Get qualified
I have been a marketer almost all my career, yet I got my
first fully fledged direct marketing qualification from the Institute of Direct
Marketing after I hit 50.
I have enjoyed a varied career so far including retail
marketing, business to business and charity/higher education fundraising. So
why the IDM, and why at this point in my career?
Why wait so long?
I did most of a CIM Diploma in the 90s but didn’t complete
due to a life change (babies). It wasn’t so much ‘waiting’ to get the
qualification, as doing what I needed, when I needed it. The CIM Diploma course gave
me a good all round general marketing background, which suited my early
career. When my new job demanded a much
higher competency in direct marketing, it made sense for both me and my
employer for me to get qualified.
Been there, done that
I was in a class full of younger marketers who, though
university qualified and expert in their current jobs mostly did not have the
breadth of experience I did (due to the advantage of age). I had to be careful not to give an example for
every single case study or scenario – quite simply because I really had ‘been
there, done that’; but it didn’t mean I’d been there perfectly, and done it
perfectly.
Was it worth it?
Beware the marketer who knows it all. I worked in computing
in the 1980s, when the idea of a ‘desktop Cray’ was a revolutionary concept. (You
can probably fit the same computing power on a mobile phone these days.)
Technology has changed, marketing channels have changed, and even behaviours
have changed (multiple touch points, for starters).
By undertaking an up to date relevant marketing
qualification, I didn’t just update my knowledge technologically and in today’s
market place, but I learned more about the direct marketing techniques that I already
use. I got the improved results I was looking for, and my employer expected.
What next?
Given the opportunity, I would like to convert my Diploma to
a Masters, but I have instead opted to take another Diploma - this time from the Institute of Fundraising. Not only will it enhance my direct marketing skills in the sector, but will broaden my expertise in areas that I have hitherto only touched on. And if I complete it, I'll be a double Dip!
Completing the IDM Diploma most
certainly has given me a taste for formal learning that I thought had left me many
years ago and I intend to continue my personal professional development right
up until I retire. There is no reason whatsoever to stop trying to get better
at what I do, and I enjoy it.
Links:
