Source: Boss Magazine
This article takes a look at digital marketing career options and how to improve your chances of successfully applying for a position.
When deciding career change, there are many things to consider before beginning a digital marketing career. In the digital age, there are so many new opportunities that didn’t exist five years ago, and career path training is better than ever.
What Will You Enjoy?
The best way to start your digital marketing career is to write down a list of jobs that you enjoy or think that you will enjoy. Then collect all the information you can about digital marketing career paths to see if they would be right for you. Some may involve an apprenticeship, others may involve going to university and getting a degree.
If studying at university isn’t for you, an apprenticeship or a company with on the job training may be more ideal. This is something only you can ultimately decide but finding a digital marketing career you enjoy increase the chances of your success in the profession. It’s worth considering how this career may change in the digital age with advancing technology and if it will be a stable path. There is a big debate regarding online vs classroom training, and you may find the career path you want to head down is better suited to online training rather than the classroom.
Change Your CV For a Digital Marketing Career
As the digital age becomes more advanced, so do portfolios, also known as CVs. Many people go above and beyond with their CV to try and impress a company. This is especially important if you are thinking about going into a field like graphic design or interior design, as your CV needs to be a symbol of you and your work. Once you have found the digital marketing career path you wish to head down, you can tweak your CV accordingly. This means rather than sending out a general CV to each company, you should tailor your CV and cover letter to each company, mentioning something about them, why you would be a good choice for them and maybe some history about the company.
When applying for a career in the digital age, you need to remember that companies can easily get hundreds of CVs in a day. Therefore, if you send an average CV that is not relevant, they will just skip past you. You need to put that extra effort into your CV to get noticed. With so many jobs having digital or IT aspects, you should include any programs or software that you are confident in using, as this will make it easier for them when they are looking at experience. Don’t be worried if it doesn’t seem relevant; showing your versatility in using software could be an advantage.
Finding the Right Job for Your Skill Set
When you have decided upon a career in the digital age, you may find companies offering similar, albeit slighting varying, roles. You should look at what each role contains, as some companies may be asking you to do more for less pay. You need to find a company that will appreciate and value everything you can offer for them. The best way to find out about a company in the digital age is to search for them online.
Many companies have employees that rate how it was to work for them and you can usually find this information online. This can give you a good insight about what to expect, as you may start working for a company and feel undervalued and underappreciated, meaning you may have turned down another company in which you would have been happy.
Employers that take the time to sift through CVs and have rigorous single and group interviews are the companies that want to find the right employees for them and will usually do anything to keep them. When a company has a long process to find an employee, they usually offer great salaries and employee benefits.
At your interview, make sure to ask if there is potential for internal promotion. This is important if you wish to progress in your role rather than be stuck in the role you are applying for. The easiest way to get a promotion is internally and working for the same company means you will know how everything works. Working for a good employer will increase your happiness and job satisfaction and is incredibly important for a digital marketing career.
Your Online Presence
Your online presence is incredibly important in the digital age, as many companies may try and search for you online before offering you an interview. The best way to find out how appealing your online presence is to Google yourself. If your name shows nothing but pictures of you partying in Spain on Facebook, it may be best to switch your profiles to private so potential employers cannot see them. Of course, we all have a life and go out and have fun, but employers are looking to ensure this is kept away from the public eye as they need employees that make a good impression. Check your social media settings to ensure that only friends can see your private information including photographs and statuses.
However, if you have your work online, like an Instagram account, for example, you can keep these profiles open to the public. Then, if an employer searches for you, they may be able to see the great work that you have posted on there. Just ensure you don’t have any inappropriate pictures posted. It may be best to have two accounts, one for personal and one for your work if you enjoy posting pictures of you and your friends too. If you are going for a job that requires you to use social media or have a large following, then this is another time when it’s sensible to make your social media profiles public, so they can see what you post and how people react.
For most companies, though, it’s best to hide your private life from the public eye to be safe.
Update Your Digital Skills
With a digital marketing career, it’s important to have at least some web skills. If you are not very good with computers, it may be worth taking a computer course to show that you are trying to become up to date with the latest technologies for your new role. Nearly every job uses some sort of technology, advanced or not. They will train you on their specific software programs, but being able to use a computer with ease will make it much easier to learn. You may have all the right qualifications for the job, and most employers will work with you to help you, they understand that not everyone has grown up with technology in their lives.
The digital age has changed the way we apply for jobs and the number of jobs that are available. It can be hard choosing which digital marketing career path you want to go down, and it’s best to do research and ensure you have the right qualifications before applying.