I first got the taste of digital marketing as an Account Executive for an advertising agency that specialized in experiential, digital, and social media. Before I made the shift to agency life, I was surviving in a corporate sales position at a Fortune 500 company with dreams of one day working in marketing.

While dreaming about the perfect position, I was also taking action. I researched, networked, volunteered, and interned for different brands on off days until my hard work paid off. I treated building my marketing career as an actual part-time job to get to where I wanted to go. I knew that if I wanted to to be taken seriously, I needed to land on the type of marketing work I wanted to do and plan the perfect exit strategy.

There were marketing positions available at my first company, but the organizational structure did not heavily support associates who wanted to transition out of sales into a strategic role. Some programs were offered to a few exceptional candidates to make the transition, but many had to work their way up through the sales department before being considered for something more.

I decided early on that I wanted a different career path. I wanted to go into digital advertising —a fast-paced industry that did not wait on slow career trajectories— and if I had stayed in sales for more than three years, I would have lost out on valuable experience needed for a career in digital.

Once I decided on this path, I then learned that most of the advertising positions were either in another state or outsourced to a partner agency. If I wanted to truly gain the best experience of how to manage a brand in the digital world, that experience would need to be obtained out of house, i.e., at a partnered agency.

So that's where I went!

When I left sales, I was asked by close peers: "how did you do it?"

And I would tell them every detail on how I changed my ordinary job into a career that I love. Today, I'm going to share those pointers with you.

Here are five steps that you can do to make the shift and find success in your first digital marketing/advertising job.

Do the work now

Don’t wait to do digital work for a Fortune company or an advertising agency. Start doing it for small businesses as a freelancer or volunteer to get digital marketing experience now. Before landing an interview at an agency, I had completed two internships for small companies and volunteered as a social media manager for local marketing groups, like the American Marketing Association Atlanta Chapter. Most of these activities took place before or after work, but I did not mind the extra hours. I knew that ultimately, my extra work would lead me to a position that I wanted.

Once you have other work experience, be sure to share it with the world by rebranding yourself online.

• Create a website/landing page that highlights your talents

• Update your social media channels so that they show off your creativity

• Refresh your LinkedIn so that it reflects your career interests

• Check your Google results and make sure that your good qualities are on the first page. Then create profiles, like an about.me account so you’re represented in top search results.

Stay updated on all things digital marketing

No one will hire you or take you seriously if you don’t know the basics about the career or role that you want. However, believe it or not, you don’t necessarily have to have the perfect experience to land the job. As long as you’re actively learning and staying up to date about the subject matter, you’ll be the ideal person to add to the team. On the other hand, don't think your college degree alone will get you your dream job.

Once you get the degree, you work on educating yourself and learning how to communicate to the world what you know.

• Learn the terminology and tools

• Get certified and take online (or classroom) courses about digital (and social) media tools

• Listen to digital (and social) media podcasts, e.g., Social Media Examiner, The Science of Social Media, Marketing Upheaval, The #AskGaryVee Podcast Show, The MAD Marketing Podcast Show, Marketing School

Network

If it were not for networking, I’d still be in a job that I did not like. Networking can help you make new friends, grow your career, and grow your business. The easiest way to network is to join local groups in your area that have people already in the job or industry that you want.

• Do you like marketing? Join the American Marketing Association and attend their events.

• Do you like interactive and digital marketing? Join the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association or attend their events.

• There are many organizations around the country, all you have to do is Google :)

Get inspired by a successful digital marketer

There are many influencers online that are aspirational with seemingly the best lives. However, instead of following your favorite celebrity or fashionista discover someone that's living the career path that you'd like to take one day. Then click "follow"! It’s okay to be a fan of CEOs, VPs, and Directors. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot from their online presence without needing to bother them about a coffee or lunch date.

• Follow digital marketers on social media

• Research the best marketers in your community, city, or state and read about their work and publications

• Find people with your ideal job on LinkedIn and see how their careers evolved to learn what steps you can take to grow yours

Go on interviews

How would you ever know if you'd be any good at your dream job without first getting a taste of the environment? Take the opportunity to go on interviews for positions you'd like to have one day. Interviews will teach you about the work environment, help you to be more confident, and offer a way to practice. Going on interviews at dream companies or for dream positions will also allow you to learn directly from the people that you'd like to work with one day.

To prepare, you can:

• Hire a career coach to help you elevate your interviewing skills and update your resume

• Hire a graphic designer to help you design a template for your new resume (or buy one online) and don't forget to print copies on resume paper

• Be open to going on many types of interviews, no matter if you're underqualified or overqualified

• Take notes during all of your meetings and bring prepared questions (it doesn't matter if you have them written down in your notes)

• Exchange business cards or contact information with the people you meet and connect with them on LinkedIn to build up your network

Do you still want to be a digital marketer? I challenge you to do these five things, and you'll be well on your way to accepting a dream offer or position at your dream company.

Best wishes.