Hi all,

Anonymous

March 9,2023 at 4:04PM UTC

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Hi all,

i was recently laid off from a job a worked for 6 years. As the Digital Marketing Manager and marketing department team lead, I wore a lot of hats (as most in marketing do.) the company is behind tech wise and very hesitant to implement SaaS - my point to all of this is because of this, I do not have experience in google analytics, SQL, Salesforce, etc. I consistently suggested software and data measuring techniques as well as paid ads. How can I explain that I am a fast learner and very confident I Could learn these systems to potential employers? I am already taking LinkedIn courses to learn as much as possible.

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AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 4:32PM UTC
I'm kinda' in the same boat. Even though for the past five years, I've been a consultant, primarily for Microsoft, writing messaging frameworks, pitch decks, sales materials... campaigns-in-a-box, etc. for Microsoft and partners SaaS (and PaaS, IaaS) solutions, I don't seem to have legitimate SaaS knowledge and skills.
I think about sport recruiters. They look at a potential player's experience, but they base their judgement on how they play on the field. A high schooler from a backwoods town could potentially create a bidding war, not because he or she had the best winning streak or coach, but because of their physical prowess, competitive nature, personality, etc.
Unfortunately, our digital resumes are how we're judged, and it comes down having the "right stuff," skillfully worded, and arranged on two pages, and not our potential, can-do attitude, and other attributes that help ensure success. Worse, it's not even a person reviewing these two pages, but an Application Tracking System (ATS). I don't have an answer. But I think companies are going to end up with people who look great on "paper," but don't excel when placed in roles.
At my last company, I mentored many new hires (young and old) who arrived with garlands around their necks and impressive resumes, but struggled to do the job... without lots of coaching and assistance.
I think you're smart to take courses, get certified, and elevate your new credentials. Good luck!
Barb HansenMarch 9,2023 at 5:36PM UTC
As you say you are doing - learn as much as you can. There are so many options - LinkedIn, YouTube, Udemy. Google as a bunch of certified classes that are free or mostly free.
I also suggest signing up for free trials for the software (like Salesforce) and playing around with the tool. Listen to Youtube sales/operational videos from Salesforce (as an example). If a free trial is not available, then watch a bunch of YouTube videos.
You can teach yourself SQL and other languages, so get started on that. You don't need to know everything about a language, you just need to know enough to have a conversation about it.
Create a dictionary of the words and phrases used by those software providers and sprinkle those words into your interviews and your resume to show your familiarity with those products.
As to explaining how quickly you learn new tech, weave anecdotes from your previous work about how quickly you picked up a new piece of tech into your interviews.
From someone whose been in the digital space for years to you, and others reading this post, develop a habit of learning so you remain relevant, and well-rounded.
You can expose yourself to any product (YouTube, free trials), and you can teach yourself enough of any code language to at least understand it's capabilities and it's limitations. Download the hot new app and play with it for a few days even if the app isn't something you'd normally use. Then delete the app.
In as little as 30 minutes a week can do wonders for your professional development, and open career opporunities.
This digital space changes too quickly and it's too easy to expose yourself to any SaaS and all new technologies to not build the habit of continuous learning.
Jennifer WeaverMarch 9,2023 at 6:41PM UTC
You are doing everything right. Keep learning and for each thing you don't know, someone else doesn't know something you can do. Salesforce, for example, has so many products and configurations that no one company is set up the same. Every single person would need to learn how they do Salesforce. Google Analytics has great trainings. Just get certified in the first one and add that to your resume. I am interviewing for marketing and I haven't found one person ask me what specifically I know about a particular tech stack item.