Member StoriesArif Johari

Arif Johari

APJ Lead - Digital Enablement Services

Arif Johari (AJ) was recently the first to complete his exam and officially become a Certified Digital Marketing Professional. With that, we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his experience and share any tips he had for his SAP colleagues.

What do you think the future holds for the world of digital and those working in it?

The future of digital marketing is definitely being transformed by technology. Big data, AI automation, immersive technologies and smart tech are changing the way brands analyze customer data and interact with their audiences – who are getting savvier and expect a truly personalized experience.

How would you describe your experience with the Digital Marketing Institute?

Initially, I was wary as to how the DMI would be relevant to me – I wouldn’t use the tools and skills for my job. But after taking a few modules, I realized that DMI is a great development opportunity for future skills. Now I can confidently say that I’m a digital marketer and I’m better able to take on any opportunities to expand my role and responsibilities in the digital marketing space.

I personally enjoyed SEO as it’s an area I’m least familiar with and would have the most impact on my role now.

Were there any challenges you initially thought of but found you overcame, if so how?

Having the motivation to take on at least 30 hours of modules over a few weeks was tough. I overcame those challenges by scheduling learning time in my calendar, turning off all distractions, and booking the exam in advance so that I’d have a deadline.

As a Certified Digital Marketing Professional, do you have any exam tips for your SAP colleagues?

Tips:

  • The exam was surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. Most of the questions are not repeats of the quizzes.

  • Take all the modules, quizzes, and practical exercises - don’t skip any content even if you’re familiar with them already.

  • Do the practice exams – all of it! Repeat the ones where you’d have more mistakes.

  • Review your diagnostic results. This can be found in your MyDMI account.

  • Book your exam now - this will motivate you to work towards finishing your modules by the deadline. Take the exam anyway even if you’re not completely prepared as it will give you practice.

All resources can be found in the Knowledge Base.

Anything else you would like to add?

Exam Day:

  • Took me an hour each way to arrive at the Pearson centre – do arrive early – they’d probably have enough computers to let you start as soon as you arrive.

  • They’re very strict about not bringing anything extra into the exam room – so don’t wear jewellery, cap, etc.

  • You can’t bring snacks or water into the room.

  • There’s a locker for you to place all your items.

  • They’d ask you to pat-down yourself and take everything out of your pocket.

  • They will give you a pen and paper to write things down.

  • The room was set at a warm enough temperature that you wouldn’t need a jacket.

  • There were 200 questions, for a total of 3 hours.

  • I’d recommend only taking breaks after each session ends. There are 3 different sessions. Although there’s no time-crunch, you’d probably use up the whole 3 hours.