To answer your question directly, no, a degree is not required to be a proficient digital marketer.
However, you do need to understand digital marketing on both a tactical and strategic level in order to be successful in this field, which is why a combination of experience, expertise, and knowledge is essential.
It is of the utmost importance that you have a solid understanding of the most recent marketing strategies, tools, and trends, as well as the fundamentals of theory, frameworks, and best practices, in order to guarantee that your campaigns are successful and produce the highest possible returns on investment.
How Do You Become a Marketer Without a Degree?
People who are creative but want the security of a more traditional career path might want to think about marketing as a possible line of work. So, is it possible to be successful in marketing even if you don’t have a degree?
Yes. Many people who work in marketing didn’t have degrees in marketing when they got their first job, and many of them learned the trade on their own.
In fact, most hiring managers are looking for people with a strong portfolio, previous work experience, and a willingness to learn.
If you don’t have a degree but want to work in marketing, keep reading this article. It will tell you how to get your foot in the door.
Get experience.
Even if you can’t get a digital marketing internship, you can still learn a lot by working on your own and getting experience in the field.
You have no reason not to try something new and start your own website, blog, or social media channels.
You can also offer to help any friends or family who know small businesses that need to improve their online presence and need help.
If you can show a potential employer how motivated, excited, and interested you are in the job, it will greatly increase your chances of getting it.
Network
Building professional relationships with people who are already well-known in the field of digital marketing in your area can do a lot to help you move up in your career.
Being well-known in these circles will make sure that you hear about job opportunities when they come up, and building good relationships will make it more likely that you can find a mentor who can show you the right way.
Putting yourself around professionals who are passionate about their work will not only inspire you to work harder, but it will also make you want to keep up with new trends.
You can connect with people online while looking for a job by adding them as connections on LinkedIn, following them on Twitter, and taking part in conversations. You can connect with people online if you can’t meet them in person at events or other gatherings.
Prove you can do the work
You can tell future employers everything you know about digital marketing, but it will be much more convincing if you can show them.
If you don’t already have a website, blog, or social media channel, you should get one as soon as possible. This is a great way to start building a name for yourself by doing good work.
But if you don’t want to toot your own horn, you could offer to help close friends or family members who run small businesses and need help improving their online or social media ads.
You can show that you can write well and optimize your website for search engines by making a sample of your writing that ranks high on Google for a certain keyword.
You don’t have to make your own website or blog to post it. You can do it on platforms like Medium.
If you are lucky enough to get a job interview invite, you could even write a sample blog post for the company and send it to the recruiting manager for review.
Even though each of these ideas will require more work on your part, they could show potential employers that you are knowledgeable and skilled.
Follow the Digital Marketing Leaders and Trends
In an area where things change as often as the weather, strategies that work today might not work tomorrow.
Follow people like Seth Godin and Neil Patel who are thought leaders in digital marketing to keep up with what’s going on in the field.
When you get to the interview stage of your job search, hiring managers will often ask who you look up to or follow on the internet.
Follow the work of the big artists. Follow them on social media, listen to their podcasts, and watch their videos if you want to talk intelligently about important people in your field (and learn a thing or two).
Consider a Bootcamp or Certificate
If you want to get into marketing but don’t have a degree, you should at least think about going to a marketing bootcamp or getting a certificate.
Bootcamps are short-term, intensive training programs that usually last between three and six months.
Some of these can be done in as little as a month, but most take between two and four months.
Digital marketing certifications are usually more in-depth and require a higher level of commitment.
You will learn the basics of marketing, like how to come up with a plan, write copy, and understand basic analytical ideas.
Through this internship, you will also learn how to create campaigns and work with clients in the real world.
Develop strong samples, work on volunteer projects, and build a solid portfolio
By showing good examples of your work, you can show potential employers that you have what it takes to do well in marketing.
Show that you can handle all parts of a marketing project, such as planning, organizing, and putting it into action.
Start sending in volunteer applications to businesses that interest you, and work for those businesses when you don’t have anything else to do.
Many businesses need help with their marketing, but they don’t have enough money to hire full-time employees. These companies want to hire interns who can help them.
Lastly, you should make sure that everything you do leaves some kind of digital footprint or portfolio.
Find a Mentor
A mentor is a digital marketing expert who can guide your marketing career, help you learn the ins and outs of the business, and give you access to their network.
They will also tell you how they got started in the marketing business and what they’ve learned along the way.
Pursue an Internship
An internship is often the ideal chance for those who are interested in breaking into the field of marketing but do not have a degree in the relevant field.
The opportunity to gain significant experience and training can be found in an internship.
Create a Polished Resume and Prepare for Interviews
Be sure that your resume for marketing is up to date, as well as clear and concise. Add a history of your education as well as any work experience or internships you’ve had.
Your resume needs to highlight the experiences and talents that are most pertinent to the marketing position for which you are seeking.
It is a good idea to run over some common marketing interview questions with someone who already has experience working in marketing before going in for an actual interview.
Final words
It would be great if you could just throw yourself at the career ladder and go straight to the top.
It might not be impossible to get into a digital marketing agency in Singapore, but it’s more likely than not that you’ll need to work in a lower-level job first.
Your job search will be most successful if you start by applying for entry-level jobs like marketing coordinator or marketing expert.
Even if you don’t think you’re the best fit, you should still apply! Since you’re trying to break into a new industry, your cover letter should highlight your blog, website, and social media channels, as well as any freelance work you’ve done for nonprofits in the past.
By putting results on your resume, like a high Google ranking for a certain keyword, you can show hiring managers that you have the skills needed to do the job.
You could also try to get a job as an intern or offer your services for free for a certain amount of time.
If you do this instead of looking for clients on your own, you can add more to your resume, get a recommendation for a job well done, make connections, and work with bigger clients.
Make sure your social media profiles are as strong as they can be before you start looking for a new job (update LinkedIn, remove sketchy pictures from Instagram, etc.). When they try to get jobs in digital marketing, they’ll be looked at with more care than usual.
