Time Out City Life Index has just announced that Manchester is the 7th most exciting city in the world, ranking above Lisbon and Barcelona. Although this won’t come as a surprise for all those that call this vibrant and cultural city home, outsiders may have a few queries surrounding this choice.
With predicted economic growth of 2.4% year on year until 2020 and major businesses such as the BBC relocating their headquarters to the hub of the Northern Powerhouse, now has never been a better time to pack your bags and move to the North.
Previous opinions have suggested that the ‘juicy’ roles are to be found solely in the Capital. But that is certainly not the case! Forward Role have recently placed a CMO with a fast fashion business, a Digital Director with a FMCG organisation and a senior Marketer within financial services. In addition to this, we have placed multiple senior management, management and executives within many sectors across the region.
Future growth continues to look extremely positive, with an anticipated 110,000 new jobs across Greater Manchester by 2024 with the biggest growth expected within financial services, professional services, cultural and creative. Of these, 12,000 jobs are expected to be Management Directors and Senior appointments.
Further to our solid history in textiles, we are the home to many well established clothing brands such as JD Williams, JD Sports and Cotton Traders. We are at the centre of the fast fashion craze with businesses such as Boohoo, Missguided, Pretty Little Thing and In The Style finding their feet on the streets of Salford and the city centre. We are also the home to well-loved brands such as Warburtons, Rentalcars, AO.com, The Co-operative and Kelloggs and we are a city of history, music, food and drink.
Let’s first take a trip down memory lane and remember that Emmeline Pankhurst was born and bred on the streets of Moss Side and it was in the depths of Manchester that the Suffragette movement began. Manchester was at the heart of the cotton trade and the industrial revolution, we created canals and created commuters.
From there, we’ve seen a wealth of music from Oasis to James to the Happy Mondays (Bez has his own Bee farm in the city centre). Many artists across the country sought to play at the legendary nightclub and music venue, the Hacienda. More recently, festivals such as Parklife and Creamfields have become go-to events.
Manchester has a real eclectic range of food and drink haunts, from the sophisticated Spinningfields, party-centric Deansgate Locks, an ‘escape to the country feel’ in Castlefield or the hip Northern Quarter. Whether you fancy a high in the sky cocktail in Cloud 23, a German beer in Albert Schloss, a Zombie in Hula Tiki Bar or a game of beer pong at Roxys Ballroom, you will never run out of places to frequent after work or of a weekend.
You’re a foodie? No problem! We have everything from fine dining, to dirty burgers, to Italian, to Greek, to Polish, to Russian, to pub grub, to Thai….the list really does go on. Whether you want to visit the restaurant of Masterchef Winner, Simon Wood or grab an Instagram-worthy burger in Almost Famous or pretend to escape to faraway lands in Australasia, Thaikhun, Turtle Bay, there is something for all tastes and budgets.
If you’re a lover of the countryside and rolling hills, we have that too! The Peak District is on our doorstep and the Lake District and North Wales can be accessed within an hour. We are also a hop skip and jump from other major cities such as Leeds, Liverpool and Chester so there will never be a time when you run out of activities to fill your evenings and weekends.
None of the above will come as news to native Mancunians but could come as a pleasant surprise for all those outside of our city walls. Let’s spread the word about how great our city is – share this with friends and family and create a re-locator movement!
As a business, Forward Role specialise in recruitment across digital, ecommerce, marketing, analytics, technology & design with agencies and in-house clients . Currently, we are working on roles with salaries ranging from £18k to £140k+. So whether you are a CRO specialist, a Strategy Planner, a .Net Developer or you are looking into any of the wonderful roles in this wonderful sector, we’ll have something for you! As for me, I’m your ecommerce expert and can help open doors for you into large global retailers, SME brands or start-ups.
To explore opportunities in the North across ecommerce, Digital, Marketing, Creative, Analytics or Technology, please get in touch with me today: rachelw@forwardrole.com / 07825 589 389.
Whatever your skill set or career desires, we will certainly be able to assist and help you find your ideal next role. With so much to offer, you’ll be scratching your head and wondering why you haven’t considered relocating earlier!
