Finding the right junior specialist – someone who can grow in (and with) your team, stay proactive, and not run away to a competitor or into burnout after a month – is not an easy task in 2025. Besides, is there really a demand for junior specialists in marketing and sales fields in Latvia, or are those jobs just for your colleague’s younger brother who happened to be around? To find where the truth lies, MATCH Agency decided to run our own survey, talking to our clients and partners about what they actually expect from juniors in marketing, sales, and beyond.
Who we surveyed
We asked 30 decision-makers for their honest insights: 45% were CEOs or founders, 20% were heads of marketing, while the rest included HR managers, project leads, and department heads. These companies represented a full range – from tiny teams of 1–10 people to big enterprises of 500+ employees – though most were in that sweet middle spot of 11–50 employees (40%). These companies cover a diverse mix of industries: advertising and media agencies, retail and wholesale trade, manufacturing, construction and real estate, IT and fintech, hospitality, HR agencies, and service providers of all kinds. This gave us a real picture of what this kind of employer in Latvia is actually looking for.
The soft skills that are worth their weight in gold
The biggest litmus test for wants, needs and priorities are soft skills. Inadvertently they also show the biggest pain points of company leaders. 73% of respondents said initiative and proactive thinking are essential – no one wants to micromanage. Another 67% highlighted the ability to think critically and adapt fast, while 60% stressed the importance of working well in a team and picking up new skills quickly. Alongside that, managers mentioned qualities like self-management, curiosity, and a readiness to experiment.
As Aleksandrs Kuharjonoks, CMO at Bank of Lamps, told us: “If a junior is a diamond, a perfect CV might help you spot the sparkle – but in the end, it’s not just the words on a page that matter. I always look at how someone thinks, how they communicate, and how they adapt.” Interestingly, many employers shared that formal education is a plus, but it’s not a dealbreaker. They’re open to people who can prove themselves in practice, even if they don’t have a fancy degree.
A good marketer needs to have both hemispheres of the brain working well — both the logical and the creative. Marketing isn’t just about creativity; in fact, it’s often more about analytics, numbers, structure, and hypothesis testing. So if someone comes from another “rational” field, they already have a decent chance. And if they also have a sense of taste, intuition, and a desire to understand the audience — that’s top-tier.
Aleksandrs KuharjonoksChief Marketing Officer at Lampa.lv
The bread and butter of technical skills
While soft skills are often described as the core necessity, employers have made it clear that basic technical knowledge is equally important. According to survey results, they’re always on the lookout for juniors who can jump into content, social media, and advertising tasks. They also want people who can help drive sales, build new relationships, and keep projects moving in the right direction. The essentials are still the same: Google Workspace – Docs, Sheets, Slides – is a must for 73% of respondents. Project management tools like Trello or Asana were also mentioned by 40%, with many also pointing out that juniors who know their way around ad platforms (like Meta and Google) or design tools (like Canva and Figma) always stand out. Some even added more niche tools they rely on, like CapCut, Premiere, and other editing software for content-heavy roles.
But as many of our clients noted, having these tools in your belt is only the start — and young specialists often underestimate how much real work it takes to turn skills into real impact. As Sergey Frolov, CEO of a BLV Advisory Group, put it: “One common mistake I see is juniors underestimating the time and effort it takes to get real results. Many want to jump straight into strategy and big ideas without first mastering the basics of their craft. You really need to understand the client’s world, communicate clearly, and build from the ground up — that’s where real value starts.”
Real-world experience is key
We also asked: what’s the best way for juniors to learn? Overwhelmingly, the answer was clear – 80% said real tasks on real projects matter most. No endless slideshows or theory-heavy lectures; what employers really want is for new hires to get their hands dirty and learn by doing. About 40% of our respondents also pointed out that mentorship – having someone to guide and review work – makes a huge difference in how fast juniors grow.
Artyom Kobahidze, founder of All the Hires, shared an even starker view: “Honestly, without relevant experience, there’s almost no chance – because the best places expect real results fast. So you have to find ways to build that experience: real courses with real projects, online intensives, any hands-on practice. And above all, the ability to present yourself and show how this experience matters to that company.” He also noted that while junior roles are still in demand, the best opportunities aren’t in the cushy enterprise world. “Look at small digital businesses that are really moving. They’re lean, they’re growing, and they need juniors who don’t just clock in, but really want to build something.”
The importance of MATCH Summer School
Being a part of the everyday grind in the field, most of these insights we had already anticipated, but a proper confirmation helps us adjust our own activities. That’s why we built MATCH Summer School to reflect exactly these insights: real work, real feedback, and skills that actually matter on the job. And we’re seeing real demand. This year, more than 100 marketing enthusiasts applied to join our Summer School – some already working in the field, others just starting out. With a competition rate of over 10 applicants for each spot, we carefully chose a group of 10 people who’ve already jumped into our program.
They started in June with in-depth theory sessions to build a solid foundation in marketing. In July, they’re moving into practical workshops and real-world tasks, where they can test ideas and learn from doing. And in August, they’ll wrap up with capstone projects that simulate the kind of campaigns real clients expect.
We don’t believe in teaching through slides and books only. We believe in showing juniors how to think like marketers – how to find insights, pitch ideas, and make them real. Because what’s good for them isn’t just good for them – it’s good for every team they’ll join. And this program is a way for businesses to find talent that’s been trained on real problems and can hit the ground running.
