John Larrier has worked in sales and marketing for decades. He and other veteran marketers face the challenge of staying current on always-evolving digital marketing strategies and trends.
“We live in a world where there’s a lot of change. Especially as you get further into your career, you can’t be static. It’s important to learn, and the opportunity is out there,” Larrier said.
That’s why Larrier decided to take advantage of UVM’s digital marketing certificate programs.
“I had taken a course six years before, and I knew that so much had changed,” Larrier reflected. “I was looking for a new role at the time, so I knew I needed to up my digital marketing skills and needed something to improve my chances.”
After completing the course in 2018, he found a job in sales with some marketing components. Though, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Larrier was laid off. He used his skills to work as a marketing consultant for a friend who created a continuous learning platform for small business owners called, Small Business Pro University.
“I ended up doing email marketing, helping with content marketing…thinking about analytics and the audience and remarketing,” Larrier said. “All of it came together. I was in a consulting role helping him with his business, so that really worked.”
Larrier says the knowledge he gained from the course at UVM created new possibilities; both for his client and in his own career path.
“It gives you confidence, coming out of that program, knowing that you have the knowledge, and you have the basics,” Larrier said. “Even helping and consulting with my friend, helping with podcasting, it was something I would never have thought about before, but all of these things, in that sense, are now possible.”
Course Creates Lifelong Digital Marketing Connections
Larrier is now settling into another new full-time role as the Marketing Program Manager at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He says the lasting connections with UVM instructors, who all work in marketing as well, have continued to serve him.
“They are available afterward, and you’re, in a sense, peers if you’re working in digital marketing,” Larrier reflected. “So, you’re talking to someone who can understand what you’re dealing with, and you can come with questions, and they are available. That is really valuable.”
Another aspect Larrier appreciates in continuous learning programs, especially later in life, is the practicality of the information.
“They talk about real-life things; it’s not theory,” Larrier said. “It was really practical because we went into the nitty-gritty of looking at keywords and phrases…What are people thinking, what are people searching for, paid and organic, and all of that. You really got that hands-on practical understanding of what needs to be done.”
Larrier says much of the information has continued to be relevant years after he finished the course.
“Even four years later, you can use the information, or it can be helpful. I have done that a couple of times, gone back and looked through something and said, ‘oh yeah,’ Larrier recalled. “I’m really happy that I took the program; it was definitely, definitely useful.”
Digital Marketing Program Options
According to LinkedIn, the “Digital Marketing Specialist” role is among the top 10 most in-demand jobs, with 860K job openings. With so many jobs and not enough professionals to fill them, now is the perfect time to get started in digital marketing.
In response to the growing demand for digital marketers, UVM expanded recently expanded its certificate offerings to include:
Level I – Online Digital Marketing Fundamentals Professional Certificate
If you already have a base knowledge and you’re ready to take your existing marketing skills to the next level, UVM has two additional certificate levels that can be customized to your goals.
Level II – Intermediate Online Digital Marketing Certificates
These certificates are designed for current marketers looking to develop their expertise in one of four areas: Digital Marketing Intermediate, Social Media, Analytics, or Facebook Marketing.
Level III – Certified Digital Marketing Specialist
Level three is designed for anyone involved in planning a digital strategy or interested in leading marketing strategies in the future.
At UVM, certificate instructors are seasoned practitioners who support Fortune 1000 companies in developing and implementing their digital marketing plans.
