1. Learn the Basics with Free Online Courses

If you’re thinking about getting into digital marketing then the best way to judge whether it’s right for you is by starting some online courses. There are SO many online courses for marketing you could spend years trying to get through them all so here are a few of my favourites for beginners:

• Google Digital Garage - Offers beginner-level courses on everything from SEO to digital ads, certified by Google.

• Google Analytics - Learn how to track website data and understand user behaviour.

• HubSpot Academy - Great for inbound marketing, email marketing, and CRM basics.

• Neil Patel’s Training - SEO-focused tips and digital marketing insights from a well-known industry expert.

Once you’ve completed each of these courses you’ll get a certificate which you can put on your LinkedIn. Don’t forget to do this as it will show your connections and potential employers what you’ve been up to and how dedicated you are to learning more about the industry.

2. Pick a Specialism That Interests You

Once you’ve completed a few online courses, pick an area of digital marketing you are interested in the most. Digital marketing covers a wide range of areas like:

• Content marketing

• SEO

• Social media

• Analytics

• Copywriting

Choose one area that excites you and start learning more about it in depth. For example, if you choose social media, focus on one platform like Instagram. Ask yourself:

• How do successful brands use the platform?

• What kind of content performs well?

• How often should you post?

• What tools or features should you know?

• What kind of metrics can I use to understand how my content is performing?

3. Practice Building Your Skills

Now it's time to apply what you've learned. Employers love to see real-world examples, and the best way to build experience is by creating your own project. Choose a platform or tool (like Instagram, a blog, or a newsletter) and start experimenting.

Not sure what to focus on? Try one of these ideas:

• Your personal life

• Your hobbies: makeup tutorials, gaming, hiking, playing guitar or cat memes

• Create a fake brand

• Use a real life brand and create your own strategy for them (make sure to specify you have no affiliation with them!)

Whether you're just exploring your options or ready to dive in, the most important thing is to stay curious and keep learning. Digital marketing is constantly evolving, but with practice and consistency, you'll quickly build skills that open doors.

Local SEO

Local SEO is an easy place to start as there is so much you can do for very little money. You can use Semrush’s tool to get a list of the top 10 online directories available to see if there are any profiles available in your company’s name. This list usually contains sites like Yelp, Google Business Profile and Bing but there are so many more out there, particularly in your niche.

Usually these sites will already have information about your company, you just have to claim the profile by setting up an account and making sure the details are correct. Some more specialised sites will allow you to add your list of services, which makes your profile stand out more.

Google Business and Bing Webmasters Profiles

Setting up a Google Business Profile and a Bing Webmasters account are the top 2 I’d start with. Obviously Google is the top search engine in the world, with Bing being next in line so optimising your profiles for these is paramount.

When optimising your Google Profile you should have a look at what details your competitors include in their profiles.

• Do they have any keywords in their business name?

• Do they have lots of 4 or 5 star reviews?

• Do people ask questions (and get responses)?

• Do they have any articles?

• Do they have any images? - Are they high quality? Have they been uploaded by the company or by customers?

• Do they list their services?

• Is there anything missing from their profiles that you could add to yours?

Put together a spreadsheet of the top 10 competitors who show up in search for your chosen keywords and see if they have anything in common.

Once this is complete you can continue to monitor your traffic and other analytics through the profile. It would be best to focus on reviews, as potential customers will use this as a guide as to whether or not to use your business. Once you’ve got lots of 4 or 5 star reviews, you can then include Schema Markup on your website to show your reviews just underneath your meta description in Google Search. I find I rarely see this in search results, which means you have a better chance of standing out from your competitors when this is available. You can view Google’s website to find out more about structured data.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is hugely important as search engines like Google use this to help them rank content. Now there are free tools available to start you off (though they may have limited usage) but once you start getting more advanced it would be better off paying for a tool as you will be able to access a lot more keywords.

My favourite keyword research tools are: Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner, Answer the Public and Answer Socrates. When you’re starting out you can use a mix of these just to get a general idea before you decide which one you prefer.

When looking at keywords it’s best to look for phrases that have a relatively low competition, but high search volume. Every keyword comes with a cost and you can use this cost to determine how worthy the keywords are. Ultimately it will come down to what you can afford if you choose to use Google Ads.

On-Page SEO

On-Page SEO is things like:

• Titles, headings and meta descriptions

• URL structure (domain + slug)

• Internal linking

• Image optimisation

Titles, Headings and Meta Descriptions

Now using the keyword research you’ve done as above, you will be able to optimise your titles, headings and meta descriptions by using the keywords that are relevant to your business.

