272: Most marketing execs are getting ghosted in 2025—but the ones doing THIS are getting callbacks

Landing Your Dream Marketing Role in the #RemoteEra

Most marketing execs are getting ghosted in 2025—but the ones scoring Director to CMO roles are doing way more. I’ll show you the exact moves that land $250K calls, even remotely.

Hi, I’m Melissa Llarena, and welcome back to the podcast. For over a decade, I’ve helped ambitious marketing executives and advertising leaders land their dream careers through my global job search coaching firm, Career Outcomes Matter, launched in 2011. I’m back, better than ever, with strategies that work right now—and today, we’re tackling how you can stand out in this cutthroat #RemoteEra or #Hybrid job market.

Let’s get real—this isn’t your average job advice. In 2025, landing those rare, high-stakes marketing roles isn’t about just sending a resume, cover letter, or even thoughtfully updating applications. It’s about outworking and out-strategizing the competition. Let me ask you something to set the stage…

Would YOU have stayed on the Titanic, knowing you had a chance to get off before the last lifeboat was filled? Hoping you’d survive icy waters isn’t smart—and neither is letting your marketing career sink when you could turn it around. You wouldn’t watch a campaign fail if you knew how to save it, right? The same goes for your career, especially in today’s #RemoteEra or #Hybrid world. As a high-performing marketer or job seeker, you’re in a race—and it’s tougher than ever to land Director-level and above roles, especially if you’re a working parent or world-class aunt eyeing flexibility.

But here’s the truth I’ve seen and helped my clients achieve: the marketers getting interviews and calls in 2025 aren’t just applying—they’re bringing market analysis, SOPs, portfolios, and 90–100 day plans that blow hiring leaders away. That’s how you prove you’re worth multiple rounds and a salary at the top end of $130K–$285K+.

Imagine cutting your job search short, writing that resignation letter, and avoiding a layoff. That’s the edge I give my clients—and I’m sharing it with you today.”

Let’s get specific—here are four high-level marketing roles I know will attract top talent in 2025, where the differentiator is the candidate who brings the goods. These are the exact deliverables I’ve helped my clients create, present, and land with, along with quick pro tips based on what impresses hiring leaders:

• Headspace - Principal Brand Strategist, $130K–$183K base: Bring a one-page analysis of the mental health ecosystem—why Headspace beats Calm or other apps—and show how branding creates a utilization halo effect.
• Director of Marketing, Advisory Practice at Acquisition.com, Las Vegas, NV (Hybrid), $150K–$180K base: Prove you can lead with praise, not punishment, and explain how you’d contribute to Alex’s $1B-plus vision in 36 months or less.
• SVP, Marketing Enablement at Warner Music Group, $210K–$285K base: Bring a framework showing how you’d lead a full marketing service provider audit.
• Chief of Staff, Marketing at IBM (Salary not posted): Dive into CMO Clay’s vision—check his talks—and understand how McKinsey trains leaders, since you’ll likely compete with McKinsey alums or IBM insiders.

*All roles can be found on LinkedIn. They are live as of March 3rd, 2025.*

These moves are what’s working now to land $285K calls, even