Chapter 7: Scene One: Magnus, The Recruiter (and his AI Bot)
Scene: The Holding Room. The Interrogation Expands.
The room had changed.
The institutions had gone quiet. The boardroom had gone cold.
And just as the detective thought he had a grip on the suspects seated around the table…
The door creaked open.
In stepped Magnus, The Recruiter, and just half a step behind him, his ever-present AI Bot.
Magnus wore a slick, soulless grey suit. Not a wrinkle in sight.
He walked with the polished assurance of someone who trades in access, not outcomes.
His AI bot followed obediently, its synthetic eyes blinking, scanning the room, reading CVs, decoding LinkedIn profiles, keyword-matching competencies no one had asked for.
“Ah,” Magnus smiled, settling into the chair like it was his boardroom. “I see we’ve got a gathering. I assume you’re wondering where your next marketing leader will come from.”
Ivor didn’t return the smile.
There was something off about this pair - something too rehearsed. Too clinical.
He glanced at his notepad, then looked up.
“Let me guess,” he said evenly. “You’re here to help Marketing get back on its feet?”
Magnus chuckled, brushing imaginary lint from his sleeve.
“Oh, detective. No. I’m here to explain why that’s never going to happen.”
The Job Search Hunger Games
Magnus leaned forward. The AI bot whirred softly beside him.
“Let’s talk about survival, shall we?…..Because if you think marketing’s been devalued inside companies, wait until you see what’s happening to the people trying to get back in.”
The bot blinked to life, its display lighting up the wall with hard truths:
30% fewer senior marketing roles available (source: Marketing Week)
1000+ applications per CMO, VP, or Director role (Most never seen by human eyes, screened, sliced, and filtered by automated systems)
Ghosting at an all-time high — even after final interviews
Internal hires and pre-selections dominate — job ads as formalities
Feedback? Transparency? Accountability? Non-existent.
Ivor frowned.
“So you’re saying marketing leaders aren’t just fighting for influence inside the company… they’re fighting just to be seen?”
Magnus gave a theatrical sigh.
“They assume, because they were once in demand, they will be again. But the system has changed. Jobs are fewer. Expectations are higher. And the moment they step out of the system? Let’s just say… it doesn’t welcome them back.”
The AI bot flickered:
“Candidate deemed overqualified. Relevance algorithm declining.”
Ivor froze. “Overqualified??! ”
The most convenient execution note of all.
The Executed: Stories from the Unseen
Case #1 – The CMO Who Became Unhirable
“I led marketing for a billion-pound brand. Grew revenue. Sat on the exec team. Then came the restructure. The CEO said they ‘no longer needed’ marketing at that level.”
“I wasn’t worried. I had results. I had a network.”
“But hundreds of applications later? Nothing. I was ‘too experienced’ for some, ‘not proven enough’ for others.”
“It was like I’d expired.”
The AI bot flashed:
“Candidate: Not the right fit at this time.”
Case #2 – The Director Who Didn’t Tick the Box
“I’d scaled B2B SaaS businesses globally. Applied for a VP role that fit me perfectly.”
“Didn’t even make it past the AI.”
“The recruiter later admitted: I lacked one sub-sector of SaaS experience.”
“The ad stayed live for weeks. But the hire? Already made.”
The AI bot flickered:
“Candidate: Lacking sector-specific expertise.”
Case #3 – The VP Who Was Too Senior… and Too Junior
“Too expensive for a VP role. Overqualified for a Director one.”
“Recruiters said there were 600+ applicants per vacancy.”
“The best advice? Stay visible. Don’t leave too long. Or you’re done.”
The bot replied:
“Relevance algorithm disrupted. Candidate removed from search.”
Case #4 – The Freelancer by Default
“I didn’t want to go solo. I wanted to build something in-house.”
“But the roles weren’t there. So I freelanced.”
“Not by design. By necessity.”
The bot blinked coldly. No response. No empathy. Just silence.
The Executive Search Illusion
Senior marketers, once the architects of growth, now waited for calls that never came.
Magnus smiled.
“We listen. We empathise. We say all the right things.” He shrugged. “But real opportunities? They just aren’t there.”
The bot let out a mechanical sound that could only be described as a laugh.
“Only 3 out of every 80 conversations lead to an actual interview,” it reported.
Even the CRO looked rattled at this point.
“But what about consulting?” Ivor asked, flipping his notes. “Surely they can build something of their own?”
Magnus leaned back, arms behind his head, amused. “Ah yes, the last refuge of the marketer. They try. And then, BOOM. Budget freezes. Economy dips. Clients disappear.”