URL Structure

The same goes with the URL structure. Sometimes you may visit a website where the URL is abc.com/blog/122345668. This URL looks super messy and doesn’t give you enough information about the webpage you’re visiting. If you’ve written a blog about the best protein shakes to drink for weight loss then you want your slug (the part that comes after the first forward slash) to be /blog/best-protein-shakes-for-weight-loss. This gives the user a better idea of what webpage they’re on and it also communicates to search engines what the webpage is about.

Internal Linking

Internal linking is where you link to other pages on your website in order to signal the importance of those pages to search engines. When a page on your website is frequently linked to, then the search engine knows that the information on that page is really useful, and will use this to help rank the page higher in search. It can also help your website users to see links in the text, as this will give them additional pages to read and learn more about a particular topic.

Image Optimisation

Image optimisation is where you give your images a proper title and alternative text (aka alt text) which helps users who use screen readers to understand what the image is of. For users who have vision problems, they have to use screen readers, which rely on text to be able to read out all of the information on the page.

For example, if you’re reading a blog on Substack, you may see a blogger’s image at the top of the page, so the alt text from this image will be read out. Then the title of the blog, subheading, author name and date posted will be read out and so on.

How to Measure Your SEO Efforts

Now you might be wondering, okay so I’ve implemented all of these steps, how do I know if it’s working? Well I’d say before you even start all of these steps it would be important to set yourself up with a Google Analytics and Google Search Console account. Google Analytics will help you track your website traffic, landing pages, user flows and provide insight into your audience demographics. Google Search Console will let you know if your pages are able to be ranked on Google, and will tell you if you have any site issues.

Once you have set up these accounts you can then look at your traffic and hopefully see an increase. SEO is all about helping you rank higher in search results which should then increase your number of site visitors and eventually conversions.

There you have it! This is a super quick and easy checklist to help you get started in SEO. Search Engine Optimisation is a huge topic so I will be creating additional posts to cover each of the key points I’ve mentioned so I can give you better insights on what to do next.

It can feel so lonely when everyone around you is working, earning money, and just doesn’t understand why it’s so hard for you to find a role. You’ve applied to what feels like every job in the world, but either you don’t hear back, or you’re met with rejection. Even when you ask for feedback, you’re ignored. It feels impossible.

I’ve been there. I spent years unemployed, relying on benefits just to get by. But through trial and error and a LOT of research, I learned how to overcome these challenges and land multiple jobs when I was younger. In this blog, I’ll share the top tips that helped me—and will help you too.

1. Writing your CV

What to write

Writing your CV is the first key stage in the job process. It is usually the first item an employer will see from you, and it summarises your career journey so far. If you’ve recently left school or university you may struggle with what to put on your CV, thinking that you’ve got no work experience, but don’t worry. You can include your GCSE/A Levels, degree and other certificates.* You can also include your hobbies if they are related to the job role, things you’re currently learning, e.g. if you’re doing an online coding course or learning a language. Employers are interested in who you are, to see if you’re the right candidate for the role, but also to see if you’d fit in with their team, so don’t hide your personality, you need to show it off!

*Don’t put anything you’ve failed! It took me years to learn not to include my failed RE and Citizenship GCSEs from years ago as I thought I’d have to write all my GCSEs on there. It is very unlikely that an employer is going to ask for details for all of your certifications, as at the very least they’re interested in your English and Maths GCSEs, and anything else you’ve studied that you’re passionate about and have passed.

How it should look

A CV is typically 1-2 sides of an A4 document, with your name at the top in large letters, your contact details near the top in a prominent position (you want to be easily contactable) and your work experience and certificates listed below.

Now CVs can range in style across industries, so it would be worth doing some research on what a typical CV would look like for the industry you’re applying for. A job in retail is probably going to have a more traditional look, compared to a job within the arts industry. When applying for creative roles, you have more freedom to use your artistic instincts to make your CV stand out. This means using different fonts (though they still need to be readable) and utilising colours and shapes.

To create a traditional CV you can just use Microsoft Word or Google Docs, whereas Canva may be more appropriate for creative designs. Just make sure that when you export the document it does display the elements correctly as I have had problems in the past where design elements disappeared whilst saving and recruiters had to search for my LinkedIn profile in order to get in touch with me.

Bullet points

Bullet points are a great way of breaking up text into readable chunks. Have you ever had someone send you a giant wall of text and thought, “ugh, I can’t be bothered to read all that?” That’s how recruiters are going to feel if you don’t break up your text.

For example when writing out your work experience you may write:

• Liaised with the web developer for any needed website updates to facilitate SEO improvements.

