Digital marketing is a young, but fast-growing industry. It won't be going away any time soon so it's a perfect time to get in. Here are some tips on how to start (and kick-start) your career in digital marketing.

LOOK FOR A FREE LOCAL COURSE

You don’t need an expensive university degree to get new skills. Many local organisations run courses to help people get into or change their career. Even better, they often get government funding and offer them for free.

In addition to completing your course, they'll also help you with writing a CV and put you in front of local companies looking for interns or junior employees. Spaces are often limited, so do your research and grab a place before they're all gone. Try Creative Process Digital in Brighton.

GO YOUR OWN WAY

No local courses available? Platforms such as Udemy, Lynda or Skillshare are full of tutorials (many of them free) on all types of topics from SEO to social media and PPC. Give it a go, you’ll be surprised by how quickly (and how much) you can learn!

GET CERTIFIED

Many platforms such as Google or Microsoft (previously Bing ads) offer free exams and certifications. You can prepare for the exams by using their study guides. If you’re lacking experience, industry certificates will be sure to boost your CV.

GET HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

Try to put your new skills to use. Do you have a family member or a friend with a small business needing some digital marketing TLC? Help them with building a website, running social media profiles or setting up paid ads. There is nothing more valuable than hands on experience. And you can also add it to your CV.

UPDATE YOUR CV

Now that you have some skills and experience, you need to put it in front of the potential employers in the right way. Update your CV with all the applicable skills and experience.

Go beyond the standard ‘good communication skills’ or ‘a team player’ phrases to stand out. Be creative, but to the point. The majority of employers are busy. Use simple information that they are looking for rather than long descriptions and irrelevant work experience.

And above all - proofread before sending! One spelling mistake could cost you an interview.

PERFECT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

If you haven’t already, set up a business profile on LinkedIn. Many employers will look at your profile and it gives you an opportunity to show them more information. LinkedIn is also a main tool used by recruiters and it’s a great way of putting yourself in front of them.

Input all the information from your CV, add skills, certificates, experiences and resources (e.g. portfolio of creative work). Make sure that your profile photo is a professional one (i.e. not that one from a recent night out).

GET OUT THERE

Check out your local networking events and organisations centered around digital marketing (e.g. Wired Sussex in Brighton). Go out there, meet local businesses, get advice and listen to talks by industry experts. You never know who you’re going to meet and what you’re going to learn.

BE BRAVE

Searching through current job offers and applying for interesting positions is an old and tested job hunting strategy. But why not try something else to land a job in the agency or company that you really want to work for?

Be brave and drop them an email with your CV and a short message explaining what you’re looking for and how they could benefit from hiring you. You never know, they might be looking for new hires in the near future. And now you’re on their radar. In the worst case scenario you won’t get a reply, but remember, it's their loss that they didn't hire an amazing, up and coming digital marketer!

Written by Maggie

LinkedIn

Vixen Digital

This post was written by Maggie, who is a PPC consultant and a founder of a Brighton based digital marketing agency Vixen Digital.