Titles and Levels

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  1. #1

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    Titles and Levels

    Can someone explain to me the titles and levels in Marketing of HK companies.

    I am having a hard time to understand the titles structure and responsibilities of personnel working in the marketing and sales fields in HK.

    Titles such as Marketing Executive, Senior Marketing Executive, Assistant Marketing Manager, Marketing Manager, Product Manager, Senior Product Manager, Marketing Director and any others I have not included.

    It would be also good to know about the Sales side too.

    Titles are quite different to say Australia and need to determine the right person, title and responsibilities for positions I have in mind.

    Any help would be appreciated.


  2. #2

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    Don't expect to see a formal structure. 9 out of 10 "Marketing Executive" jobs advertised will be for sales, or even leaflet distributors.

    There is the Hong Kong Institute of Marketing (HKIM) which "committed itself to upgrading professional standards of marketing and raising industry awareness of the profession in Hong Kong". So there are people will formal qualifications in marketing but these are not often mentioned in ads.

    You probably know the Australian company Ambition, which also has an office here. Check its website for its salary report which will give you an idea of position titles and compensation.

    Otherwise than that, expect that titles are sometimes just that and have little to do with the actual position.


  3. #3

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    In our business we see titles all the time of Sales Executives who then promote to Sales manager! Go figure. You really have to know what organization you are dealing with as there are no standards when it comes to terminology that I can see in the lower management echelons of some companies. If a western/Euro companies the terms would be the same as in Australia, etc - I think that would be the case.

    The more multi-national or global the more traditional the titles will be. If local, regional in HK you can find sales and marketing staff at junior levels called executive.


  4. #4

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    titles can be meanless in Hong Kong, there have been cases on the other end of the scale to the non-compulsary minimium wage scheme, where traditional titles such as a security guards have been changed to a meanless title housing ambassadors and cleaners change to sanitiation officier to avoid the low pay scheme


  5. #5

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    Marketing titles can be pretty meaningless in the UK too. I remember we had Marketing directors. This was with a small d because they were not real Directors. Also we had Sales and Marketing Managers who did not manage anyone.


  6. #6

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    OK, thanks for the feedback. I got onto Ambition and it gave a salary expectation which generally should give a level of responsibility.

    The reason I ask is when i first arrived in HK a while ago I hired a 'Marketing Executive' which I expected to be a Brand Manager/Product Manager or equivelant in Australia, well I was wrong, it was more of a Marketing Co-ordinator level.

    But then interviewing people whom are Marketing Manager level and their experience and knowledge is more a Product or Brand Manager level. Go figure.

    Generally I have found that many HK'ers are after the salary and title but not the responsibility level to go with it! A general assumption I know but I get people saying it's the wrong title and declining the offer.

    Last edited by virago; 18-08-2010 at 07:05 PM.

  7. #7

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    Title inflation is all the rage everywhere. "Hygiene Engineer" = "Toilet Cleaner" etc.