So you want to work in digital marketing?

Dynamic and exciting work environments, marketing agencies are great places to learn more about the industry and perfect your craft. Heads of marketing at multinational companies often have an agency background – and for a good reason. Working in a marketing agency introduces you to brainstorms, deadlines, and the competition in the marketing industry.

With digital ad spending surpassing TV, digital marketing agencies are starting to look like a great way to start your career. As it’s still a growing industry, it’s short of experts, so there are plenty of open positions. The world of digital marketing offers new, exciting opportunities to learn more about the marketing of the future.

In this article, we will be going over some of the most wanted positions in the digital marketing industry, as well as the best places to find marketing agency jobs.

Social Media Management and Content Writing

With more than 80% of Americans having a social media profile, it’s no wonder that brands are flocking towards digital marketing agencies to improve their social media presence. That’s the job of social media managers, or community managers. They manage the pages of different clients, create and post content, and engage with their fans. To do this job, you have to have a creative mind and learn everything there is to know about Facebook advertising policies.

Digital marketing agencies often pair this service with content writing. As both positions require good writing skills and creativity, some agencies have positions for social media and content specialists, who create both social media and web content. You can get an unpaid internship as a community manager with virtually no experience, so this could be a good place to start your career in digital marketing.

Web Design

Before being published on a website or a social network, all content needs to be designed. The easiest way to get into graphic design in a digital marketing agency is to start as a social media designer. This way, you can learn the basics of the craft and slowly make your way towards the more advanced (and more fun) web design.

Bonus: If you are looking to hire a digial marketing agency make sure to review our list of questions to ask during the vetting process.

One of the more creative marketing agency jobs, web design can lead to a fun and successful career. However, keep in mind that senior UX (user experience) designers have close to ten years of experience, so be patient and keep educating yourself. The Internet is crawling with Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator tutorials. Master these programs at home before you start looking for a job as a web designer in a digital marketing agency.

Digital Advertising

If you’ve ever seen a Facebook, Instagram, or a Google ad, chances are it was set up by a digital advertising manager. Their job is to set up, optimize and report results from digital marketing campaigns. The client sets a monthly budget for digital marketing, and a digital advertising manager suggests how to spend it through different digital channels.

This is one of the marketing agency jobs that includes sponsoring Facebook posts, targeting audiences, bidding for keywords on Google, and a lot of looking at numbers. Terms like CPC (cost per click), CPM (cost per mile), PPC (pay per click), bounce rate, and engagement rate would be a part of your everyday life, so get familiar with them if this job seems interesting. Educational sites like Lynda, DLC, or Coursera may be a good place to start.

How to Find Marketing Agency Jobs?

Finding a job in the digital marketing industry shouldn’t be very hard, but keep in mind that a good job won’t fall out of the sky. You need to be ready to pay your dues and work as an intern to learn the craft and slowly advance in the industry. If you are looking for one of the above-mentioned marketing agency jobs, here are some good places to start.

Job boards and job search engines – It’s a good idea to post your resume to job boards and sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice, and similar. Do not limit yourself to just one job site though. And, don’t forget about job search engines such as US.jobs, SimplyHired.com and Indeed.com, as they offer nationwide postings directly from employers.

LinkedIn – You should update your LinkedIn profile and set your job preferences. Many digital marketing agencies use LinkedIn to post marketing agency jobs and find prospective employees.

Job fairs and advertising/marketing expos – If you’re looking for marketing agency jobs don’t miss an opportunity to visit job fairs and advertising/marketing job expos, as companies of all sizes tend to participate and are looking to attract the right candidates to their job vacancies.

College career placement centers – Most universities and colleges have a career placement center, also called a career office, which provides a range of services to assist students find their first job.

Digital marketing agencies – Additionally, search for digital marketing agencies in your area. Most of them have a “careers” section on their websites. Apply directly, or send them your application via email. Even if they don’t have an open position at the moment, they will save your application for future openings.

Most importantly, keep working on your CV. Choose a position you’re interested in, and hone your skills to match the ideal profile. No agency will reject a young talent with a thirst for knowledge.