Starting Out In Digital Marketing
Yesterday as I was completing my Google Ads assessment, it suddenly dawned on me how far I have come since starting with BYB seven months ago. Having a set of questions laid out in front of me that I could actually answer about things that would have meant absolutely nothing to me before I started, felt incredibly empowering and has really made me reflect on how much I have achieved since starting with Beyond Your Brand.
Last year I was in a job that just wasn’t satisfying my need to progress. I had a sudden hunger for a career that I hadn’t had before. With my children getting older and being in school, I knew it was my time to dig deeper and find something that was more than just a job to pay the bills. But where to start? I didn’t have the time or money to go back into education and despite my new desire for a career, I knew that I still wanted to be as present with my children as possible. I was fairly sure that I wouldn’t find something that could be both a new and exciting career and something that allowed me to drop off and pick up my children every day.
When I came in for my interview, I was surprised by how flexible my hours could be and how my children were talked about as the most important factor in determining my hours and working life. This was an approach I had always hoped for as a working Mum but had rarely seen and as Caroline and Paul explained the job to me, it sounded more and more like my dream career. I had no experience in digital marketing but I had a passion for writing. I thought my chances of getting a job where I could write were long gone. I was wrong.
On my first day, I remember thinking to myself “I hope they realise I quite literally know NOTHING about digital marketing!” I had made sure to Google “SEO” and “PPC” so that at least I could memorise the definitions even if I still had no idea what they meant. I arrived at the office to the most wonderful welcome of brownies, a notebook and a new water bottle and felt instantly at ease, whilst still painfully aware that I had no idea about anything. Despite this, I was comforted by the relaxed atmosphere and friendly banter that met me. I’m always more comfortable in an environment where everyone has a good sense of humour.
Over the first couple of months, I unsurprisingly relied heavily on being given specific instructions. I tried to soak in as much as possible, take notes at every opportunity and sit in on meetings which to start with were like listening to a foreign language. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have always lacked confidence and often dumb myself down despite everyone being incredibly supportive and explaining things in the best possible way. I knew this was the career I wanted and I was desperate to flick a switch and have all the knowledge I needed to write the best article and produce the best ad copy. I had always known it would take time and Paul and Caroline had both assured me that there was no pressure and that I would get there. But I was loving my new job and I desperately wanted to progress.
Slowly but surely I could feel that I was improving in certain areas. I was starting to understand more. My articles were getting fewer amends and Google Ads were starting to click into place. Little light bulb moments were happening frequently and I was finding myself having to ask fewer questions and rely less on being told what to work on. The first time I had an article published, I read it on the website so many times and sent it to my family members. I felt so proud of myself and so grateful for the opportunity I have been given.
When I found out another person was going to be joining us in a similar role to me, my immediate thought was one of imposter syndrome and fear that my lack of experience would become even more obvious. But of course, Fleur was lovely and her first stage seemed to naturally become the beginning of my next. I remember one day she asked me a question about Google Ads and I answered it without thinking, got up and helped her with something she was doing for the first time. I sat back down to a message from Caroline telling me how proud she was of me and Paul then commented on how far I had come. It was then that I realised I was improving and putting what I had learned into practice. I felt like I had stepped off the starting block and was running toward my next milestone. I have come to discover that my career in digital marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. There are days where I stumble and rely on the encouragement and support of my colleagues to pick me up and there are other days where I feel like I am storming along and can even help someone else. I am going to be learning something new every day for the rest of my working life and in my opinion, the day you don’t want to learn something new, is the day you lose your passion.
I am the happiest I have ever been in any job and I truly believe that I have found a career that I adore and am progressing in with an amazing team who have become true friends. If you can find a career with a supportive team, you’re winning. If that team becomes like family, you’ve won.
