So, you want to land a career in digital marketing. Well, you’ve landed in the right place with us! Consider this your go-to checklist of opportunities.
Personally, I had never studied anything in relation to digital marketing whilst at university [I actually studied Psychology], so here are some things I did/needed to do to land my dream job, minus the marketing degree. Psst.. if you did study something connected to digital marketing? Don’t leave just yet, ha! With digital marketing fast becoming one of the most competitive industries, there are some little golden nuggets coming right up to help you really stand out from the digi-crowd.
Research the industry
When focusing on one very specific job interest, you can easily get tunnel vision and might miss out on some other exciting opportunities within the industry that might interest you more. So, it’s time to get your research on.
Hop on over to LinkedIn to find more information about a role you’re interested in and search for jobs that relate to ‘Digital marketing’ to find more job opportunities related to your strengths and interests. Follow some Social Media Agencies on Instagram for some serious inspo on what this industry is all about (and whether or not it’s the right industry for you) and my favourite? Searching the following hashtags #DigitalMarketing #SocialMediaManager, #SocialMediaMarketing #SocialMediaAgency on TikTok for guidance or even to see what a day in their life is like. P.s. I just had a quick look at these searched hashtags, and I’m back after looking at videos 30 mins later. #TikTokMadeMeDoIt 🙊
Invest in upskilling
If there wasn’t a better time to quote ol’ mate Nike it would be now… ‘just do it’! I would highly recommend looking at getting some qualifications under your belt to really make your resume and LinkedIn profile shine. The Facebook Blueprint and Google Ads Certifications always look very impressive for prospective recruiters. #YouGoGlenCoco
And not to toot our own horn, but here at The Digital Picnic we offer bite-sized, self-paced or mentored e-learning to really help you upskill in social media marketing. Work at your own pace and learn from our Creative Director Cherie and our talented team of strategists who know firsthand, what it’s like to build a career in digi marketing [and are there to support you every step of the way!]
Just always remember that digital marketing is an extremely fast-paced industry with platform updates happening very frequently, so it really does pay to be ahead of the curve. The amount of upskilling one needs? Well, the limit does not exist.
Mentor it up
I was fortunate enough to be mentored before starting my digital marketing career. Having someone I was able to learn from that worked in this industry and was able to share their knowledge, wins, learnings, challenges and “aha” moments was such a key advantage. Oh, and that person for me, was Cherie. Yep, I was so lucky to be mentored by someone like Cherie who was so passionate about this industry and generous with her time and knowledge. She guided me from not even knowing how to write copy (to now writing this blog!) to educating me on content pillars and the ins and outs of social media strategy.
I’d recommend attending industry events, joining relevant Facebook communities or even signing up for private mentoring with a business coach (or tune in for some live coaching calls with your favourite businesses). This is a great way to network and to seek out mentoring opportunities.
If you’re looking to pursue a career in social media (or you’re a freelancer currently navigating your own business, then our Social Media Manager School could be a great opportunity to upskill and learn the ins and outs of social media management. You’ll be able to join our private Facebook group, which is a HUGE perk. It allows you to be mentored and connect with like-minded people in the same industry as you.
Keeping up with Social Media
THIS! Oh gosh this, please! Social media is constantly changing, and you want to make sure you’re in the know with the latest news and updates. Keep in the loop with industry blog posts (hint hint us, ha!), Instagram pages or I personally love .
Don’t forget to network
If you’ve been tuning into our socials, you’d know that we’ve found ourselves a new love, and their name is LinkedIn. We’d recommend jumping on (right after you finish reading this little bloggie 😜), and signing up for an account if you haven’t already or if you’ve been inactive on the platform, now’s your chance to jump online and give your profile some love (share your own career journey, tips and tricks or articles/posts that you find relatable).
Being on LinkedIn allows you to connect, network and learn about people’s journeys in different roles and workplaces. You can learn so much about how to get a career in digital marketing on this platform – more than you think. It also has a job board where you can directly apply for jobs you’re interested in, which is a massive #bonus.
Other ways of networking would be to follow dream companies you’d love to work for, your favourite business or industry leaders via their different social media platforms. Don’t forget to engage as well – the more you get your name out there, the better. Trust!
Internships/work experience
So you’ve reached that point where you’ve done all your research, and you’ve got a stronger understanding of digital marketing and you’ve decided it’s THE industry for you.
I love learning through others via upskilling and mentoring (I’m pretty well known here at TDP for my excessive note-taking), but I also love the hands-on experience and being around people within the field that are really passionate about their work.
This step is also helpful if you’re not so sure on what role you’re after or what you want to specialise in – and what better way to find out than having that experience yourself.
To check if your dream job has an internship program, look at their website or even do some outreach via LinkedIn or social media to ask companies if they have an internship program. You could even check in with family or friends who may be able to hook you up with some internships or work experience.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my ted-talk and wish you all the very best when you land in the digital marketing space. I’d love to know how you got a career in digital marketing, so please submit a comment below – I’ll be stalking the comments so please don’t be shy!
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