When I got my first job in media sales for EMAP, in 1999, doing classified sales on £13k (thanks Charlie said), I just answered an advert in a newspaper. Sad thing is, all these years later, I still don’t feel media / media sales is pushed enough in schools and further education - after all, there is a job for everyone in media.
Sadly there are very few companies recruiting entry level candidates compared to 15 years ago, a trend which needs to change! All those missed opportunities but easy to fix.
Mental Health Awareness
https://lnkd.in/ebu2nkkt
In the context of your career, - if there was an opportunity to add to your skill set, help build your CV, or enable you to land the job of your dreams and, if on top of that, it didn’t cost you anything, why wouldn’t you take it?
It’s therefore somewhat surprising to me how many graduates or individuals looking to break into the media industry are not aware of the completely free set of qualifications and certifications offered by Google.
Their list of topics to study includes;
- Google Ads
- Analytics Academy
- Google Marketing Platform
- YouTube
- Google For Education
- Google Ad Manager
- Authorised Buyers
- Google AdMob
If that seems like a good idea, check out the other subjects on offer. Whilst these may not get you any certificates, they will still provide you with solid practical knowledge and make your CV look more attractive to employers.
Take the Google Ads certification for example;
This course covers; display, search, video, shopping and measurement – all essential parts of many media roles - (particularly planning, buying and PPC)
To receive a qualification in the Search section of this course takes a total of around 3 and a half hours, is made for those with little to no prior knowledge and by the end you will have a recognised skill, supported on LinkedIn and a very underrated addition to any CV. So, in around 12 hours, you could actually have five separate certificates making you fully Google Ads Certified.
Still not satisfied? Why stop there when there are the other seven courses to take?
Google is, of course, not the only provider of such free knowledge.
Apple also offer free in-store training sessions on new products and tools. Their list of classes is extensive and includes;
- Mac Advanced Basics
- Spreadsheets Made Easy For Mac
- Share Your Ideas With Keynote
These are only a fraction of the free courses available online but when you consider something like the IPA Foundation Certificate which takes 30 hours, ends in a formal 2 hour exam and can cost up to £500, or the Level 3 Foundation Certificate offered by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, which costs upwards of £400 –
Google’s virtual classroom offers a free and valuable alternative. These courses allow you to work at your own pace remotely from the comfort of your laptop, with each lesson split into 15-minute sections and is well worth the investment of your time. Apple offers more of a group learning experience with personal tutors as well.
So wat’s stopping you?
Sources:
Google’s skills store:
https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/catalog/browse
How to find an Apple training session:
https://uk.pcmag.com/apple-3/89098/how-to-take-a-free-apple-product-workshop
Apple’s support page:
https://support.apple.com/
From Student-hood to Almost-Adulthood; 5 Mistakes I made, and how you can avoid them.
From April to September, worldwide, a fresh set of University and College graduates enter the 'real world' – but it's not as simple as landing 'The Job', which is what I thought. Here are the five mistakes I made in five months in my first job, and how to avoid them.
Don't rush into moving out
I decided I absolutely would not move in with my parents after university, so I rushed into renting a room, without checking out the landlords, letting agents, or the property in much detail. Fast forward five months, and I was living in a windowless box in Hackney for £700 a month, while suing my letting agents for neglect, disrepair, fraud, etc.
Trust me, move in with your parents, take your time finding a reputable letting agent, and thank me later.
Dress for your workplace (and the weather)
If you know that the office you're about to start working in is a jeans-and-shirts kinda place, why are you wearing a pencil skirt? And then comes the heatwave, it's 35 degrees in central London – why are you STILL wearing a pencil skirt?
Go and get clothes that fit the industry – if it's finance, then sure, go full suit, pencil skirt, what have you. But in Media? Tone it down a bit.
Chill out with the caffeine
While at University it may have been acceptable (and common) to survive on three hours sleep and four cans of Redbull, it's not what you want to be doing if you're trying to move into being a functional member of society.
(Side note – you'll also get absolutely rinsed by your colleagues for it.)
Start a savings account
I'm serious. For the first four months, I had no idea what I was spending my money on, or when, or how much of my paycheck I was saving... and inevitably I'd come to a week before payday and be eating cheese sandwiches for every meal.
My suggestion - Monzo
Keep your personal life personal
Seems self-explanatory, but keep personal matters as far from the workplace as you can. Keep it for after-work drinks, or just away from work altogether. This'll help you focus at work, and keep that work-life balance.
I'm not saying everyone makes these hiccups in their first job as an almost-adult semi-professional... but it can't hurt to know to avoid them
Find a team that supports you
This one is actually not a mistake I made, but just a piece of advice everyone should live by. The team at Moriati Media have helped me through every single one of the mistakes I've made, from helping find legal advice to getting out of my flat contract, to helping me dress less like a struggling first year and more like a young professional, and of course, have taught me quite literally everything I know about recruitment.
Can't wait to see what mistakes I make in the next five months!
