You're applying for jobs that look right, you've got relevant marketing experience and you're ready for your next move. But your inbox remains stubbornly quiet.
It's frustrating, particularly when you know you're capable of doing the job. So what's going wrong?
At Tarsh & Partners, we see how candidates present themselves to employers every day. And sometimes, the issue isn't a lack of ability or ambition. It's a gap between the experience a candidate offers and what a business needs.
In FMCG, that distinction can matter more than you might expect. Here's our honest advice on what could be holding you back, and what you can do about it.
You may have built successful brands, developed impressive campaigns and delivered strong commercial results overseas. But the UK has its own retail landscape, consumer behaviours, competitive dynamics and routes to market. Experience in one country doesn't automatically equip you to navigate another.
For FMCG roles, that local knowledge can be particularly important. Employers may be looking for someone who already understands the UK grocery retailers, category dynamics, promotional mechanics and the commercial realities of getting products onto shelves and growing sales.
There's another practical consideration, too. Many international applicants are working in the UK on time-limited post-study visas. Even when their experience is strong, employers may be unwilling to recruit someone if their right to work is temporary and they aren't prepared to consider sponsorship when that permission expires.
International experience can be valuable, but candidates sometimes overestimate how easily it translates between markets. It's a frustrating reality, but one worth understanding when planning your next move.
FMCG is a broad sector, and experience in one part of it doesn't automatically make you the right fit for another.
Food and grocery businesses operate in a particular commercial environment. Understanding categories, retailer relationships, pricing and promotions, shopper behaviour, distribution and the pressures on margins can be important, depending on the role.
If your background is in another sector, you may have excellent brand-building, innovation or digital marketing skills. Those are valuable, but an employer may still prioritise candidates who understand food and grocery and can apply that knowledge from day one.
The question is not simply whether you can 'do' marketing. It's whether you can do the marketing this particular business needs.
If you're looking to move into food and grocery, identify which of your skills transfer directly and where you need to develop your category and commercial understanding. Be prepared to explain why the move makes sense and what you can bring beyond enthusiasm for the products.
A CV can list plenty of responsibilities without giving an employer a clear picture of your impact.
Managed a brand. Worked with agencies. Supported product launches. Responsible for marketing budgets.
These statements tell an employer what your role involved, but not what you contributed.
Where possible, demonstrate the results of your work. Did you help grow a brand, improve campaign performance, launch a successful product or identify a new consumer opportunity? Can you explain your contribution to the outcome?
In FMCG, commercial awareness really matters. Employers want to understand how you connect consumer insight, brand strategy and marketing activity with business performance.
Different FMCG businesses have different priorities. One may need someone with strong innovation experience; another may be looking for category growth, brand strategy or a deeper understanding of a particular retail channel.
Read the job description carefully and identify what matters most. Bring the most relevant experience to the forefront, and make it easy for the reader to see how your background fits the brief.
You don't need to rewrite your entire CV for every vacancy. Often, it's just about tweaking the emphasis and providing clear evidence of the skills the employer needs.
Keywords can help, but simply repeating phrases from a job advert won't make up for missing experience. The aim is to communicate a genuine fit, not just to match the wording.
It's natural to be ambitious, particularly when you're ready for a change. But a job title or salary alone won't tell you whether a role is the right next step.
Look closely at the essential requirements. Does the employer need specific category experience, a track record of launching products, responsibility for significant budgets or experience working with UK grocery retailers?
If you're missing several core requirements, your application may struggle to progress, even if you have other strengths.
Equally, don't rule yourself out because you don't tick every desirable box. Understand the difference between an essential requirement and an advantage, and consider the overall fit.
Be ambitious, but be realistic.
Online applications have their place, but they aren't the only way to explore opportunities.
Building relationships with people in your industry, speaking to relevant contacts and connecting with specialist recruiters can help you understand the market and identify roles that suit your experience.
These conversations may also help you understand what employers are looking for and where your background is most relevant. Networking won't guarantee an interview, but it can help you approach your search with greater focus.
If you're consistently applying for relevant roles without securing interviews, take a step back before sending out another batch of applications.
Look honestly at your experience, the roles you're targeting and how clearly your CV demonstrates your value. If you're trying to move into a new market or category, be realistic about the gaps and think about how you can address them.
Being a good marketer and being the right candidate for a particular FMCG role aren't always the same thing. Understanding that distinction can help you make better decisions about your next move.
At Tarsh & Partners, we believe in being candid with candidates. Sometimes a few changes to your CV or approach can make a difference. Sometimes the gap is more fundamental, and you may need to build relevant experience before making the move.
Either way, understanding where you stand is a much better starting point than sending out more applications and hoping for a different result.
Thinking about your next move in FMCG? Contact Tarsh & Partners for an honest conversation about your experience, ambitions and where you could go next.
