Life After Uni: The Truth About Working in Digital Marketing

When you’re a student, one of the worst questions somebody can ask you is what you plan to do after you graduate. If you’re studying a vocational degree, you probably struggle less with this question than those of us that studied academic subjects, especially the humanities.

For us literature students, once we’ve laughed off the assumption that our only career option is teaching, our answer tends to be along the lines of “erm, something to do with English, not exactly sure what yet.” People tend to be satisfied with that, but the real stress comes after we graduate and actually have to come up with an answer.

I personally put off answering that question for another year by doing a Masters, but then it was time to face the music and enter the world of work.

Entering the Digital Marketing World

Like most graduates, I had resigned myself to having to settle for a low-paying role in a dead-end job that paid the bills while slowly sucking my soul away. But thankfully, this was not the case. After hours of Googling ‘english literature degree jobs’ and ‘careers with an english degree’, I stumbled across content marketing – a career where the critical research, writing, proofing and analysing skills I had developed throughout my degree could shine.

Now, having spent a few months working as a Content Executive in an industry-leading digital marketing agency, I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have landed a role which not only allows me to utilise my degree, but also to do what I love every day.

As a Content Executive, I spend my time researching various subjects, compiling data, interpreting statistics, proofreading, writing blog posts and onsite content, coming up with ideas for campaigns and handling clients’ social media accounts. Thinking outside the box is encouraged, no two days are the same and I get to see my work brought to life by our amazingly talented Design and Development team, which will never not excite me.

But what I love most about my job is the diversity of clients and campaigns – if you’d told me six months ago that I’d get to research James Bond films, write travel guides for beautiful cities around the world or create a quiz about the Witch Trials, my little geeky halloween-loving heart would never have believed you.

With so much potential for career development and the opportunity to work with prestigious brands, it’s no wonder that more and more graduates are choosing to pursue a career in digital marketing.

Graduate Opportunities in Digital Marketing and PR

Digital marketing is more important than ever, playing a fundamental role in developing brand visibility in an increasingly digital age. As the industry grows, more and more graduate opportunities are offered: according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 15% of the 5,445 english graduates in 2017 who were in employment six months after completing their degree were working in marketing and PR.

And it’s not just english degrees that lead to a career in content and digital marketing, with a high percentage of business, politics, languages and media studies graduates also going on to work in marketing and PR.  

Graduate statistics

So why do so many graduates choose to work in marketing and PR? Elements of marketing, advertising and PR exist in almost every business and across all sectors; a digital marketing agency gives you the opportunity to work with a diverse range of brands in a fast-thinking, creative environment.

Most graduates will be used to compiling as much information as they can on different topics in as little time as possible (usually the night before an essay’s due, even though they promised themselves it would be different this semester), so they already have the skills and drive to excel in digital marketing.

So, whether you’re a whizz with web design, a superhero with SEO, a dynamo with data, a marvel with marketing or a legend with language, there’s a digital marketing role for you.  

Day-To-Day Life in a Digital Marketing Agency

So, you’re sold on working in digital and content marketing. You’re honestly so welcome. But what will your day-to-day duties be working in a digital marketing agency? The beauty of juggling multiple clients and campaigns means there’s no definitive answer to that question, but some of the things you can expect to do day-to-day are:

Keeping track of time

So, do you remember ringing your mum in uni and complaining that you’d been working all day and still only managed to write 500 words of your really important imminently-due essay? Well, get ready to work really hard all day and actually see the results! Clients means budgets, and in turn this means ensuring they get the best possible value for money within that budget. While larger budgets always enable more time and effort to be spent on campaigns and services, sometimes it’s fun working out how to deliver something within a limited budget that still makes a big splash *cue Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time*.

Thinking on your feet

Working for multiple clients at the same time means that it’s nearly impossible to predict what each day will hold. A reactive opportunity for a blog or some onsite content might appear after a pertinent news event, a tweak to an idea or existing campaign might need to be made, or something might go even smoother than expected and get signed off, meaning it’s your chance to get a headstart on other projects. Either way, you won’t be bored and you’ll constantly be amazed at how much you can get done each day.

Working as a team

It sounds cliche, but after having worked in various retail and hospitality roles where ‘teamwork’ was massively encouraged, I’ve never actually felt like part of a team more than I do at Blueclaw. From idea generation to SEO research, from formulating to designing, from building and then outreaching – all of us work together to produce high-quality campaigns that are a credit to our company and clients. And there’s no better feeling than being in an ideation, seeing your coworkers (and yourself!) come up with outstanding campaign ideas, and being excited to develop the concepts further.

Working hard but playing harder

You know what they say, a happy team is a productive team! At Blueclaw, you’re actively encouraged to get to know your team outside of work, whether it’s through organised socials, spontaneous Friday night drinks, lunch and learns or comical WhatsApp groups (Content and PR Gangstaz represent). There’s no greater reward for hard work than building lasting relationships with your talented team, picking up new skills and being able to sit down together at the end of the week and think, “yeah, we smashed it”. Whether you choose to celebrate success with a pint, pizza or pat on the back, your team will be right by your side to celebrate with you at Blueclaw!

If you’re a graduate looking to kickstart your career in digital marketing, get in touch with our team to hear about our current vacancies.