Digital Marketing Institute- worth it?

[TheArtistFormerlyKnownasSuccessful]

I have recently been made redundant as an in-house copywriter at a large corporate company 😣 As is often the case, redundancy has totally knocked my (already fragile) confidence, so I’m looking for ways in which to improve and update my skills and help tackle my imposter syndrome. There are so many copywriters and content creators looking for work on LinkedIn that I’m feeling overwhelmed and am struggling to see how I can make myself stand out from the crowd.

One of the areas that I know I could work on is my digital marketing skills. I’m looking at online courses and have been researching the Digital Marketing Institute, who offer a professional diploma. Are they recognised as a credible organisation within the UK and would a certificate from them help boost my CV/ LinkedIn profile?

Hopeful bump for the Marketing experts who may have been at work when I first posted 😄

Have you looked at Google's own digital marketing course OP, or any of their training course suite/webinars?

https://grow.google/intl/uk/

Thanks for replying @Gummibärchen. I’ll take a look at them. Do you know if Google courses are well regarded? I want a course (and a certificate) that will help me stand out a bit on LinkedIn.

I took the course a few years ago back when it needed 40 hours in total to complete, and it was very detailed then. Now it's 10 hours a week, for 6 months - they've really scaled it up. It is very much aimed at people looking to break into digital marketing and you do get a certificate at the end. What I would suggest doing is to compare their syllabus and course testimonials with that of other providers such as the Digital Marketing Institute, and see which appeals more. I've found a very thorough review of Google's course from someone who has completed its current version:

https://rebelsguidetopm.com/google-digital-marketing-certificate/

I also wanted to ask if you've considered UX design? Another growth field which requires creativity.

That’s really helpful, thank you. The Google course takes longer (although I assume you can complete it faster than 6 months, if you have the time), but it’s also cheaper than the DMI course.

I wouldn’t even know where to begin with UX Design, but thank you for the suggestion- it’s something else to look into. I just feel completely overwhelmed as a knackered 40-year-old mum competing against savvy twenty and thirty-somethings.

In the review, the writer mentions that you can complete the course much faster, depending on the time you have available. On another note, it's worth stating that there have been quite a few posts recently from 40-something women looking to change career for whatever reason, so you're not alone. What I'd suggest is that you contact Brave Start or IVEE - both companies were founded with precisely this age demographic in mind, to support with confidence building for 40+ career changers.

You can also do L2 digital market courses funded by your LA. https://freecoursesinengland.co.uk/digital-marketing-free-course/ I did the L2 and L3 a while ago to update my skills and it was all online and accredited by the CIM.

I’m a freelance content writer and the best way to find work or fill any gaps is to get in touch with your network. I don’t put ‘begging’ posts out but I do say on LinkedIn if I have space to to take on new clients. I also email current clients whenever I have extra capacity to let them know I have time and am looking for new projects if they have anything they’re planning to outsource in the next month or so.

The Marketing Meetup is a bimonthly IRL event in various cites in the UK and that’s a good place to chat to people in the industry and get to know what’s around.

I’d also look at doing some AI courses. There are various places that offer them but AI strategy would be helpful to understand. MMC learning offer some free sessions regularly for marketeers and there are accreditations available.
When I was made redundant I found a lot of free CPD available and made the most of it to expand my knowledge and ensure I was up to date.

I did used to recruit in marketing for my team and personally looked at digital experience and understanding more than qualifications.

Good luck with your job search. Would you consider freelancing going forward?