Hannah Normandeau felt confident about her social media marketing skills. But when it came to paid search, analytics, and SEO, she wasn’t as comfortable.
The Waterbury, Vermont resident decided to enroll in the UVM Digital Marketing Fundamentals Professional Certificate, an online, eight-week, digital marketing certificate program that covers everything from SEO to web analytics to mobile marketing.
“The length of the program was perfect—eight weeks is a good, manageable chunk of time. The subject matter covered so many areas of digital marketing, which is what I was looking for. The value and price were important to me, and the fact that it’s a professional certificate was also really attractive.”
Hannah Normandeau, Digital Marketing Alumna
Upon completing the course, she landed a job as an SEO specialist at Dealer.com, a Burlington-based company that provides online digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry.
On her first day of work in March, when the COVID-19 pandemic was quickly emerging, the company transitioned to a work-from-home arrangement.
“When the coronavirus hit, I had just wrapped up the UVM program, and the entire world went into lockdown,” Normandeau says. “We’re in such an interesting time as everyone is looking to remote sources for classes, shopping, and performances. I’m pretty new to my job, and the timing of getting it was unreal. Having all this knowledge now about SEO and digital marketing, I feel like I’m prepared really well to do my job during this scary and challenging time.”
A Digital Marketing Certificate That Uses a Holistic Approach
UVM’s award-winning digital marketing program allows professionals to learn the holistic value of digital marketing through research and development of an actionable marketing plan. Every week, the program highlights a specific digital marketing topic, from mobile and email to SEO and social media.
The certificate is taught by seasoned practitioners who currently work in the digital space. With the numerous facets of digital marketing that are a part of an integrated marketing plan, professionals learn from a variety of experts every week.
UVM digital marketing students are also offered a free, five-week, online, and interactive Career Coaching program to boost job search skills and confidence. Normandeau jumped at the career coaching opportunity, which she believes gave her a competitive edge in her job search earlier this year.
“I was feeling stuck career-wise, and the counseling program helped me visualize and clarify what was important to me when I was thinking about my next career step,” she says. “That was so helpful.”
Normandeau studied at the New England Culinary Institute, worked as a line chef, newspaper reporter, and editor before becoming an SEO specialist. Prior to the UVM program, she was social media savvy and felt comfortable with email marketing. But other aspects of digital marketing were not in her skill set.
One important lesson she learned in the UVM digital marketing certificate program is how digital marketing is not just for sales and marketing professionals.
“The digital marketing field is so much bigger than that. There is something literally for everyone,” she says. “I’m grateful to have that world opened up, and it’s so much bigger than I realized. There’s a place for everyone with every kind of skill in this field.”
Instructors in the program emphasize that digital marketing is not just about concepts but’s also about understanding yourself as a digital consumer.
“Everyone interacts with hundreds of pieces of information every day. This class makes you turn inward and think about how you experience the world. For me, the UVM program was life-changing.”
Hannah Normandeau, Digital Marketing Alumna
UVM Digital Marketing Fundamentals Professional Certificate
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