Thinking about starting a career in digital marketing? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the marketing job demand is set to increase by 10% by 2026, which is above the average for all careers currently!
Digital marketing is an industry that encompasses so many skillsets - from analysts to tech to sales and more. What’s the best way to break into one of the fastest-growing fields out there? Here are three tips to give you the kick-start you need to acquire both marketing and practical experience, along with some real-life stories from Cybba employees on how they got into the digital space.
Three Tips to Kick-Start Your Career
1. Get an internship(s) in areas you’re most interested in to test them out.
Internships are invaluable as you can truly “try before you buy” without committing to any certain area. Think you could be interested in content marketing or social media? Aim to get an internship in each to test them out and figure out what you like and don’t like from both. This will be so helpful when looking for that first full-time role in an area you know you love!
2. Choose one digital marketing channel to focus on and hone your skills in that area.
As alluded to in the first paragraph, digital marketing has a lot of subsets and areas you can focus on. Some of these areas include SEO, email, and social, but that is only the tip of the iceberg! Do research on the pros and cons of the areas that speak to you the most and narrow it down from there, so you know what areas to truly become an expert in.
3. Attend networking events and connect with people in the industry.
Ever hear the saying, “It’s all about who you know”? Well, there is definitely truth to that when looking to break into a new career! Attending networking events and connecting with people in the areas you want to focus on not only helps you learn more about the market and landscape but may also help to get you an “in” if they work for a company you might be interested in.
Cybba Employee Stories
Andrew Jaroncyk (Product Analyst, Boston)
I started out in Insurance for a year and a half, and I realized about a year or so in that Insurance just wasn’t for me. I wanted to be in a more dynamic industry, and Digital Marketing was just that – I was introduced to this role here at Cybba that was specific to the skill set and experience I brought. I have always been interested in leveraging my Analytics, Data Science, and Machine Learning backgrounds in an industry like Digital Marketing, where you really see the impact of your work play out with clients having significant increases in Conversions, Site Visits, and Click Rates (to name a few metrics). My advice for those starting out: ask questions. A lot of them. Ask for help, ask for clarification, even if you think you have the concept down pat. Starting out, I made the mistake of thinking I could handle it all at once, but everything moves so quickly in Digital Marketing, that it’s almost impossible not to ask for help and for guidance from others to make decisions and get work done. That’s why it’s a team effort at the end of the day, and clients appreciate that everyone in Digital Marketing plays a vital role in the success of their Campaign, from Sales and Account Management, all the way to Tech and QA. It’s such a great time to be in the Digital Marketing industry, and I’d encourage anyone looking for an industry to make a serious splash in to look into Digital Marketing – you won’t regret it!
Caroline Southard (Account Manager, Boston)
I was introduced to Cybba during a guest lecture in a college marketing class, and through the presentation, the world of digital marketing and advertising instantly intrigued me! Pursuing a career in digital marketing appealed to me because of the rapidly evolving nature of the space. The innovation and creativity involved in helping e-commerce businesses increase conversions are very exciting, especially when you reference your own experiences as a consumer to help develop digital marketing solutions.
Kyle Parcell (Senior Account Manager, Phoenix)
After working in sports for the first few years out of college, I wanted to try something different. I had always found the marketing & corporate partnerships departments within the sports organizations really interesting, and I wanted to give marketing a shot. I began working at Cybba as a Business Development Rep, reaching out to brands and starting the conversation about how Cybba could be a beneficial part of their overall marketing strategy. In that role, I was also trained on every aspect of digital marketing and how it functioned. That meant starting with the basics, such as learning about all the types of campaigns that were available and working all the way up to how the campaigns are built & managed on the backend. From that training, I was able to go from a complete novice in digital marketing to a well-versed marketing consultant; able to come up with creative, holistic strategies that help our clients reach their marketing goals. After six months in that role, I moved into an Account Manager position where I was able to put this knowledge to work. I now help manage large and complex campaigns, putting together unique strategic plans that accommodate both clients’ needs & wants. It really is a great feeling to be able to put together effective campaigns and then hear from the client how happy they are with the results. I know I definitely found my calling and I’m excited to see how the digital landscape changes in the future.
John Shea (Account Executive, Boston)
After college, I started my sales career in the staffing industry. For 3 years I was an Account Manager selling staffing services to construction, engineering, and architectural firms in the Boston area. Although I did enjoy the work I was doing, my degree was in marketing, and I knew that I wanted to follow that passion, but in a sales capacity. After gaining valuable sales experience I knew that I was ready to move into the digital marketing space, so I started networking with other sales reps in the marketing industry. My biggest piece of advice would be to get curious. Network with individuals in the space - pick their brains about how they got into the industry, their challenges, and how they’ve progressed their careers to where they are now. That advice and guidance helped me land a Business Development Rep role with Cybba - where I have now recently moved into an Account Executive seat. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Cybba has given me and excited to see what the future holds!
Rob Smith (Account Manager, Boston)
I discovered my passion for digital marketing during my general marketing internship Junior year of college and decided to stick with it. From there, I graduated and got an entry-level position at an agency to get some really solid, constructive experience. I discovered that I really enjoy account management and wanted to work with a wide array of clients. Here at Cybba, I'm doing just that. My biggest piece of advice is to take one thing from each experience that you either want or don't want in the next, and apply it!
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