The Best Job Boards for Marketing Roles in the UK – 2025 Review

(And why they’re not your silver bullet anymore)

Summary:
Yes, job boards still have a place in 2025. But if you’re hiring marketing talent and relying on them alone, you’re probably missing the best people. Here's a breakdown of the major UK job boards for marketing - and a few uncomfortable truths you should know before spending another pound.

What Most Employers Get Wrong About Job Boards

Let’s start with the reality: job boards are not broken, but they are bloated. They’re easy to use, give you the illusion of reach, and fill your inbox fast. The problem? Most of it is noise.

• Too many irrelevant CVs
• Too many career switchers “giving marketing a go”
• Too few people who’ve done what you need, at the level you need, in the context you need

If you want to fill a role, job boards can help.
If you want to hire the right person, they’re rarely enough on their own.

Quick Comparison: Major UK Marketing Job Boards (2025)

Job Board	Strengths	Weaknesses
LinkedIn	Broadest reach, strong brand perception	Expensive, full of passive candidates not actively applying
Indeed	High volume, good for entry-level roles	Weak targeting, lots of generic CVs
CV-Library	Budget-friendly, easy to use	Very mixed candidate quality
Reed	Wide coverage, useful filters	Limited mid-to-senior level marketing talent
Marketing Week Jobs	Niche audience, great for brand-side hires	Small audience, expensive, often outdated listings
OnlyMarketingJobs	Sector-specific	Variable candidate quality, mainly agency-side juniors

Verdict? They all do a job. But not the full job.

What You Won’t Get From a Job Board

Here’s what job boards can’t tell you:

• Who’s actually any good, not just available
• Whether a CV matches what they’ve actually done
• Who’s already left your sector because of burnout
• Who would move for the right brief, not just any job
• Why your spec is getting ignored by the candidates you want most

• We can tell you all of that because we speak to them every day.
• Recently we were made aware of a new trend happening in the US, whereby companies are facing a new threat: Job seekers who aren’t who they say they are, using AI tools to fabricate photo IDs, generate employment histories and provide answers during interviews.
• The rise of AI-generated profiles means that by 2028 globally 1 in 4 job candidates will be fake, according to research and advisory firm Gartner.

So Should You Use Job Boards at All?

Yes - but only as part of a bigger strategy.

They can be useful for:

• Entry-level roles
• Volume hiring
• Freelance or short-term placements where time is tight and quality is less critical

They’re less effective when:

• You’re hiring for leadership or strategy roles
• You want specialists (CRM, Paid Media, Data, Creative, etc.)
• You need someone who can hit the ground running
• You don’t have time to screen 100 CVs that mostly miss the mark

Final Thought

If you’re happy sifting through 100 CVs and hoping one hits, crack on with the job boards. If you want someone who’s already done the job, in a business like yours, and will stick around longer than three months - we should talk.

We know who’s good. We know who’s looking. And we know how to get them over the line.

FAQ Section

Q: What is the best job board for marketing roles in the UK?
A: LinkedIn has the widest reach, but platforms like Marketing Week or OnlyMarketingJobs can be useful for sector-specific searches. Still, none replace a recruiter with niche knowledge and a warm network.

Q: Are job boards worth the cost in 2025?
A: For entry-level and generalist roles, maybe. For anything senior, specialist, or time-sensitive, you’re likely wasting money and time.

Q: What’s the alternative to job boards?
A: Partnering with a recruitment firm that knows your sector, understands your brief, and already has pre-qualified candidates ready to move.

Q: Should I use job boards and a recruiter at the same time?
A: You can, but be clear about who’s doing what, or you’ll end up duplicating effort and losing momentum.