Jen already has PR and Marketing qualifications but decided the DMI Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing would add another string to bow and help her in planning campaigns.
How has studying with nesma helped you in your current role?
I think studying with NESMA has given me the confidence to know that any ideas, thoughts or observations I have about what I do within marketing is on the right track! It’s the reassurance that what you’re doing and thinking is on par with industry trends and what peers from different industries are doing too. Not working in a big marketing team can sometimes be lonely, so it’s always good to reconnect with learning and meeting fellow marketers!
What new skills do you now feel you can bring to the job?
Before studying the Digital Marketing course, I had only a very high-level view of what online tools could add to day-to-day marketing activities. Tolent has recently launched a new B2C brand, Tolent Homes, a new brand in a very competitive market. I knew that digital marketing tools would be needed to promote the brand and our first housing development. The course gave me the confidence to push my ideas on how taking a more online approach to our marketing was going to impact the brand massively. I secured the budget and backing to progress these ideas, and now I’m rewarded by seeing the results coming in.
What words of advice would you give anyone considering a career in marketing or Digital Marketing?
Do it! It’s a fascinating area of marketing that is always changing and so keeps you on your toes. But never think that you have to be an expert in everything. It’s always good to have a level of understanding. However, some brilliant agencies around the North East have their own specialisms and are there to help you.
Tell us about your career journey so far?
After graduating from Sunderland University with a PR degree, my first job was an internship at Northumberland County Council. I then moved onto Gentoo as a PR and marketing assistant where I worked with a brilliant team and was really thrown into the role. It was here that I began working more within the construction industry and really enjoyed it. Tolent entered into a joint venture partnership with the construction arm of Gentoo, and I made the decision to move across. After about a year, an opportunity came up to join NBS, a construction software firm in Newcastle as a PR executive and so I moved into the wonderful Old Post Office building. I stayed with NBS for two and a half years. Again I met and learned a lot from some great people within marketing. This set me up to make the jump back to Tolent in February 2019 as PR and marketing manager of the whole group. I knew there was always this opportunity to come within Tolent, but I equally knew that I still needed to learn and develop at my own pace!
We love to hear about our student’s roles and the impact that new learning has had on them.
There are limited places on the DMI Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing course with nesma. However, there is plenty of opportunities to improve your digital marketing skills as CIM now offers a digital marketing pathway for all their qualifications from Level 3 to Level 6 and CIPR offer a CIPR Specialist Diploma – Digital Communications.
