Getting a job in Online Marketing

[johnny12]

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I'm a marketing graduate and have no real practical experience in online marketing but have been dabbling in affiliate marketing for the past few months so I have a basic understanding of SEO, PPC, e-mail marketing, social networking etc. I would like to pursue a career in this field and was wondering what are the minimum skill/experience requirements you need to possess before digital agencies or other organisations who employ digital marketers would even consider before inviting you for an interview. Any info/advice on how to go about starting a career in online marketing would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Johnny

[mattb811]

Hi Johnny,

i-level run a Graduate Recruitment Scheme once a year for precisely the kind of people in your position called i-cademy. This runs in September and if you are interested in finding out more please email careers@i-level.com

Thanks,

Matt

[johnny12]

Thanks Matt, I'll take a look at the website.

[Shimrit]

I you're willing to start at the bottom, many companies would take you on and train you up. It all depends on where in the country you are. In and around London, there are lots.

[johnny12]

Yeah, I would be more than willing to start off at the bottom. I've sent a speculative CV to a number of advertising/digital agencies but either get no response or they say they don't have any vacancies. And where I live, I don't think digital agencies even exist!

[Shimrit]

And where I live, I don't think digital agencies even exist!

Where do you live?

[johnny12]

I live in Aberdeen. Would apply for jobs in London all the time but can't afford the travelling costs if I'm going to get rejected from jobs interviews all the time...and I've been rejected from tons of jobs in the past year.

[pedigreechump6]

Try looking on New Media Jobs & Careers - SEO Jobs - Search Engine Optimization & Search Engine Marketing Job & Career Site although I have noticed that the number of roles on here has dropped recently. Also on any job search just put keywords like ppc, seo etc in and see what the results are like. Try to find those with lower salaries and/or "junior", "trainee" in the name as these may be entry level jobs.

I myself got into PPC when I first left uni and it was a great choice IMO and if you perform well then salaries are pretty good over time (I was on almost £40k after 2 years although my role developed to cover all the marketing activities - I have since gone full time self employed).

[johnny12]

Thanks pedigreechump, will give that a go.

PPC sounds like a great good field to get into if you were getting almost 40K; didn't realise online marketers could paid that much after 2 years. Need to do some serious research into this! Good luck with the business.

[Chrisgb4]

I didn't really have any knowledge of affiliate marketing before starting my role, so prior experience isn't neccessary (although it would help in your interview and look good on your CV).

The first piece of advice that I could give you is to simply ring businesses to see if they are recruiting, keep a track of these, then send your CV to all of them (adapting your CV specifically for each role). Another tip I can give you is don't rely on recruitment agencies to find you a job - I was waiting for literally months to finally get interviews, and even then I didn't get anything.

Also, I know a friend that offered unpaid assistance for a copy of weeks and then secured a f/t paid job at a website programmer agency - maybe this is worth considering?

I hope this helps - good luck with your hunt

Chris

[johnny12]

Thanks Chris. Yeah, working for free is probably the best option to get my foot in the door, which I have mentioned in my speculative emails to London agencies just to gain some experience but most don't even bother replying.

I just registered a new domain a few days ago so I guess I can build up my experience by developing an affiliate site for it in the meantime.

[KevinEdwards]

Hi,

If you're keen and bright you should be able to at least get yourself a good round of interviews.

Many companies would far rather take on someone they can train up than someone with maybe a year under their belt who potentially has priced themselves out of the market.

If you explain your difficulties with travelling then companies should be flexible. Come down to London (if that's where you want to be) for a few days having crammed in a range of appointments in.

Don't be afraid to speculate. Get your CV out there and remember to do your research about the company, their clients, their ethos etc. If you're interviewing at a search agency beef up about the industry as much as possible. Often agencies will have case studies on their sites.

And if you don't want to move to London remember Scotland has a pretty vibrant digital industry with significant merchants and agencies based there.

Above all be persistent - don't take knockbacks or non-replies personally. Persevere and you'll find the right job for you.

[johnny12]

Thanks for the advice Kevin, all seems like quite sound advice. I definitely want to live and work in London and have been concentrating most of my job applications there but the only thing that's holding me back from jumping in with both feet is my financial situation. I'm sure I'll find a way round that.

[dgoodchild]

johnny, give me a call tomorrow on 01442 266572. I'm primarily a recruiter but also an affiliate.

I can't guarantee anything, but I may have a few tips if nothing else.

[johnny12]

Hi dgoodchild. OK, will give you a call sometime tomorrow. Thanks.