How it started
I am a firm believer that a well-rounded experience is as valuable as, if not more than, theory and knowledge. But there comes a point in everyone’s life where the work field demands robust, professional training that no amount of experience is able to fulfill; a strong foundation that you can always fall back on and relate specific work scenarios to.
As with most people from my generation who grew up alongside the age of the Internet, everything I know about the digital marketing industry has been self-taught. Having worked in the field for the past eight years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, I have always appreciated the experience of merrily crossing paths with new people and exchanging our knowledge of the world like something out of an adventure novel; I also dabble in DJing on the side, but that’s beside the point. I had reached a time in my career where I needed to stay on top of my game and update my knowledge of the digital marketing industry and its many new trends.
So I packed my growth mindset along with my determination to excel and found myself standing before the AstroLabs campus, ready to earn my business standard certification and zealous to meet leaders within the industry.
Here’s the thing: I have specialized in social media over the span of my nearly decade-long career, but it wasn’t until my classes at AstroLabs began that I felt fully equipped to deep dive into the dark and intricate waters of the digital marketing industry. I felt capable, I felt unstoppable, I felt armed, I felt ready.
The AstroLabs Experience
I enrolled in the 35-hour long Digital Marketing Dubai Course where we were taught the complexities of building a complete marketing plan with Display Ads, Search Ads, SEO, Content Strategy and so much more. Something that always seemed so far-fetched to me and a skill that every other digital person seemed to easily possess – that is, understanding Google Analytics and Google Ads – was suddenly so readily available to learn. Now? I am a proud owner of two Google certifications as well as a Dubai Government Diploma in Digital Marketing from the KHDA.
Being a glass half-full woman myself, when the information began to feel overwhelming and never-ending, I had to take a breather. Between the Pull and Push Marketing, the seemingly infinite technical acronyms, and the Setup Conversion Funnels, I admit I was a little lost. After years of working full-time, it appeared that adjusting to an academic environment took a little more effort than I expected. But no matter, because that’s where the wonderful professors swooped in with their incredible foresight and relentless patience. It turns out, I was not the only one struggling with adjusting to the student mindset.
Aside from arming me with the skills I needed to translate into potential job opportunities, my professors were some of the most tolerant and understanding people I’ve met in the industry. They were certainly the rocks that kept me going, and the support I got from them (and my peers) made me feel welcomed and appreciated.
What I learned
I learned that the world is your oyster and that everything starts with a spark. I made digital marketing my oyster and everything that has followed since has been a blessing.
I had the pleasure of meeting some of the best minds in the industry, and even made friends with a few who are in the same field and have a career in music just like me – shoutout to Jessica and Tareq!
I am already implementing my new skills and knowledge in performance marketing such as Display Ads, and inbound marketing like Email & Retention. I have finally mastered one of, arguably, the most critical aspects in digital marketing – tracking the important KPIs needed for a business.
The fond memories I retained from this course will always stay with me, but my most cherished one is when I had to urgently step out and take care of some business, during lunch time and came back to a grinning Yanina, who was thoughtful enough to grab lunch for me. She is bright, friendly and makes all of us feel welcome at AstroLabs. Gestures like this go a very long way both personally and professionally.
Would I recommend AstroLabs courses to anyone looking to sharpen their skills? Absolutely. It is an academy full of persistent and resilient groups of industry professional professors that provide informative, industry standard skills.
For me, it was not just a course, it was an experience.
Proudly written by Sara Gojer
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