Recently I answered some questions for my colleagues on the Life at Google team on what it\u2019s like to be a\u00a0product marketing manager\u00a0for Google Analytics. You can\u00a0check it out here. Yesterday I received an email from a recent graduate who had read the interview seeking guidance.<\/p>\n
As usual I always like to answer these sorts of things in a way that\u2019s sharable. So I asked if it was okay to publish the question and respond publicly, to which the response was yes. Their question:<\/p>\n
I came across your interview with\u00a0Life at Google<\/i>\u00a0on Twitter today. I wonder if you can give any advice to a fresh college graduate like me who wants to pursue a career in digital marketing.<\/p>\n
I recently graduated from UCLA as a Communication Studies major. I started to develop a passion for digital marketing since my internship in junior year. I\u2019ve been trying to educate myself with more industry know-how by following blogs, and strengthening my online presence on social media. But the field of digital marketing is so competitive now, most people do exactly what I do. What might be some qualities that can distinguish myself from other candidates?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This is a great question! While I have\u00a0offered\u00a0advice\u00a0in the past\u00a0as well as\u00a0shared the thinking\u00a0of others, this is worth a fresh response as our industry is always changing.<\/p>\n
Also, this student is correct: at this juncture digital marketing\u00a0is\u00a0really<\/em>\u00a0not new. There are plenty of talented\u00a0practitioners\u00a0both on the agency and client-side\u00a0making data-driven decisions\u00a0implementing\u00a0creative ideas\u00a0and providing\u00a0increasing returns\u00a0for their brand.\u00a0But, this maturation of our field is actually a great thing for graduates just starting out. They won\u2019t have to go through the same arduous work we had to over the last decade+ persuading and pushing those who\u00a0cling to the past\u00a0to adopt new technologies, channels and techniques. Brands and execs for the most part are bought-in and those who aren\u2019t won\u2019t be along much longer (or will painfully be\u00a0dragged into the future).<\/p>\n
I think the best thing you can do is begin building a\u00a0sandbox project\u00a0from the ground up, without help. Create something real and tangible you plan to grow long-term in your free time.\u00a0Find a friend\u00a0if you want, but also document your process and be sure to be involved at every step. You\u2019ll learn so much as the result of\u00a0experimenting\u00a0on your own and be forced to go through the\u00a0entire process\u00a0a start-up or brand will when conducting digital marketing (including creating the actual product \u2013 something far too many marketers skip). You can\u2019t learn that in school or gain the same sort of experience through\u00a0certification\u00a0and smart brands and mangers \u2014 the type that are really essential to work with at the start of your career \u2014 will value this greatly.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s if you\u2019re ambitious but I highly recommend it, there is zero chance you would regret the time spent building something yourself. You can even\u00a0earn some revenue\u00a0from it in addition to it being a platform for learning and\u00a0proof point. Other things you can do are look at how some creative folk\u00a0have marketed themselves\u00a0to stand out in a way that\u2019s\u00a0truly genuine. But the point is: our industry is still growing rapidly and\u00a0the demand is there. Think critically,\u00a0make a career plan\u00a0and start executing on it. If you try I am almost certain you\u2019ll succeed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Recently I answered some questions for my colleagues on the Life at Google team on what it\u2019s like to be … <\/p>\n