Digital marketing is an ever-evolving field that offers a dynamic and rewarding career path. For those looking to dive into this exciting industry, apprenticeships can provide an excellent starting point. Apprenticeships are a proven way to gain practical skills while working alongside industry experts, ultimately improving a company’s talent pipeline and employee retention. They offer a unique blend of theoretical and real-world learning that will lead to a successful career in digital marketing.
At Two Octobers, our digital marketing apprenticeship is a core part of our business and the work we do with our clients.
Here’s a closer look at the daily work of a digital marketing apprentice and some thoughts from one of our apprentices.
What Does a Digital Marketing Apprentice Do?
What are the day-to-day responsibilities like?
A digital marketing apprentice plays a crucial support role at Two Octobers, assisting with marketing efforts on various accounts. They work on tasks with supervision from a senior digital marketer as they gradually learn the ropes, preparing them to manage their own accounts. Typical day-to-day activities might include assisting with reporting, investigating issues on an account, or completing optimizations to boost performance. Each task can take one or more hours to complete depending on the apprentice’s progress in their skill development.
We use these tasks as a way to teach bigger concepts. One important question that we make sure all apprentices understand is: “How does the work that I’m doing for a client help their business?”
Digital marketing apprentices are assigned to clients, the same as our more senior marketing roles, and work under experienced practitioners to take on delegated tasks. Their independent contributions increase over time as they complete on-the-job training and learn more about our clients.
On-the-Job Training
The majority of an apprentice’s working time is spent in various forms of on-the-job training, completing real marketing tasks for clients. An apprentice’s on-the-job training is determined by their long-term learning goals. Apprentices are also exposed to an overview of all the digital marketing channels that we manage, including Paid Media Management, SEO and Content, and Marketing Analytics. This comprehensive overview provides a robust foundation for future specialization.
All of our apprentices’ work is initially supervised, allowing them ample opportunity to ask questions and absorb practical knowledge from seasoned professionals. This hands-on experience is invaluable in building confidence and competence.
Related Instruction
Related instruction is usually outside of an apprentice’s working hours and can be asynchronous, scheduled to suit the apprentice’s needs and unique situation.
In the interest of providing a solid educational foundation for our apprentices, we collaborate with community colleges to offer courses that introduce the subject to marketing from an academic perspective and complement our on-the-job training.
Voices from the Field: Karen Carr, Digital Marketing Apprentice
Karen Carr has been a digital marketing apprentice for nearly two years. During that time, she developed an affinity for managing paid search campaigns and improving their performance. As Karen nears the end of her apprenticeship and looks towards new horizons at Two Octobers, I asked her to reflect on her journey so far.
Compare your initial impressions of the digital marketing apprenticeship and your first few months at Two Octobers with your day-to-day responsibilities now.
I don’t even recognize my current day-to-day responsibilities from when I first started. I was unfamiliar with terms used and/or acronyms. I did not realize all the information that is contained in Google Ads and how it impacts our clients. Not to mention, I did not understand all the other tools and resources that are available. My co-workers are a very big part of my growth. To sum it up, it was like going from elementary school to college.
How have your skills developed since you began the apprenticeship? Are there areas that you’ve grown in unexpectedly?
I have developed skills. At first, I could only log into Google Ads and look around. Now I can build ad groups and campaigns and look at the metrics to see the story they are telling. Some additional skills are reviewing keywords, doing various types of analyses to help position the client in a favorable way. There are so many skills that I have developed it would be hard to list them all. One area that I have developed that is unexpected, is the area of client relations.
What were some of the most challenging aspects of your daily work when you started, and how did you overcome them?
Some of the most challenging aspects were setting up processes that I could rely on to get through most tasks. Each situation may be different but having a process of how to attack the task has helped tremendously.
Beyond your professional growth, how has the apprenticeship impacted you personally? Can you describe any changes in the way you view work as you’ve progressed through the apprenticeship?
The apprenticeship has increased my confidence as a person. Work for me has been something I had to do to survive regardless of the task. I now view work as something I chose to do and enjoy.
Conclusion
An apprenticeship in digital marketing not only provides essential skills and industry knowledge, but also fosters personal growth. It’s an accessible pathway for those eager to explore the digital marketing world and a career without common barriers, such as the cost of education or the cost of switching careers. Our apprentices are a testament to the success of this approach, growing from entry-level workers into competent marketing professionals.
We believe that apprenticeships are the way forward, for both individuals and businesses alike. If you’re interested in a digital marketing apprenticeship, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to check Apprenticeship.gov for resources near you. If you’re an employer interested in hiring your own digital marketing apprentice, contact us today.
