A change of plans & a Postgrad later: Starting a career in digital with real-world skills. Meet Isaac.
Isaac Darmanin was planning on becoming an accountant when he had a change of heart and decided to try marketing instead. To give himself the best chance possible, he started with the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing before consolidating his skills with a Postgraduate. This is how a last-minute change of plans kickstarted his budding career as a Digital Media Administrator with Sloane Ltd.
After I decided to leave accountancy behind, I studied marketing with another institution but my experience there didn’t provide me with the right level of knowledge I needed. First of all, I wanted to cover the digital aspect of marketing in detail because in today’s world, you can’t do marketing without a strong online presence. Secondly, I didn’t just want theory, I wanted to come out of a course knowing I had the practical knowledge to use real-world tools. When I discovered the courses at ICE Malta, I realised they would provide me with what I was looking for, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I considered my options carefully before choosing ICE Malta. I felt the programmes here were the most comprehensive, professional and recognised. The educator worked in digital marketing himself, which means you get first-hand insights into the practical application of digital marketing. Both courses give you the skills you need in the real world. The Get Qualified Scheme made the investment all the more worth it, of course. I also chose to split my course fees into monthly payments which helps keep the financial side of things a lot more manageable.
I wanted that extra level of knowledge but at the same time, I didn’t want two years of full-time studying, which is what a similar university degree would have demanded. The postgraduate diploma was the perfect alternative and it allowed me to take things further in a shorter time-frame while still keeping my full-time job. It’s a challenge, naturally, but it’s doable, and the results are rewarding. I particularly enjoyed the work-based learning approach which allows you to apply what you’ve learned to your actual job. It’s this kind of hands-on learning that makes a real difference and keeps you motivated.
My studies ultimately enabled me to switch away from the sales rep job I had at the time to a career in digital marketing proper. Obviously, there are other variables in the interview process, but my credentials definitely helped get me through the door, especially since I had no real marketing experience. Even though you always end up learning on the job, the skills I’d gained from my studies allowed me to get accustomed to my new situation relatively quickly and I’m still using what I learned to this day.
I’m very glad this worked out for me because I ended up going down the marketing route purely by chance. I just thought, accountancy isn’t working for me, so let’s go with my other A-level subject, which happened to be marketing. And the beauty of the course is that you don’t need any prerequisites to get into it. It covers the foundations and sets you on your way.
In fact, what I do now is purely digital marketing, so I’m responsible for building and executing a strategy to market a number of brands across a variety of online platforms, and analysing the data behind it. Although I deal with numbers when it comes to allocating a budget spend or analysing data, there’s a real end user behind it all, so it’s never abstract and boring. It also comes with a sense of pride when you see a campaign getting the exposure you intended it to get.
I studied marketing elsewhere but that didn’t give me the right level of knowledge I needed. I wanted the practical skills to use real-world tools. The courses at ICE Malta provided me with what I was looking for.
ISAAC DARMANIN