• Managed the print system effectively, communicating any issues with the Finance, IT and supplier teams respectively.

• Built and maintained relationships with local businesses for community projects.

That looks a lot easier to read doesn’t it? A hiring manager looks at a CV for an average of 7 seconds, so being able to scan sentences easily to pick up keywords they need to match the role is really going to help.

2. LinkedIn

Nowadays it is essential to have a LinkedIn profile. With a LinkedIn profile you can add your education and work history, projects you’ve worked on, and make connections with others. It’s easy to start with people you know, whether that’s friends and family, or people you’ve worked with before, but start to look at profiles of people you find interesting, or people who may work at places you want to work at. You may be able to chat with them about their role, and see if there is a vacancy available for you.

3. Your Goals

So what kind of job do you really want? Are you just looking to pay the bills or do you want to build a career? Do you want a good work life balance or do you want to travel the world for work?

There are lots of questions that come from deciding what kind of job you want to have. List some of your priorities down so you have an idea in your head of what you really want in a job, then it’ll make it easier for you to find a job that fits those requirements. Of course, you won’t always find the perfect role and you have to be able to accept that early in your career, particularly if you’re lacking in experience.

When I first started looking for jobs I was about 16 and in college. I needed to start earning to support my family with the bills so I jumped straight in to applying for part time roles in my area. I had ZERO experience and my CV was certainly lacking in content. I hadn’t been part of any clubs in school, never did a paper round or anything. The hobbies I did as a teenager, however fun, were not applicable to working in retail. It was incredibly difficult for my to find any work, and I finally started applying for voluntary (read: unpaid) jobs when I was 18 and at university. I was so fed up of applying and not getting anywhere and I lived in a city that really didn’t have any job opportunities. Most jobs available were blue collar types like bricklaying or plumbing - not my cup of tea! I did eventually get my first unpaid job which I enjoyed far more than I expected. But in hindsight, however much pressure I’d felt when I was younger to get a paid job, I do wish I had started volunteering at 16 instead as I would’ve likely had a better start in my career much earlier.

4. Motivation & Confidence

Once you hit that 3 month mark of applying for jobs and not hearing back or being rejected, you’re gonna feel demotivated. And that is perfectly normal. It is really hard to constantly feel like you’re not good enough, smart enough, experienced enough for jobs, but you need to remember it’s not personal.

Nowadays competition is extremely high. You can see on job boards like LinkedIn how many applicants have applied on just that platform (bearing in mind the company might post the same listing across multiple sites) and they’ll easily have 200+ applicants within 24 hours. For some small businesses, it is impossible for them to respond to everyone as they just don’t have the resources. I do agree that companies should give you feedback once you’ve met with them, it’s really rude to send you a generic email that you’ve been rejected if you’ve interviewed with them, but unfortunately that is just the nature of job hunting nowadays.

Most of the time rejections and being ghosted genuinely isn’t personal. Companies are busy, they lack resources, or the timing might be off. Sometimes companies might want to hire internally, but because of their policies they have to advertise the role externally too.

The important thing is to not give up. You will get there one day, you just have to believe in yourself.

If any of these tips have helped you, please let me know in the comments!

The year was 2021, lockdown was over and places were starting to open up again. We were existing in ‘bubbles’ — only 6 people were allowed to be together, or thereabouts. I’d spent the best part of 2 years applying for digital marketing apprenticeships, with no luck. I was either overqualified or inexperienced depending on who you asked. Then I was finally given an opportunity…

I had succeeded in getting an apprenticeship in the public sector for a tiny agency based in the West Midlands. They were a small team; only had about 4 full time staff with a range of students dropping in and out throughout the year. I joined the team alongside another apprentice, excited that I’d finally got the job I’d been dreaming of for years.

The first month of the apprenticeship is dedicated to onboarding you as a student and employee. You meet with your tutor (mine was over Zoom due to the aforementioned bubbles) and get to know the structure of your course for the next 18 months. You meet the rest of your team, take your mandatory training courses and learn about what the company does and what your role will be going forward.

The Difficult Part

The next 16 months were an absolute whirlwind of tasks; meetings, projects, collaborations, stress, overwhelm and more. On the one hand, it was thrilling to learn about so many marketing techniques, creating campaigns, collaborating with the local community and yet there was this dark side that you weren’t supposed to talk about.

