Digital Recruitment Awards!)
Yes, sometimes it's harder to come from a Category Management Agency Background into a Client Side position, but it's doable and even more so with Shopper Marketing & Customer Marketing positions.
This is a really insightful article, with helpful views on both.
I spent ten years of my career on the agency side, where people brought dogs to work and slippers seemed appropriate. And, currently, I’ve been on the CPG side for five years…and get excited because we can wear dark denim to sales meeting. Needless to say, the culture, the work, and the overall attitude are different. Both are rewarding, but in different ways. Agency work requires you to be on your toes every day. That kind of adrenaline rush can be awesome—your days are filled with high energy brainstorms and creative reviews, but also, lost RFPs and the devastating blow of losing AOR status. Client side is just as chaotic, but the energy is different. Your deliverables aren’t pretty pictures, but spreadsheets (and lots of them!). Your presentations are focused on driving sales growth and reporting back on key metrics.
Read the original article here