Upskill with AI During B2B Marketing Job Transitions

Many talented marketers are between roles due to layoffs or seeking better alignment with their values. These B2B marketers want to stay sharp and use this transition to their advantage, making it the perfect time to learn AI.

Whether you’re a CMO rethinking your next chapter or a marketing ops lead eager to sharpen your edge, AI is here and shaping the future of marketing. Those who lean in now will have an advantage in being considered for and succeeding in great roles. Here’s how to build a practical, future-ready understanding of AI during this career intermission.

Adopting the Right Mindset

Many marketers are curious about AI but find it intimidating. AI can write, design, predict, and optimize. However, AI isn’t coming for your job; a marketer using AI is. View AI as your unfair advantage and a force multiplier.

It can handle repetitive tasks—like data cleanup, A/B testing, segmentation, and project management—so you can focus on analysis, strategy, creativity, and relationship-building.

Experimenting with AI Tools

Experiment to find your preferred AI toolkit. Many platforms offer free trials or “freemium” access. Consider building a stack around these core categories:

Writing and Editing

Examples include ChatGPT, Claude, Grammarly, and Notion AI.

Design and Video

Examples include Canva AI, Descript, and Synthesia.

Analytics and Optimization

Examples include Google Analytics + GA4 predictive metrics, and Tableau GPT.

Productivity and Planning

Experiment with Notion, Airtable, and Fireflies.ai for meeting summaries.

Use your time off to actually use these tools and build something. Try using AI to prep for interviews, generate ideas for resume bullet points, or brainstorm a personal rebrand.

Building Your Professional Brand

As you build AI fluency, reflect it in your professional brand. Add relevant AI tools and outcomes to your LinkedIn profile and go further:

• Share your experiments and learnings in short LinkedIn posts.
• Write a blog or newsletter about how B2B marketers can ethically and effectively use AI.
• Record a short video on your AI journey and post it on your profile.

Demonstrating thought leadership will differentiate you and could attract opportunities.

Staying Current

Marketing is moving fast, but AI is moving faster. Be in rooms (real or virtual) where people are experimenting and sharing in real-time, whether those are marketing AI groups, groups for women in AI, or other groups specific to your interests. These spaces offer practical tips, tool reviews, and case studies.

Landing Your Next Job with AI

Use AI to help you land your next job. Use tools like ChatGPT or Claude to:

• Tailor your resume to a specific job description.
• Draft compelling LinkedIn messages to hiring managers.
• Simulate interview prep questions.
• Design a content strategy presentation for a company you’re targeting.

When using AI for content creation, tailor it to ensure it accurately represents your skills and interest in the opportunity and that it reflects your personal voice. AI amplifies your voice. Use it to refine, not replace, your thinking.

Periods of career transition can be rare gifts. With the right mindset and focus, you can emerge more relevant, skilled, and future-ready than ever. Learning AI takes curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to rethink how you work. B2B marketing is evolving quickly—and so can you. This moment of pause might just be a launchpad to the most exciting chapter of your marketing career.