If you think that working in digital is for you, some of the best places to get noticed by industry professionals are social media, LinkedIn and the blogosphere. Showing that you can manipulate and use these platforms to your own ends is not only beneficial to your profile, it shows prospective employers that you are aware and able to navigate the digital world, and thus a potential good candidate.
Working in digital marketing is a continual journey of learning. The pace of the internet is fast, techniques and theories that may have been true last month might be made obsolete in the near future. In spirit of this we have put together some tips for using the internet to your advantage, as your own self promoting tool.
Top 10 techniques to get you noticed in the digital world:
- Continual learning/eagerness to learn – Digital as an industry is always evolving and changing. To be a good candidate for a career in digital you will need a constant thirst to learn because techniques and opinions that you learned 6 months ago may not be relevant for the future.
- Follow blogs/social media – To market yourself as a good candidate being engaged through social media and in the blogosphere is a great place to start. Build connections and start creating your own individual brand, especially as you can almost guarantee that a prospective employer will check to see if you have an online presence before an interview or even during the decision process.
- Appear visibly engaged – Engaging in the world of digital by tweeting, following and blogging shows how you’ve invested in this career path. To a future employer knowing that a candidate is already part of the digital community builds confidence in your abilities as a professional.
- Build your own personal brand – Keep in mind that a good online profile for yourself might be the decision maker if it comes down to you vs another candidate! Your personal brand needs to convey your professionalism and skills; it might help sway someone in the right direction.
- Stay updated – Keep your foot in the digital door so to speak. Keep on top of updates and algorithms, this will show your commiment and interest in the industry, as well as allowing you to come across as a seasoned professional and someone with a good grasp of the industry and where its heading.
- Get certified – Getting yourself certified with a marketing qualification can be worth its weight in gold if it puts you head and shoulders above other applicants.
- Network – Attending industry conferences will allow you to nurture relationships with others in the digital industry. A support network will be highly beneficial in the future. An online community is a great place to ask questions and solve problems, it will be an asset going forwards.
- Understand industry jargon – In digital there are so many industry terms and lots of acronyms to get your head around. In order to sound like a professional, you need to get to grips with all of these. Also get your head around Google update names like Panda and Penguin. An understanding of these terms will provide a good grounding to begin your digital learning.
- Eagerness to learn – You can have lots of experience and all the qualifications you like, but nothing will compare to showing a desire to learn and an eagerness to continually evolve your position. Also vice versa it is very important that you find an employer who is open to, and invests in your development as a professional.
- Personal projects – Develop your own opinions and theories, demonstrate these with the creation of your own projects, and be able to take accountability when something fails. Display these thoughts and ideas using social media and discuss with your social media networking contacts.
Making these efforts will help get that extra edge when it comes to getting an interview or standing out from other applicants. They are also a great starting point to prepare yourself for your new job, allowing you to hit the ground running.
If you’ve looking for your next digital role – be sure to check out our jobs page!