The course setup was interesting, to say the least. One of the pros of undertaking an apprenticeship is that you can start at any time. You’re not limited to waiting until September or January like other college courses. One of the cons, however, is that you need to be part of a cohort to start attending classes. I guess they don’t think it’s worthwhile attending on your own? I had to wait around 7 months to join a cohort and start joining these classes. I ended up being months ahead of the others, as these classes were based on the case studies we were putting together for our portfolios, and I had completed about three of these by this point. Seems unfair, but not much you can do about it!

Flash forward a few months and most of the girls in my cohort had dropped out. My colleague who I joined the company with had left before the cohort even began, and four other girls had left as well, leaving me and one other girl. The two of us also hated our employers but it was better for us to stay than to go.

There was also the stress of the humongous workload increasing week by week; losing a close colleague to another opportunity, facing a battle against a toxic workplace and more. It was as if your feelings were not only ignored, but ridiculed. The support from my tutor was lacking, there wasn’t much they could offer in my situation, and I couldn’t leave this workplace due to being too far into the course. I had already struggled for two years to get this position, I couldn’t leave with nothing to show for it, plus where would I go next?

It Didn’t Get Any Easier

I powered through my course, knowing that it wouldn’t last forever and the experience would be worth it for my CV. I got to month 15 of the apprenticeship and was told by my employer that they would be letting me go. They couldn’t afford to keep me on for the last couple of months because of the cost of living crisis. I was elated (best birthday present they could’ve given me!) but confused on what to do next. I instantly contacted my tutor who then had to get in touch with my college on what they needed to do. I was due to go through the assessment period just after my final working date and was tied with an exam board that required you to continue working with your apprenticeship employer to take your final assessment.

Spoiler alert: I never got to take my final assessment.

Once I left my job I stayed in regular contact with my tutor, who was helping me prepare for the assessment. My college however, did not stay in contact with me, and according to my tutor, also seemed to ignore any comms from him. In meetings he was told that they were working on changing my exam board, but that never seemed to happen. My tutor was confused, knowing that changing exam boards wasn’t a long process, but couldn’t get much of a response out of them. He recommended that I get in touch with them, as ultimately I had a separate contract with them and they were responsible for getting me to complete the course. They never responded to my emails and never returned my calls.

I was left to apply for jobs as I couldn’t stay on benefits for long. I found another job to join, but didn’t bother mentioning my apprenticeship conundrum as I was keen to move on from the experience and clearly my college wasn’t keen on getting a student to actually pass a course that so many people had dropped out from! My tutor begged me not to drop out, as he was so certain I would achieve a distinction from all the hard work I’d been doing for so long, but I had no patience to stay.

It was disappointing that I couldn’t officially finish my course, but ultimately I had undertaken this apprenticeship as it was the best way for me to get work experience, something that I had really struggled with up to that point. I had also gained certificates from two exams I took whilst on the course, so I was able to use these as evidence of taking the apprenticeship if needed for future employers.

My thoughts on the apprenticeship:

I learnt a lot on my apprenticeship. I learnt who to trust, how to communicate, how to manage my time, when to learn to fight for my rights vs taking a step back to prioritise on what’s necessary.

In terms of marketing, I hope to start sharing some tips, tools and techniques on this blog in the future. Despite my struggles I really enjoyed learning about marketing and I have taken this knowledge further into future roles.

Everything that happened on my apprenticeship happened for a reason. It has made me who I am today. That doesn’t mean to say that I don’t wish some things were different. Sometimes in life you have to do really difficult things if it means you can get to a better position in the future.

My thoughts on the new apprenticeship news as referenced here and here:

First is the news that needing a Level 2 English and Maths to do an apprenticeship is being dropped. Reportedly, businesses having been asking this for quite a while now. Hopefully this will lower the barrier to people taking on apprenticeships. Generally speaking, once you’ve left school employers aren’t really bothered about whether you’ve passed your Maths and English GCSEs, they care more about your work experience and whether or not they feel you’d fit their team. Of course, knowing Maths and English is important, but now businesses can decide for themselves whether it’s really needed for the job you’re applying for, and it will make apprenticeships just a little bit more accessible for people.

The government have also announced that the minimum duration for a short term apprenticeship will be 8 months. Although businesses have also been asking for this, I’m concerned about how much you can really learn in this amount of time. Usually your first month in an apprenticeship is pretty much written off as you’re just onboarding as a student and employee, and your last month is dedicated towards getting through your assessment period, so really you’ve only got 6 months to learn on the job. This rule seems to apply to mainly blue collar jobs which require skills that are lacking in our society at the moment. I’m not sure how quickly students can learn these skills so it’ll be interesting to hear about the impact of these changes going forward.

Have you ever completed an apprenticeship or are thinking of taking one? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Subscribe now