Written by our professional Digital Nomad, David Heiling. (Yes! he lives the life!)

Digital marketing is a fast-paced and ever-evolving field which requires creative, technical, and analytical skills. As many aspects of marketing follow a more digitally focused approach, there are plenty of opportunities to improve and hone your marketing skills before, during, and after finishing university.

Here are 8 things you can do right now to prepare for a career in digital marketing:

1. Learn the Basics

Educate yourself on the foundations of digital marketing. You will need to know and understand the difference between SEM and SEO, as well as get to grips with the latest social media techniques. Practice using digital tools by designing a website on WordPress, using email marketing, or Google Analytics.

The ability to write professionally and concisely is also a highly desirable skill in the digital space. So whilst practicing your technical and analytical skills, think about expanding your writing portfolio. If you can understand how to convey messages to different audiences, this will give you a significant advantage. Expand your portfolio by taking a journalism class, or volunteering to write for your university newspaper. Any published work featuring your by-line will be extremely valuable.

2. Develop your Online Presence

Upon receiving a CV, almost every company will seek you out via social media and Google your name if they are interested in giving you an interview. This is a standardised screening procedure, however, will also give recruiters an idea as to whether you would be a suitable addition to a particular company.

Update your social media bios’ with more professional and aspirational statements. E.g. ‘Digital Marketer Searching for New Opportunities’ or ‘Social Media enthusiast’ etc. It will further help to select more professional images for your profile pictures across all of your public-facing social profiles (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook), and share content relevant to areas of digital marketing, or of brands that you’re interested in. This can be achieved via retweeting articles, commenting on, or sharing related posts.

You could even look into creating your own blog where you can share ideas and writing your own content. Promote your blog through social media - use email marketing!

3. Know the Latest Trends

Consume as much content as possible! Read, listen, and watch all you can about the specific field you want to go into. As the industry is known for ever evolving, it is important to stay in touch with current trends. This will give you talking points with potential interviewers and colleges.

Stay up to date with trends by following publications such as:

Marketing Week
Consultancy.uk
HubSpot
Business Insider
Moz
Marketing Land
Brian Solis
Forbes

4. Network

It’s often more about who you know rather than what you know. Networking can boost your confidence and lead to valuable relationships. LinkedIn is a great way of connecting with like-mind people, as well as gaining access to information, trends, and industry discussion to keep you up to date on what’s happening in the sector. However, don’t bypass reaching out to friends, family, and other professional networks, as these relationships can also lead to valuable opportunities.

You can further attend industry events to meet other digital marketers and enhance your skill set through workshops and presentations.

Knowledge is power, and your networks will allow for better access to new opportunities.

5. Find an Internship

If you’re studying Digital Marketing at university, aim to secure a 12 month placement as part of your degree. The more experience you have working for notable marketing agencies, the greater your chance of securing a full-time role once you graduate. Most universities have job boards boasting companies who specifically want to hire undergraduate interns. Alternatively, search on LinkedIn or contact companies of interest directly – just because a company doesn’t advertise positions doesn’t mean they’re not interested in taking on interns!

Also, don’t discount remote placements. Given the current climate they can still provide you with invaluable experience.

Then once you have secured an internship, get involved with as many campaigns as possible, particularly larger ones. Say ‘yes’ to everything, as every project is an opportunity to enhance your CV.

6. Try Freelancing

As not all internships or placements are paid, they might not be financially feasible. Freelancing allows you to get hands on experience and get paid! Freelancing will help you gain exposure for your work which can also fit around university and work schedules. If this is something you are interested in, give Upwork a try – a tailor-made app aimed at putting freelancers in touch with clients. Not only will you be compensated for you work, you will be able to add valuable pieces to your portfolio!

Alternatively, you can offer your services to small companies. E.g. independent cafes or bars, inquiring if they would like help managing their social media or blogs. With everything you publish, tag, or share links back to your own blog or social accounts. This will help to further develop your online presence and personal brand.

7. Get Certified

Anyone can get into digital marketing without a university degree. But the candidates with certifications in digital marketing are more likely to get noticed and secure the best positions. If you are serious about a career in digital marketing, take online courses on sites such as, Udemy, Google Digital Garage, or via The Institute of Marketing. Many companies will focus on hiring employees who have certifications in Hubspot, Google Ads, and Google Analytics – follow the links to find out how you can sign up for these courses for free!

Having trusted certifications will make you stand out as both independently motivated and better technically prepared than those who don’t have them.

8. Craft a Winning CV

Create an engaging and dynamic CV that demonstrates just how valuable your skills are. Be creative as this is likely draw recruiters in, and make sure to add in all of your experience, including personal projects. Ensure to tailor your CV to every company, targeting their specific requirements.

This blog post was written by freelance writer, Lorna Hutchinson.

8 Tips On How To Start A Career In Digital Marketing.