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It’s never too late to change the trajectory of your career in digital marketing!

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I remember the moment when I first learned about careers in digital marketing as it if were yesterday. It was 1996 and I was a 34-year old account executive in Miami, Florida working for an advertising sales agency that represented national magazines to travel industry clients in Florida and The Caribbean.

On that particular day a representative from the newly-formed digital division of a major magazine publisher came to talk to us about banner advertising on the publisher’s new foodie website. I was equal parts fascinated (clicking on banner ads was still a new-fangled concept in the mid-90s) and disapointed, because I thought I was ‘late to the game’ and had missed out on an opportunity for a career in digital marketing.

I was obviously (and thankfully!) wrong back then, and in the years that followed was able to transition in my career to working as a digital specialist for ‘legacy’ local print and broadcast companies, helping them introduce digital marketing programs to their clientele.

But as the digital media landscape continues to evolve, so too has my outlook on working for legacy media companies that prioritize the ‘selling’ over ‘servicing’ of accounts. Today they mostly re-sell programs from companies like Google and Facebook vs. their own platforms, and don’t give employees access to the resources they need to develop real expertise in digital marketing. It’s taken a few years, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I no longer need to work for a legacy media company in order to be an effective digital marketing solutions provider to local businesses.

So what’s a 50-something guy to do if he wants to leave the corporate world and make it on his own in digital marketing? Learn. A lot. In recent years I’ve invested a considerable amount of time learning what I’ll need to know to be an effective digital media and marketing consultant; from HTML, CSS and WordPress, to DSLR cameras, Photoshop and Premiere Pro, for starters.

But as much as I’ve learned about various aspects of digital marketing, there’s plenty I still didn’t know; including, most importantly, how all these platforms work in concert to form a synchronized program. I’ve been a Lynda.com subscriber for years and read about other digital marketing e-learning programs, but none of these options seemed to fit the bill.

As luck (or good marketing) would have it, I was served my first Udacity DMND Facebook ad at a time I was giving serious consideration to leaving my job as a Digital Sales Manager. Once I researched the DMND curriculum and determined it was a good fit, I put the rest of my plan in motion and resigned.

I couldn’t be happier where I am today; slowly, but surely, building my digital marketing business while continuing my education with Udacity. My advice to peers who find themselves in a similar situation? It’s never too late to change the trajectory of your career in digital marketing as long as you’re willing to invest in yourself and keep learning!

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column_inner][/et_pb_row_inner][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_team_member name=”Brad Ames” position=”Digital Media Specialist” image_url=”https://amesdigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/headshot_pano_3.png” _builder_version=”3.9″ header_line_height=”10px” body_text_color=”#444444″ body_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” saved_tabs=”all” /][et_pb_contact_form captcha=”off” email=”bradamesfl@gmail.com” title=”Let’s Connect!” use_redirect=”on” success_message=”Thanks for reaching out!” module_id=”et_pb_contact_form_0″ _builder_version=”3.9″ submit_button_text=”SUBMIT” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”14″ button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#c22037″ button_border_width=”0″ button_border_radius=”0″ button_icon=”%%28%%” button_letter_spacing=”2px” button_font=”|700|||||||” button_on_hover=”off” title_font=”|700|||||||” saved_tabs=”all”][et_pb_contact_field field_id=”Name” field_title=”Name” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ border_radii=”on||||”][/et_pb_contact_field][et_pb_contact_field field_id=”Email” field_title=”Email Address” field_type=”email” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ border_radii=”on||||”][/et_pb_contact_field][et_pb_contact_field field_id=”Message” field_title=”Message” field_type=”text” fullwidth_field=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ border_radii=”on||||”][/et_pb_contact_field][/et_pb_contact_form][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_section]