Well, folks, I did it. I finished my fifth and final week of the Digital Marketing Circuit Course at General Assembly and I’ve got some thoughts. So sit back, relax, and open a bag of Chex-mix, because I’m about to do some serious reflection.
I was getting tired of applying for jobs that I was 90% qualified to do and I knew I had to shrink the knowledge gaps that were holding me back from finding the right job, and that’s how I landed on General Assembly.
I think it did. I want to emphasize that this is a great starting point—it by no means is a substitute for an actual marketing degree or even the certification that you get from the long-form version of this course. The Digital Marketing Circuit covered each component of a campaign:
And with each step of the conversion funnel, the course always circled back to real life examples, like how BarkBox’s “Email signup for one free box” strategy hits the first three steps of the funnel, or how a report on Google Analytics can tell you how a given campaign’s strategy is working or struggling.
Probably the most valuable part of this experience, for me, was the weekly 1:1 collaboration I had with my mentor, Brianna. I was able to ask questions, test my knowledge with her, and also ask her about how the work in the course compares to the work she does in her actual day-to-day life as a Digital Marketing Professional. And most every time, she would say that each unit project (whether it be generating a consumer persona or measuring KPIs) captures the basics of specific roles in the industry.
When I finished my Unit 4 project, measuring the potential KPIs for the Three Peaks Wax Co. Awareness campaign, I decided to roll right on through to the final project.
From Day 1, we were told that the last project would be a more formal compilation of every unit project. It definitely took a bit longer, but with my 1:1 notes and my previous projects open on my desktop, I was able to wrap up this course without complication.
Pro-tip for people who might be intimidated by this “Final Project” in the future:
Take notes during your 1:1 sessions and apply them right after the meeting. This way, the majority of your work is done and ready to be plugged into the final project template.
It’s actually kind of insane how much supplementary info GA gives you for free (review guides, reference links, industry blogs). Take advantage of this because after 30 days, you will not have access to the course materials (unless you buy an extension).
After 5 weeks of readings, presentations, and 1:1s, I finished this course with a solid understanding of Digital Marketing principles, a certificate of completion on LinkedIn, and an Awareness action plan to pitch for my friend’s business. All in all, I’d give the Digital Marketing Circuit an A.
That’s all from me, everybody! Thank you for following this journey – I had fun and I hope you did too! If you’re interested in taking your career in a new direction, check GA out. Seriously, they’re great.