Expert Advice on Pursuing a Career in Digital Marketing
Reading Time: ~8 Mins | Written By: Darian Kovacs
In November 2023, the Career Education Society hosted their annual conference, bringing together high school career counselors, principals and teachers from across the province of BC. Additionally, experts from varying industries were brought in to bring light to different career paths available to youth, as they start to think about their next steps after high school.
I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel, hosted by Jelly Academy, related to career pathways in digital marketing. We had some of the best minds from BC share their thoughts: Karolina Mikolajczyk from Hootsuite, Nir Kusnir from SearchKings, and Lyn Brian from Major Tom.
This article provides a summary of their perspectives, offering job search advice for aspiring digital marketers, and those supporting them.
1. Decoding Digital Marketing: A Primer
What is Digital Marketing, and why should we care about it? Lyn, the CEO of Major Tom, one of Canada’s most reputable marketing agencies, set the tone by succinctly defining digital marketing “as the art of driving qualified traffic to an online destination. This encapsulates the essence of a field that goes beyond conventional marketing, leveraging the vast digital ecosystem to connect businesses with their audiences.”
2. The Golden Opportunity for Young Adults:
Nir from SearchKings, shed light on the immense potential digital marketing holds for young professionals. “There is a gap that exists between what technology can do for us and what business owners can understand. Over the next 10-15+ years, technology will continue to introduce far more opportunities than people can understand, further increasing the need for digital marketers.” In other words, those businesses that require digital marketing the most, don’t necessarily understand the value it can bring, or simply don’t have the time to dedicate to it, given that the majority of their time is spent focusing on servicing their customers.
Lyn reinforced the allure of digital marketing for young adults, emphasizing its unique quality as a career that allows for immediate growth and scalability. Unlike traditional professions that may require years of formal education, digital marketing offers the possibility of earning from day one, paving the way for a dynamic and fulfilling career journey.
Something I have been referencing throughout this year is LinkedIn's ‘Jobs on the Rise Report’, which states that the job title "Growth Marketer" was identified as the most sought-after job in Canada in 2023. This underscores the critical role that growth marketing plays in today's business landscape, making it a promising career path with longevity, for the next generation.
Karolina from Hootsuite highlighted the perpetual need for effective digital marketing,“There will always be a need to effectively market a product or service through digital channels - it won’t go away. So digital marketing is a career path that has a lot of potential, it’s still not over-saturated, there’s room to grow, and it’s always evolving and changing.”
3. The Joy of Digital Marketing:
So what? The need for digital marketers in today’s, and tomorrow’s market is there. Other than the demand, what is the allure to this career path for aspiring youth? The speakers unanimously expressed their enthusiasm for being part of the digital marketing industry, citing unique aspects that make this field both challenging and rewarding.
One of the things I have always tried to celebrate about digital marketing is the industry's embrace of imperfection. There is an emphasis on curiosity, disruption, and innovation. It's a space where even those entering with minimal knowledge can thrive, given the right mindset. The industry focuses on ‘what can we learn from that mistake?’. Not, ‘how should this error be punished or made an example of?’.
Karolina illuminated the psychological safety net inherent in digital marketing. “If you’re going to be a good marketer - you need to understand that failure is really just part of learning and testing. There’s no set of rules you have to follow to do the job well - so for young people that are very curious and want to learn and grow, it’s really a great career path. “
Nir provided a different perspective, highlighting the integral role marketers play in a business's success. “For young employees, a career in marketing can make them feel like they are contributing to the success of a business.” In other words, they are a part of something. They’re not just a cog in a machine. They can see the results of their efforts, and be proud.
Lyn focused on the diversity of opportunities within the industry. “Employees have more choice in the type of workplace they want to be in - they can find an organization that aligns with their values and culture, and makes them feel nurtured.”
4. Initiating the Digital Marketing Journey: How do we get started?
If one thing was clear throughout the discussion, it’s that there is no one, single, linear path to becoming a digital marketer. However, there are some key things to focus on when getting started.
Nir recommended that people begin with doing the research to make sure Digital Marketing is of interest to you. A great place to start “would be to attend digital marketing conferences. Over the last few years, many of them have moved online, so you don’t have to travel, and some of them are free to attend. “ This gives youth the opportunity to hear from industry experts: learning about the things they’re working on, and what they can look forward to in the near future.
Karolina encouraged young professionals not to worry excessively about specialization. “I personally don’t know many people in marketing who are doing now what they were doing at the start of their career. So I think a general understanding that would come from an intro course would be a great way to start.”
Of course, this is where we (Jelly Academy) aims to help. We have worked with CES in BC, as well as Vista Virtual Schools in Alberta, to offer an entry level version of our digital marketing course to high school students. This opens their eyes and minds to the industry, and even gives them some technical skills and certifications to pursue a job once they finish high school.
5. Standing Out in a Competitive Job Market
‘How do I stand out from other candidates to land a job?’ This is arguably one of the most asked questions from job seekers. In today’s landscape, there are so many factors that come into play beyond skills and experience. Remote work, short term contract work (ie. the Gig Economy), degrees vs. certificates, and more, are all things to consider.
For many of us, there is a certain appeal to working remotely. But Nir advises candidates to think twice about jobs that promote 100% remote work, “I actually think that working from home can be very problematic for young employees and I would encourage them to think twice before considering it to be something that is good and fun. It can be very difficult to learn over Zoom or Teams, so even a hybrid role would be better for those entering the industry. We’ve found that when we communicate at least 30% of the time in-person, we do better. Furthermore, for jobs that are 100% remote, your competition is the world, not just people in your geographic area.”
Opening yourself to competition against candidates from a wide geographic area can certainly make things more tricky. To combat this, Karolina recommends thinking outside the box. “Especially in this industry, the best way to stand out is to go beyond just a resumé and cover letter. At Hootsuite, we’ve had people go the extra mile to submit a Reel or TikTok they created in addition to their resumé. It’s super easy for them to do, but it shows their ability to use these types of platforms and commitment to the position.”
Outside of the job application, there are things youth can do to get their name out there that are often overlooked. Lyn emphasized the importance of proactive networking, “You’re selling the business on why they should pick you - that doesn’t mean you submit your resumé and never follow-up. Be gritty, adopt some networking power - go on LinkedIn, start reaching out to people who could have influence. It seems so obvious, but it doesn’t happen that much.” By interacting with people who are living and breathing the digital marketing landscape everyday, you’re making strong connections. It won’t always result in an immediate interview or job offer, but it certainly puts your name near the top of a list whenever an opportunity arises.
It might go without saying, but candidates need to be qualified. All of the panelists agreed that some level of education outside of high school. Whether it is a certificate program like Jelly Academy’s, or you’ve taken a series of online courses through, for example, Google Grow, or Hootsuite Academy, take it upon yourself to demonstrate your willingness to learn about the industry.
Conclusion:
Many career paths are not linear, and digital marketing certainly does not have to be one of them. Many of our panelists didn’t get their start in marketing, and actually transitioned into the industry after years of experience elsewhere. Transferable skills, a willingness to learn, and a proactive mindset are an incredible place for youth to start if they are interested in a career in digital marketing. For those looking for great resources to learn more about digital marketing, I encourage you to check out the following:
Research from the Digital Marketing Sector Council: outlines where the industry is at in terms of skills development and hiring
The Canadian Marketing Association’s CMA NXT program: learn about careers that exist in marketing, and resources you can use to get started (includes interview preparation, resumé building, and more)
This is the Job: take a quiz to learn what type of role in marketing you are best suited for