The bot processed silently, then projected:
Consulting demand dropped sharply in Q4 2023
Client relationships ‘paused’ indefinitely
Top consultants now pitching for scraps
“Even the best,” Magnus whispered, “can’t sell what no one’s buying.”
Marketing’s Ultimate Test: Resilience or Disappearance?
Ivor scanned the pages in front of him.
One CMO: doubled revenue, ghosted after final-stage interviews.
One VP: built an iconic SaaS brand, ignored because their background didn’t “match.”
One Director: told they were too senior for one role, and too junior for another.
“So what happens to them?” Ivor asked quietly.
Magnus gave a slow, deliberate smile.
“Some give up. They take the lower title. The smaller salary. Just to stay in the game.”
“Some disappear. A year out, and the industry treats them like a risk. Rusty. Unproven. And some?” He nodded toward the boardroom wall. “They’re still in roles, but silent. Heads down. Playing safe. Afraid to make noise in case they are next to be chopped…….Because the moment they challenge the system, they’re seen as a problem.”
The AI bot flickered again.
“Marketing effectiveness: constrained by job insecurity.”
Ivor sighed with a level of distaste, “How can you possibly build a long term brand when your own title is on a timer?”
The Twist of the Knife
Ivor stood, weary now.
“And what about you? What’s your role in all of this?” he turned to the AI bot.
The AI Bot turned slowly toward him. Its screen pulsed with quiet menace.
The AI bot’s voice echoed through the room, flat and final:
“I do not assess talent.
I only match keywords.
I do not predict success.
I do not see potential.”
It paused, calculating, almost proud of its indifference.
“I do not care who the best marketer is.
Only who fits the algorithm.”
The room fell silent.
No one met anyone’s gaze.
The institutions had failed to protect.
The C-suite had failed to believe.
And now… The system was failing to even see.
Marketing’s leaders weren’t just being fired.
They were being filtered.
Forgotten.
Erased by a process so efficient, it no longer required a reason.
Ivor slowly closed his notebook.
“So this is it,” he muttered. “Not a murder. A quiet deletion.”
Magnus rose from his seat, buttoned his jacket, and adjusted his cufflinks.
“Oh, detective,” he said with a smirk. “You’re not done yet.”
He glanced toward the bot, which pulsed one last line across its display.
“Candidate profile incomplete. One subject remains.”
Ivor looked up, frowning.
“Who?”
Magnus turned back, already at the door. The door clicked shut behind him. And for the first time, Ivor wasn’t sure who was being investigated by who anymore.
To be continued……
Lost Your Influence? It’s Time to Fight Back.
If Mary’s story feels uncomfortably familiar...
If your role has been absorbed under revenue targets, sidelined in strategic conversations, or reduced to "doing" instead of leading...
Then it’s time to take your power back.
The Influential Marketing Leader Accelerator is now open.
A 10-week transformational course designed for marketers who are done playing small and ready to lead with strategy, credibility and confidence.
Built for senior marketers ready to reclaim authority, elevate influence, and lead marketing the way it is meant to be led.
If you're tired of marketing being misunderstood, misused, or diminished — this is your moment.
Enrol now and start the comeback.
Ways to Work With Me
I partner with ambitious B2B companies, marketing leaders, and executive teams to unlock sustainable growth through marketing transformation.
Here’s how we can work together:
1. Strategic Growth Consulting (for B2B Health and Tech companies)
Revive stalled growth, refocus your go-to-market strategy, and turn marketing into a commercial growth engine.
Outcome: Clearer strategy, tighter execution, and marketing fully aligned to business goals — so growth accelerates without adding chaos.
2. Marketing Team Development & Operating Systems
Audit your marketing team’s skills, reshape your org structure, and build systems that enable high performance and strategic thinking.
Outcome: A stronger, more confident marketing team equipped to lead — not just execute.
3. CMO & Leadership Mentoring
Build strategic confidence, stakeholder influence, and executive presence. For CMOs, VP-level marketers, and rising stars.
Outcome: Become the trusted growth advisor your CEO can’t live without.
4. Internal Academies & Custom Learning Programmes
Create internal academies that elevate marketing maturity across your organisation and foster cross-functional alignment.
Outcome: A more commercially savvy, strategically minded marketing team that earns trust across the business.
5. The Influential Marketing Leader Accelerator (Open Enrolment)
A 10-week online programme for senior marketers ready to lead with confidence and make marketing matter again.
Outcome: You’ll gain a strategic toolkit, influence the C-suite, and finally stop firefighting and start leading.
6. Keynotes, Workshops & Offsites
For executive teams, cross-functional leaders, or marketing teams who need clarity, energy, and alignment.
Outcome: Shared language, stronger collaboration, and renewed focus on what marketing can (and should) do.