May 9, 2023
It's been 6 months since the wonderful Beth Callaghan joined our team as PPC Executive and began her career in digital marketing. It's been a transitional period, learning the ins and outs of our PPC Management services, our Paid Social offering and the ever changing developments of the Google world, and Beth comes packed with learnings on her journey so far...
What have the first 6 months at Ortus looked like?
My first six months with Ortus have been incredible! I can’t believe how much my skills have developed and how much I’ve learned.
I started with assisting the PPC team on things like ad copy creation, analysing performance and budget, whilst gaining a deeper understanding of PPC in general, through training and support from the best team in the business. Fast-forward to six months, I’m now so much more confident and doing tasks I never thought possible.
I now have regular clients I do weekly and monthly reports for, I am competent in keyword research and competitor analysis, I can comfortably build various campaigns and I now assist in monitoring several accounts.
In particular, I have enjoyed assisting the team in the account build for our new client Camilla. To see almost instant results in their ROI and hearing the positive feedback from the client is so motivating.
"Being surrounded by a group of experts, helping me be an expert,
- I still feel so lucky."
What have you found the most challenging in your role? Any biggest learning/lightbulb moments for you so far?
I think the most challenging part of my role so far was overcoming the learning curve with Google Editor. Now I’m not sure if other Marketers feel the same, but even in my previous roles there’s always one system/software that I just didn’t click with. This was definitely Google Editor for me.
I found the homepage intimidating and found it difficult to remember steps and how to seamlessly navigate the system. However as usual, with perseverance, support and training, I can now use Google Editor much more comfortably. It’s all about the training. Dedication and support - which is always second to none at Ortus.
What would you tell yourself at the start of your role, from where you are now 6 months on?
I would tell myself to relax. I think when I got this job, it felt like the opportunity I’d been waiting for my whole adult life. I put so much pressure on myself to do well and really beat myself up when I had minor setbacks. But the reality is, learning a new role, from scratch, is hard. It takes time, ambition, proactivity and a brilliant team to support you in your learnings.
I realised early on in my time with Ortus, that whilst I was putting immense pressure on myself, Ortus wasn't.
"Everyone within Ortus allowed me to learn and develop at my own pace, whilst educating me and training me to be the best version of myself now. "
What are your career goals/ what does your ideal career path look like from here?
After six months, it’s safe to say I’ve fallen in love with the job. In every aspect, from the role itself to the company culture, all of it is exactly what I wanted for my career. Now that I can see a future in this field, I would love to progress and work my way up to account manager, when I am ready.
The great thing about working at Ortus is they respect your development goals, at whatever pace you want. For me, I want to know PPC inside out until I progress, to ensure I am delivering the results Ortus always delivers. I know that my team will do whatever they can to support this too.
What advice would you give someone looking to start off in a new digital marketing role with no prior experience?
Starting a new job in a field you have no prior experience can be daunting, but here are my top tips for making it through the other side!
Study the basics: Start by familiarising yourself with the digital marketing basics (PPC, SEO, email, media and content marketing etc.) study these topics, their principles, and best practices.
Read industry publications: Read industry publications such as Marketing Land and AdWeek to stay updated on the latest trends, tools, and technologies in digital marketing. My personal favourite is Search Engine Journal and of course, the Ortus blog!
Take online courses: There are many online courses and certifications available for free or at a reasonable cost. Take advantage of these courses to learn new skills!
Attend webinars and conferences: Attend webinars and conferences related to digital marketing to gain insights, network with industry professionals, and learn about emerging trends.
Ask for feedback: Ask for feedback from your colleagues, supervisors, and mentors to improve your performance and identify areas for improvement.
Remember, digital marketing is a constantly evolving field, and you need to be flexible, adaptable, and open to learning to stay ahead of the curve. And good luck - you got this!
Looking to kick start a career in digital marketing? Keep up to date on the latest vacancies across Ortus, Silverbean and NORTH on our careers portal using the button below.
