So, I started Udacity’s Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program. That’s right. I just finished my second bachelor’s degree (Creative Writing) this spring and here I am studying again. Do I just love classes that much? (Well, yes, but that’s a topic for another day).
The employment landscape – just like the digital marketing landscape – is in flux and I needed to equip myself for when it finally settles down.
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The truth is, job hunting has me feeling quite anxious. The last time I worked in digital marketing was before I returned to school in 2017, when Instagram Stories and Facebook Live were in their infancy. The digital marketing landscape has evolved so much since then. Add to that the Covid-era economy and my millennial anxieties are just on fire! The employment landscape – just like the digital marketing landscape – is in flux and I needed to equip myself for when it finally settles down.
Udacity’s Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program is a way for me to do that. Here’s why.
Leading Industry Partners
What I love most about this program is how Udacity partnered with industry leaders to actually develop the courses. Thus, I get Facebook talking about Facebook marketing, Hootsuite talking about content management, Google talking about analytics, etc. because who else is a bigger authority on their services than the platforms themselves? It saved me the precious time of sifting through all the “experts” selling digital marketing e-books and having to check which of them are legit. (I’ve ghostwritten a digital marketing e-book in 2015 for some guy claiming as one of these experts, so I find these ventures dubious.)
One-Stop Shop
Of course, some could say that I could just as easily go directly to Facebook et al and access the info for free. This is true. But there’s so much information to sift through that it can be very overwhelming. I tried this tactic for Facebook and Google and found myself following every link, trying to absorb every information, attempting to make sense of things until all the information felt deafening in my brain.
The Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program, on the other hand, has consolidated and organized all this information into a manageable package. This is amazing for efficiency and time-management.
Digital marketing itself is not a one-way conversation, and learning about it shouldn’t be either.
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Multiway Learning
Unlike web pages or e-books that simply provide you with information, Udacity’s digital marketing course isn’t a one-way conversation. You’re not a mere receiver of knowledge; you get to try out that knowledge through practical assignments, you get to build a real-world portfolio, you can ask instructors questions and get feedback on your work, and you have a community to learn from and grow with. Digital marketing itself is not a one-way conversation, and learning about it shouldn’t be either.
In the end, as I build proficiency and confidence in the digital marketing landscape of 2020, I’m also building a network, getting hands-on experience, and doing it for much less time and energy than I would have if I pursued a self-directed route.
Learn more about Udacity’s Digital Marketing Nanodegree Program here. (This is not an affiliate link. I’m just a happy customer.)
Life as a Tumbleweed 