5 things I wish I knew when starting my digital marketing career
After working in digital marketing for two and a half years, there are a few things that I wish I knew when starting that I would love to share with people considering the same path.
This article will introduce a few different ways to show your interest in the sector when looking for job vacancies: from utilising the most effective free online courses that I’ve tried myself, to gaining valuable work experience and perfecting your CV. Digital marketing can be a fantastic career and well suited to all kinds of people, from creatives, great writers, technically minded people and everything in between. So, we’re here to share a few things to get you started!
You Don’t Need A Degree!
If you’re worried about not having a degree when you’re starting your career in digital marketing, you don’t need to be! Whilst some degrees will teach you relevant skills, it’s absolutely not essential, particularly if you’re going into a junior role. You simply need to show that you’re interested and you’ve made an effort to learn about digital marketing, then most agencies/companies will take the approach of everything else can be taught. This is the experience I’ve had, as well as many of my friends and colleagues. Degrees are useful in some situations, however it isn’t something that should hold you back from pursuing your ambitions. Instead, focus on learning and gaining relevant experience, which we will get onto!
Access Free Online Courses
One of the best things you can do to show a company you’re motivated is to complete free online courses. There are some that cost a huge amount, however these really aren’t necessary - it’s more about showing you’re actively interested about the industry and you want to come in with a base knowledge about what they do.
An example is Google's
Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course, which I completed after finishing uni and before getting my job in SEO. It’s completely free to do and provides you with a really good overall knowledge of all elements of digital marketing, so when you’re going to interviews, you can say you’re interested in learning about particular areas if relevant. Even if you haven’t finished the course, you can still apply to jobs and simply say that you’re in the process of completing the course and write it with an estimated end date. It covers so much from social media to SEO, search marketing and Google Analytics.
This course takes around 40 hours, so if you’re not currently working you could complete it in a week and get it ticked off your list. Or, if you’re working, commit to doing 10 hours a week for a month and you’ll finish it this way. You also get a certificate at the end that you can send over with your CV. This shows that you’re being proactive, which is what many employers look for.
Look For The Right Experience
When it comes to gaining some work experience in digital marketing, the best piece of advice I can give is to go to smaller agencies. Although having big names on your CV can help, in my experience, the actual skills you will develop from a placement in a large company are unlikely to compare to what you will learn in a small agency.
So, use terms like “digital marketing agency Manchester” or “digital agency Leeds” to see which companies are local to you, then have a look through their website. This is exactly what I did, but more specifically focusing on
SEO in Manchester, through which I came across a fantastic agency. You should quite quickly be able to see which are the more bougie agencies, then send them a personalised email about why you want to gain some experience with them. You could do a two week placement over the summer, or perhaps you could do a day a week with them for 6 months.
Know What To Focus On For Your CV
Lastly, you need to know what to focus on for your CV. Throughout, you should convey who you are as a person, and how motivated you are. Digital marketing is an industry where everything can be taught, and often agencies like to find people who haven’t had loads of jobs before. This is because every agency works differently, and the best ones know how they like things done. As long as you show you’re motivated to work hard and you will be a good team player, it’s likely you will hear back from them.
So, make sure you add a bit of personality to the CV, showing who you are, and include your transferable skills that will show you want to get stuck in, you’re organised, you’re creative and a strong communicator. You should include the standard elements such as your education, but really showing off your personality should be a priority. That’s what got me my favourite job yet, and it’s what will likely help you find yours too.
Final Thoughts
So many people get hung up on trying to learn lots of technical components, navigate complex software or spend so much money on online training when starting out their career. In reality, I’ve found that the best agencies/companies simply want to find people who can show they are really interested in digital marketing and are willing to work hard, as everything else can be taught. So, follow the steps above and hopefully you will find the job of your dreams!
