How To Launch A Digital Marketing Career For New Graduates
Publié le 10 July 2023
Successfully go from the classroom into the job market by knowing how to launch a digital marketing career for new graduates.
Digital marketing is one of the most promising career fields for recent grads. It allows for flexible work and the ability to work creatively on a number of different projects. Moreover, digital marketing positions pay well and can come with numerous benefits, such as health insurance, paid time off, and even remote working.
But where do you start when launching your career after getting a digital marketing degree? This blog post will teach you how to launch a digital marketing career after you graduate.
1. Evaluate your interests and what you know
Want to know how to get into digital marketing after graduation? Determine what you know and don’t know about the field first. Even after studying digital marketing, there are always new techniques and approaches to learn and practice. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, in addition to your interests. Subsequently, you’ll know which aspect of digital marketing you’ll want to focus on as a professional.
Are you good at creating engaging short copy? You might want to specialize in PPC or social media marketing. If you like link-building and tinkering with Google Analytics, then SEO should probably be your focus.
You can also decide the types of clients to focus on once you’ve assessed what you know and your interests. If you’re more familiar with and prefer B2B SaaS marketing strategies, then you’ll want to focus on getting B2B clients. If you have a more solid foundation and an interest in eCommerce marketing, then you’ll want to look for potential clients in online retail.
Let’s say you’ve assessed your strengths, weaknesses, and interests but you’re not 100% sure about the specific digital marketing job you want to pursue. Then check out these most desirable digital marketing skills for employers that can help you make a final decision:
By identifying your digital marketing proficiency, you can prioritize learning objectives to jumpstart your career.
2. Network and seek mentorship
Network and seek mentorship to gain valuable industry insights and expand your skill set if you want to become a digital marketing expert. These mentors and peers can help you jumpstart your career as a digital marketing specialist by sharing with you what they already know.
You can start networking by attending industry conferences, events, and seminars in the specific field of digital marketing you chose. Social channels also make for powerful tools for networking in the digital marketing industry. You can participate in industry-related chats to connect with professionals in your field.
You can also connect with industry leaders and influencers through social media by leaving comments related to your niche and tagging them. If your posts were insightful, you’ll get them to give their two cents worth on the topic. This approach also helps boost your brand awareness. It can even help you get more likes on Instagram, followers on Facebook, and retweets once people see you as an authority in the digital marketing space.
Furthermore, online forums and communities may be valuable resources for interacting with and learning from subject matter experts.
Additionally, you can start strong by seeking mentorship from experienced professionals. Through these partnerships, you may get helpful information about the industry and what employers are looking for from job applicants. You may also get advice for future professional opportunities.
Where do you find these mentors? Some companies and agencies offer mentorship programs. For example, the School Of Marketing offers a free mentorship program to help newbies improve key skills to succeed in the field.
When considering a mentor, look for individuals with a wealth of digital marketing experience. You want them to demonstrate a passion for mentoring young professionals.
3. Get certified
Here’s how to get into digital marketing after completing your college course: get certified.
New grads like you can set themselves apart from other job seekers by making a commitment to continuing the learning process and obtaining additional digital marketing certifications. This won’t just help improve your digital marketing skills. It will also open doors to global opportunities, given the virtual nature of many of these programs.
You can start by getting a certification for each of the digital marketing fields you chose to pursue. So, you can master content optimization and get certified in email marketing separately. The downside of this strategy is that you’ll have to spend a lot of time completing each course for certification. Then there’s the money factor, too, if the certification courses aren’t free.
So, for new graduates, another option is to get certified in a comprehensive course that covers the basics of each field you chose. You won’t delve as much into each field like SEO, for example. However, you’ll at least learn some digital marketing techniques, best practices, and the latest industry trends for each field.
HubSpot, for instance, offers a free digital marketing certification course. Once you complete the course, you’ll have learned the basics of digital marketing in general, and a bit about content creation and SEO, among others. All these skills and accreditations will help you showcase your expertise as you launch your digital marketing career.
You can get exhaustive and separate certifications for each digital marketing field once you have the time and resources.
4. Gain practical experience
Practical experience is essential to landing rewarding job opportunities with competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and excellent growth prospects in your digital marketing career.
As a recent graduate, you can gain relevant hands-on experience in digital marketing through internships, freelancing, volunteering, or entry-level jobs. This will provide you with the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals and learn from their expertise.
You can search online job boards for entry-level positions and related roles as well. Even if you don’t have any professional experience just yet, it won’t hurt if you applied.
You can also obtain practical experience by managing your own digital assets. For instance, you can build and manage your own blog, social media platforms, or website. You can use Google Sheet tools to help you track campaign metrics and other data on a daily basis.
5. Build a portfolio
For those wondering how to launch a digital marketing career, a good portfolio is essential to establishing a successful career in the field. It should display your body of work, experience, and dedication to constant learning.
Your portfolio should consider the aspects of digital marketing you said you’d focus on. If you decided you want to specialize in social media marketing, your body of work should be composed of social media posts, not emails. To build this body of work, you’ll want to take on social media marketing jobs. Or, if you’re trying to gain experiences on your own, you should focus on improving your social media presence and building your own digital marketing brand.
Once you have that body of work, you can create an online portfolio for employers to view.
You don’t have to include every piece of work you’ve done. Just choose the best ones, and those that show the unique creative touch you bring to each project.You may also want to include important data, like clickthrough rates and engagement metrics, for each work. You want to show evidence that your work has helped companies achieve their goals.
Finally, in a fast-paced industry like digital marketing, it’s essential to demonstrate that you’re willing to keep learning and growing, even as a recent graduate. Consider adding certifications, courses, or other educational opportunities to your resume and cover letter. This can show potential employers that you’re committed to staying current on trends and best practices in the industry.
As a final tip, remember, a portfolio is an ongoing project. Continually update and refine it as you gain more experience and exposure in the industry.
In Closing
With the right strategy and commitment, learning how to launch a digital marketing career for new graduates can be relatively straightforward. Just assess what you know first so you can determine the specific digital marketing fields you want to specialize in as a professional. Once you’ve made that decision, network with experts in the field. Of course, you should also obtain additional certifications and stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends.
Finally, build a portfolio of relevant work experiences that will get the attention of potential clients. This can help open doors to new career paths and opportunities.
With passion, hard work, and preparation, you’ll launch your digital marketing career without any difficulty. Best of luck!
