The following is an article “Is A Digital Marketing Diploma Worth It?” by Marc Primo.
Here’s a common dilemma faced by professionals who are either looking to make a career shift or are marketing veterans but see the value in going digital: will taking a course on digital marketing and earning a diploma spell the difference between landing your dream job, or dreaming in disappointment about what could’ve been?
While there is no right or wrong answer to this question, the latest statistics on digital marketing might show you the bigger picture to help you make that all-important decision.
Stats don’t lie
According to Statista, data on this relatively new industry’s worldwide spending will increase from 200.8 billion US dollars in 2015 to a projected 306 billion US dollars in 2020. That’s a big 65.6 percent leap in global spending on digital marketing in a period of just five years.
So, what does this mean? For one, it indicates that digital marketing is currently among the fastest-growing industries all over the world. It also means that it is a highly competitive market, one where you need to bring your A-game at all times if you want to get hired and build a career.
A report submitted by the Online Marketing Institute revealed that the two most common barriers faced by recruiters to effectively form a digital marketing team are a lack of previous work experience and an inability to find capable digital talent.
In other words, more and more companies see the value of digital marketing, creating new job titles for different job grades, only to discover that there is a shortage of qualified people prepared to take on the role.
Know your niche
This is referred to by industry-practitioners as “digital skills gap”, wherein companies create new jobs but the applicants are not equipped with the right skill set. While the reason for this is debatable, possibly due to not having a diploma or lacking work experience, statistics always point to hard facts.
The same report showed that the most desirable skill digital marketing recruiters look for in job applicants is analytics at 37 percent, followed by mobile marketing at 29 percent, and email marketing, content marketing, and social media tied at 27 percent. Unfortunately for employers, this digital skills gap means that there is a huge disparity between what they desire, and the applicants they can actually hire.
The verdict
All things considered, deciding on whether or not a digital marketing diploma is worth it should always be carefully evaluated and well thought out. While it’s true that companies look for hands-on digital work experience, many employers might argue that nothing provides the academic smarts to acquire valuable sought-after skills better than an education, and the diploma that comes with it.
One way to help you decide is to consider the two most important qualities of potential job candidates that most employers look for—skill set and hands-on digital work experience—then plan out your strategy. Chances are you will find that it all boils down to skill set.
Now, whether you choose to develop and perfect your skill set by studying and earning a diploma, or by logging in the hours to build an impressive portfolio that showcases your work experience is entirely up to you.
If you want to know more about Marc Primo Pulisci and Digital Marketing click here.