“I want to leave my Head of Growth Marketing role as I dislike my boss but I am not finding new roles easy to come by. I apply to so many jobs and hear nothing back at all, even ones where I look like an absolutely perfect fit. My 20 odd years of experience is worth something. I've had calls with head-hunters and they are nice to talk to, but I hear nothing.
I am thinking of leaving my role and just rebranding as a fractional CMO which I know you do. But, ideally I want a full-time role as I want the security and benefits. Any advice?"
Charlotte, London
Rich's Reply
I'm sorry you're itching to move but finding it tough, Charlotte.
The market for permanent senior marketing roles in 2026 is brutal. The endless AI doom narrative has marketers sitting still in their current roles out of fear, and just like the housing market, if nobody moves, everything grinds to a halt, and it takes years to get going again. When an exciting role does hit LinkedIn it's a rat race. You can refresh the page and watch the application count climb by the minute. I've heard from people whose same day email alert arrived after the posting had already closed.
That's what you're up against. It sucks. But it sucks far worse for those without a role at all.
You're doing the right things. You're applying. You're talking to head-hunters. You're using your network. You're seeking out advice. That's exactly the activity the market demands right now, so keep going. As always, I'll give you my perspective on what I'd personally recommend, but please seek other opinions too, including any comments on this reply that push back on my view.
I'll leave the boss problem to one side and focus on the bigger decision you're weighing.
You're clear you want to work somewhere else, in-house. So, I would not recommend rebranding as a fractional CMO. I don't think it's a viable interim solution for you, and I wouldn't want you to risk your income and the security you crave on something you only see as a stop-gap. I certainly wouldn't want it to divert your focus from finding the role you actually want.
And I say this having just launched 'How to become a high-performing, high income, fractional CMO'.
There's a lot of confusion over the term. A lot of people are calling themselves a Fractional CMO who probably shouldn't, mostly out of a need to put food on the table, which I will never begrudge anyone. But a fractional CMO isn't a freelancer with a better title. They are not a marketing specialist with a broader remit. Nor a marketer with a fraction of a CMO's skill set (believe it or not, I see some recruiters getting that wrong too).
Being a fractional CMO is harder than it looks, and harder than being a full-time CMO.
Fractional life is not a softer version of in-house. It's a different job. The thing nobody warns you about is that the comfort blanket you're describing, the structure, the team, the rhythm, the meetings that aren't yours to run, the colleagues who say good morning, the salary that turns up regardless of whether you contributed anything that month, all of that disappears on day one.
You wake up and the only person responsible for the pipeline is you. The only person responsible for the work is you. The only person who knows whether you should take that client or not is you. For some marketers that's liberating. For others it's quietly terrifying, and they don't realise which one they are until they're already in it.
Disliking your boss is a tax, not a reason to blow up your career. Pay the tax while you find the right role. Don't make your life ten times harder because of one person.
A few things I'd focus on instead:
Reconnect with old colleagues. Not to pitch. Just to reconnect. Senior roles overwhelmingly come from people who already know you, not from job boards.
Keep working the head-hunters, but accept they will only place you if they have a live mandate that fits and it makes them money. Stay top of mind but don't expect favours.
Get to industry events in person. The rat race on LinkedIn is the worst possible way to find a role. The best roles aren't posted there at all. You need to build the connections that help you uncover those opportunities.
Ask your current employer to invest in you. Projects, leadership training, anything that broadens your network beyond marketing. It costs you nothing (hopefully) and it makes you more valuable wherever you land next. And you wouldn't be the first person to knuckle down, deliver good work, upskill and find themselves getting their boss's job.
Onwards!
Rich
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