Building Experience As An Entry Level Candidate
Are you looking to start your career in Digital Marketing or Ecommerce?
Have you found you’ve hit a wall trying to build up experiences to make sure you stand out to recruiters or at your next digital marketing interview?
Here at Live Digital Recruitment, we may be able to help. We know first hand how hard it is to know what experience is relevant, what should you talk about on your CV and in digital marketing interviews? And how do you know if you’re building up the right experience?
In this blog, we cover a range of ways you can build up your experiences, whether you’re a student looking for some volunteering experience, or if you’re a graduate looking to begin your career in Digital Marketing. So keep reading, to find out all the ways you can build up your experience, even as an entry level candidate - from part time work, to creating a portfolio, we’ve covered it all!
Consider taking on a part-time role somewhere else…
This may seem out of the ordinary, if you’re looking to be a Digital Marketer when you graduate University or finish up your studies, why should you take on a part time job somewhere else? Like a supermarket, restaurant or coffee shop…
Whilst, the role itself doesn’t directly correlate to your dream job, whether that be working in Digital Marketing, Social Media or Ecommerce it can provide you with valuable skills that you can apply to any workplace. For example, during your weekend shifts at the local cafe, you may not be building up your digital marketing experience but you will be developing a set of valuable skills including communication, team work, and working under pressure. All of which are important to those who are hiring you for your first ever digital marketing role.
Additionally, taking on a part-time role during your studies can highlight your ability to time manage. Studying can be a stressful experience, so highlighting to employers that you can manage your time effectively and be a successful student all whilst holding down a job is very impressive.
Explore Internship Opportunities…
If working during term time just doesn't seem like the role for you. Or if you have already graduated and you want to jump right into building up specialised Digital Marketing or Ecommerce experience, why not look into internship opportunities?
An internship is a great way to have a ‘taster session’ of a particular career, interns are no longer only used for coffee runs and taking down notes - as an intern you will become a valuable member of the team. This means that you will have all the opportunities to take on some responsibility in your digital marketing role and see if it is for you.
Not only do internships look great on a CV! But they’re also great for networking and finding your future role. Often, companies that offer internships (whether that be in digital marketing or ecommerce) may look to offer you a permanent position if you perform well during the internship. So, even if you enter an internship with no experience, you may leave with a full time position.
Even if this is not the case, internships are a great way to network in your chosen field. Once you’re ready to look for a permanent digital marketing position the connections you have made during your internship may be able to point you in the right direction of a recruiter or hiring agency that can place you in your dream role!
Volunteer in your free time!
Volunteering is another easy and effective way to build up your experience and add a little bit extra to your CV.
You don’t have to volunteer in a digital marketing or ecommerce role to bring up this experience in your next digital marketing interview. Volunteering, whether that be in an animal shelter, with children or in a charity shop provides you with a range of transferable skills that will stand out to any employer.
Did you just work in a youth centre on the weekends? Or did you liaise with your team to make sure every child's needs were catered for on a weekly basis.
Do an online course!
If you’re unsure of where to start when looking for a role in digital marketing, why not consider spending some of your free time doing a virtual digital marketing course?
There are hundreds of free online courses that can not only build up your digital marketing knowledge and skills but will look great on your CV. As an entry level candidate, completing an online course or two will also highlight your dedication to your chosen field. Even if you have no in person digital marketing experience an employer will be able to see your commitment to the role by the time spent educating yourself on the topic and building up your experience in another way.
Prepare a sample of your own work!
If you’ve never worked in a digital marketing firm when you’re applying for your first ever job, or if you’ve never taken on a paid digital marketing role but you like writing copy in your free time. Why not prepare your own portfolio of Digital Marketing work that you have done in your free time or freelance to display to the recruiters or hiring agency.
This is a great way to showcase your talent first hand and highlight to recruiters and hiring agencies just what you could bring to your company if they were to hire you.
We hope this helps if you’re preparing to look for entry level roles. If you’ve already found the role you think is right for you, why not check out our blog post titled ‘The Most Important Skills Digital Marketing Recruiters Look For’ to make sure you are well and truly prepared.