The new year is here, and the ever-changing demands of the marketing field mean certain traits are in high demand among marketing professionals. Here are eight traits companies will be looking for in their top marketing talent and how to cultivate them:

Observation

Top marketing professionals are keenly observant. They enjoy watching people and market trends to understand what makes them tick. Practice your observation skills during the holidays and take a fun break by integrating some people-watching into your shopping and preparation routine.

Curiosity

Marketers always want to know why. Why do people respond in certain ways? Why do they like or dislike certain colors, sounds, ideas, other people? Practice curiosity by making it a habit to respond to events in your life with, “Why?”

Courage

Great marketing professionals are never afraid to try something new – and in medical industries, “new” happens at a breakneck pace. Fortunately, courage is a skill: You can practice it by asking, “What do I want here that is more important to me than being nervous?” Then focus on that goal – not your fear.

Practice

Top professionals in every field make professional development, research and learning one of their top passions. For marketers in fast-paced fields like biotech, this passion is consistently rewarded with access to new information and ideas. Schedule some time each day simply to read, learn and dream.

Honesty

Many marketing professionals love strategy – and they aren’t afraid to say so. They’ll tell you what they see on the horizon and what they recommend as a result. Even speaking up about trivial things can help you build the kind of blunt honesty that will be essential to strong marketing in a booming economy.

Involvement

Curious, observant marketing professionals tend to be highly involved in their communities. Involvement is a particularly in-demand trait in medical fields, where building human connections is essential to communicating details and meeting challenges.

Self-Awareness

One of the most in-demand traits for sales and marketing professionals is a sense not only of their own achievements, but also of their own shortcomings. Practice this skill by taking an honest look at your weaknesses. Set defensiveness aside – instead, say to yourself, “How can I be more effective here?”

Accountability

Great marketers won’t promise what they can’t deliver, so they hold themselves to high standards of accountability. They embrace data and reporting because they know it’s the best way to back up their own intuitions and projects – and they encourage others to do the same.

What’s the best way to leverage your own strengths on the job search? Work with a recruiter! At SMR Group Ltd, our recruiting partners specialize in connecting marketing professionals to some of the best available jobs in the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Contact us today to learn more.