The skills that will land you a digital marketing graduate job

So you’re looking for a digital marketing graduate job? You’ve made an excellent choice. In today’s article, we share the skills needed to start your career in this extremely competitive industry!

Digital marketing is one of the most diverse graduate jobs out there. And, I’m not just saying that because I happen to be in the industry. I’m saying that because it’s true. With a laptop in hand, the right skills, and an abundance of creativity at your fingertips, you are well on your way to securing a graduate job. There’s just one teeny problem. It’s also an incredibly popular choice for graduates, so you’re not the only candidate in the running. You’ll need a good mix of academic, practical and imaginative skills to stand out from the crowd.

My name is Emily Cocker, and I currently work for a Yorkshire SEO agency. Having spent the last four years soaking up as much digital marketing knowledge as possible, I can finally say *deep breath* that I’m confident in my abilities. It doesn’t happen overnight so don’t panic if you don’t understand everything. After all, you are at the start of your career – the best is yet to come. Here are the skills that I look for when hiring a digital marketing graduate:

1) Data analysis

A huge part of digital marketing is data collection. This makes a lot of marketers’ eyes glaze over with boredom. If you have a genuine interest in data and can apply this to strategic thinking, it’s a step in the right direction. The days of dotting a couple of keywords in your content to rank at the top of Google are long over. With over 200 ranking factors in existence, many of which change on a daily basis, it takes an analytical mind to keep up with Google’s adapting algorithm.

2) Content marketing

Content is king. Appearing at the top of Google for popular search terms comes with some prestige and credibility as it takes expert content optimisation to get there. Email marketing and social media skills mean nothing without great content to back them up. The ability to adapt your writing style for different industries and mediums is essential in the digital marketing field. Make sure you demonstrate your ability to write content on various topics to ensure you are versatile. Bonus points if you include relevant keywords in your content and can explain your selection process.

3) E-commerce website design

SEO and website design fall hand in hand, especially if you are working on an e-commerce website. If you can bring with you creative concepts and design ideas, you may want to consider the title ‘website designer.’ Many SEO agencies specialise in e-commerce website design because without a website there would be no optimisation. And, without optimisation, your site would not be found. The same goes for coding. Knowledge of basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will give you an edge over the competition.

4) SEO

Search engine optimisation (in short, SEO) is at the heart of all online marketing activity. It’s the process of making a website more appealing to search engines. Graduates who apply for roles as content writer, copywriter, or digital marketing specialist will find that SEO comes up in conversation quite a lot. To compete in a saturated job market, you must have some knowledge of SEO, or at least understand the importance of using it as a digital marketing graduate. SEO gets your brand noticed in a sea of online content on social media, blogs and news publications. It’s a far-reaching topic that takes time to master, so don’t stress. Do your research, apply your new-found knowledge to practical situations and, most importantly, show you are passionate about it. There’s nothing worse than a candidate who doesn’t want to work in the industry but simply “needs the money!”

5) Social media

It’s not just for funny dog videos, right? Social media has become the most popular method of communication between brands and potential customers. As social media experts, we are not looking for someone who has an X, formerly a Twitter account. We want to see your understanding of how social media can be used to generate business enquiries and boost brand awareness.

Conclusion

No specific experience is needed to land a digital marketing graduate job. You do, however, need to show a certain level of passion for the industry and an understanding of best practices. It may take weeks, or even months, to receive that first acceptance email. But once you get your foot in the door, it’s down to you to make a great first impression and learn everything possible about the industry. Ready? All the best in your job search, you’ll do amazing!