Companies invest largely in marketing and advertising to generate business, and the industry is experiencing a historic shift from traditional materials and strategies to network and digital techniques. Thanks to the internet, there are many opportunities to work in digital marketing, but the issue many job seekers run into is a lack of experience. If you’re a young graduate trying to jump-start your career or a middle-aged professional looking for a new direction, here are six ways to make yourself hirable without experience. 

1. Take Advantage of Free Credentialing Opportunities

Search the web for development opportunities that you can complete independently for little cost. For example, the Google AdWords Certification Exam is a free credential you can earn to prove your initiative and aptitude for marketing. AdWorks is a complex platform for online advertising and knowing how to operate it gives you an advantage. Many companies require employees to take the exam, and having a current credential on your resume before coming to the interview will help you stand out. 

2. Study Data Science 

The world revolves around data and knowing how to interpret it gives you a leg up over your peers in the job pool. Marketing analytics courses cover the stages of interpreting data, from raw datasets to population segmentation and more. By the end of the course, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the following concepts:

• Analyzing and visualizing data 
• Clustering techniques
• Customer segments based on manipulated data
• How to use linear regression to forecast lifetime value
• How to use algorithms to understand customer choices

There are inexpensive online courses you can sign up for that will provide the basic knowledge you need to get your foot in the door. 

3. Become a Better Writer

Digital content creation is a huge part of modern marketing strategy. Think about it! Someone must write all of the product descriptions, blog posts and landing pages you see on the internet with every click. Not everyone is a natural writer with the skills to market their own business through written text. Entrepreneurs often pay for marketing content created by talented writers because they are unable or unwilling to do it themselves. By developing your own writing skills, you’re setting yourself apart from other beginners in the field and you’ll be able to confidently present a hard marketing skill on your resume. Start journaling or create your own travel blog to gain experience. A copywriting portfolio is something you can create on your rugged tablet or laptop at home or anywhere else in the world. 

4. Try Your Hand at Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

Once you have a handle on your writing style and grammar techniques, you can consider starting your marketing career as an SEO copywriter. Search engine marketing is the use of the SEO technique to make a client’s website rank first in the Google search for a specific keyword, generating sales by driving traffic organically to the client’s site. A writer uses keywords to determine what someone searching for the phrase wants to find, and creates content based on it. To be an effective SEO writer, you must research unfamiliar topics and create grammatically correct articles, naturally incorporate keywords, and adopt an engaging tone.

5. Consult the Marketing Experts

Even if you aren’t able to go to school, you can learn enough about marketing theory, strategy and tools to competently get through a job interview. Chances are, you already know more than you think you do, especially if you engage in social media, a prominent marketing platform for the modern era. Conduct an online search for top marketing executives and you’re likely to find a number of best-selling books, interviews, videos and blogs full of tips and tricks from leading experts. Then, look up the authors on Twitter or LinkedIn and follow their pages for practical and inspirational messages to keep you feeling motivated. Familiarize yourself with the language, tools and tactics that top companies utilize in their strategies, come up with a few ideas you think can improve the process and discuss them in your interviews with recruiters and hiring managers. 

6. Find a Mentor

In today’s job market, networking is the key to landing the position you want. While you’re waiting around for a recruiter to email you back about your application, take your practical research one step further. Reach out to a professional working in the field of marketing and inquire about a mentorship opportunity. Mentors can help you with your resume, prepare you for interviews, recommend programs and reading material you may not know about and introduce you to other experts. These relationships are invaluable, and the more networking you can do within the field, the more likely you will be to land the perfect position for you. 

7. Become a Content Creator

The great thing about the internet is that you don’t have to wait for someone to hire you to begin creating excellent material. So, go create your own experience by making unofficial campaigns for your favorite brands, post them on social media and utilize marketing techniques to distribute your posts to wider audiences. Make video reviews of products for your YouTube or TikTok channels. Social media posts are a valuable strategic tool and you can practice writing them on your own. Create beautiful ads using free photo editing and design software programs like Canva and pixlr. Add all of this to your portfolio and show marketing managers that you have the talent, passion and initiative to take on projects. Additionally, if your own digital content reaches many followers, you could potentially be approached as a possible brand ambassador or influencer for brands that like what you put out. 

Hiring managers want to bring in proactive players to join their teams. Even if your pathway into digital marketing is non-traditional and your experience is limited, you are much more likely to secure a position if you can establish yourself as an enterpriser who’s been working on your own development, acquiring valuable skills in the process. They’ll know they can teach you everything else.