Advice For Starting a Career in Digital Marketing and Social Media

25th Apr 2024

Advice For Starting a Career in Digital Marketing and Social Media

Knowing where to start when it comes to pursuing a certain career path is difficult with any industry. However, if you know what your goal is, you can complete the necessary steps and make the progress you need to obtain your ideal role. If you are looking to start a career within digital marketing and/or social media, keep reading to find out how you can get there.

Is This The Right Industry For You? 

Firstly, it’s important to be completely sure about what you want to pursue. Have you looked into digital marketing and social media focused roles to understand exactly what would be required of you? Do you have any of the skills needed to land a job in this field? Equally importantly, do you think you’d enjoy this type of role? These are all things to consider before taking the steps to develop yourself for a job in digital marketing. 

 

Also, think about what type of company you want to work for. Would you prefer to land a role in an agency, working in a B2B environment with multiple clients? Or is it your dream to work for one specific brand? Working in an agency will provide you with experience across different sectors and industries, making them a great place to start your career. 

 

Typing into search bar

 

Education and Qualifications 

Although you may not need a degree to land an entry level role in digital marketing, many companies will require candidates to have one. You may not need a relevant degree, such as marketing, but you will need to demonstrate how your degree has provided you with skills that have prepared you for this type of role. For example, most degree courses come with deadlines, a level of written communication and high pressure, three things that are prevalent in this industry. 

 

If you do not have a degree, but want to go to university, it’s a good idea to look at relevant courses. Marketing, digital marketing, business and journalism are all degrees that will aid you in pursuing this career path. Digital marketing and social media involves a lot of creativity, copywriting and forward thinking, so making sure your chosen course will equip you for this is imperative. 

 

Man studying with laptop and notebook

Work Experience

Relevant work experience is arguably the most important thing to have to start your digital marketing and social media career. Whether it’s from a previous role, an apprenticeship or a work placement, having solid experience in marketing and/or digital content will show your prospective employers that you have real, hands-on experience in this field. It also shows that you understand, to an extent, what is required of you. Even a short-term placement in the industry can set you apart from other candidates and will provide you with the basic skills that you’ll need for your dream role. 

 

Man and two women looking at laptop

Develop Your Skills

To further develop your skills in this industry, consider signing up for training courses. There are so many options out there, whether in person or online, free or for a cost, you can build up your CV and get ahead by expanding your knowledge of digital marketing.

This is also a great way to find out what aspects of the industry you enjoy. Maybe you are more interested in content creation, copywriting, or SEO. Either way, you can complete various courses to not only increase your skill base, but to also find out what you do well and what you truly enjoy, which is just as important.

 

Here are some great online course websites: 

Udemy 

Hubspot  

 

Man helping woman on computer

 

Create Your Portfolio 

This step is crucial for putting yourself out there and standing out from other digital marketing pursuers. Even if you don’t have previous experience in your desired industry, you can show your skills and your passion through a comprehensive portfolio. This should be an online hub of your best work. You can quite easily create your own website, a blog, or a presentation to showcase what you bring to the table. 

 

Here are some ideas for things to add to your digital marketing portfolio: 

 

  • Your personal brand: You can treat your portfolio as a personalised CV, explaining who you are, what you’re passionate about and why you want to work in digital marketing.
  • Example social media posts: Including a caption and image/video.
  • Copywriting examples: A blog post, caption, even a piece of creative writing you completed in previous roles or during university. 
  • Social media/website audit: Show your knowledge by performing research on a brand’s digital footprint and explain what they do well and what they can improve on. This is a great way to prove you know what you’re talking about when it comes to digital media. 
  • Create your own brand: If you’re also interested in business, this can show your creativity and skill in many different ways. Make sure to focus on the digital marketing strategies of your business and provide examples e.g. social media profiles or a mock-up website. 

 

People looking at documents and post it notes

 

There is so much you can do in preparation for landing your dream job in digital marketing. As it’s a very creative and competitive industry, it’s imperative that you put yourself out there and show your creativity and any skills you have. 

 

If you are looking to gain some great work experience in this field, get in touch with us here. We’d love to help you out. 

 



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