A career in digital marketing can be fantastic, as there are so many different areas you can specialise in, it’s well suited to many different skill sets and it’s an industry that’s in demand now more than ever. So, we’re here with some tips to help you break into a career in digital marketing, whether you want to do SEO Manchester based, paid social in London, or a combination of everything!
Get Work Experience
Our absolute best piece of advice when it comes to starting your career in digital marketing is to get work experience! Degrees definitely aren’t a necessity in the digital marketing industry, with many businesses prioritising hard working staff who are willing to learn and enthusiastic about the industry. Instead, you should focus on contacting local businesses and asking if you can get some work experience with them. You should be prepared to likely not get paid here, however this is a sacrifice you should make in order to progress in your career. You want to show that you’ve gone out of your way to learn more about the industry, so don’t just finish with one placement but get as much experience as you can to show you’re committed to learning more. We’d recommend getting experience in a digital marketing agency Manchester based, as these agencies are at the forefront in the UK and you can get accommodation cheaper than in London. Then, you should also get experience in-house in a marketing team, as you’ll get very different yet equally valuable experience.
Complete Free Online Courses
Another great thing to do is to complete free online courses in order to learn more about the industry. There are lots of courses out there you need to pay for and if that’s in your budget then that’s great, but if not, then there are plenty of free ones available to help you learn the basics about the different areas of digital marketing. For example, Google has a Fundamentals of Digital Marketing course that is around 40 hours long, so you can gradually complete it over time alongside other things and learn so much about all of the different digital marketing components. You can always start the course and still apply for jobs, just noting that you’re currently completing the course. This will show you’re taking action to learn more and will put you ahead of other people applying for jobs.
Get LinkedIn and Build Your Network
Lastly, you should create a LinkedIn profile and build your network. There are lots of guides out there to help you add your skills to your profile, then you should start looking for relevant people in the industry to follow to learn more. You could also find some companies that you’d like to do work experience with and message some of their management to see if it would be a possibility. Overall, this is a great place to learn from some of the leading people in the industry, as well as begin to build your network.