Member StoriesHilary Mcguckin

Tell us a bit about your experience before the Digital Marketing Institute

Before I studied with the Digital Marketing Institute, I'd been working in advertising and publishing for nearly 10 years. I was employed with two of Northern Ireland's top advertising agencies, as well as a large publishing house. In these roles, I managed the creative team in charge of production of content for a number of well-known industry papers and websites. My background was very marketing focused, with experience in copywriting, social media, public relations, web content, and search engine optimization.

What influenced your decision to study in the digital field?

With a considerable amount of practice and application already behind me, I wanted a way to formalize my experience and fine-tune my digital skills. I already had a formal qualification in advertising, marketing, and PR, but recognized that the shift in communications and the way businesses were interacting with their customers was increasingly digital. Because there is a distinct shortage of those skills and expertise available to businesses in Northern Ireland, I knew it was the right decision to further my knowledge and career with a Digital Marketing qualification from the DMI.

Why did you choose to study the Professional Diploma with the Digital Marketing Institute?

I spent a lot of time researching the DMI's courses and content and found that they were ticking all my boxes, not least because of the quality of their lecturers. To this day, I am friendly with many of them on social media and continue to refer back to them for inspiration and advice.

Since completing the course in the Digital Marketing Institute, how has your career progressed?

Since completing the course, I became head of Marketing and Communications for one of the UK and Ireland's leading software and web development organizations. In this position, I strategize and implement work for an impressive array of clients on everything from User Experience workshops to SEO, branding and analytics.

Is there any advice you would give to new students at the Digital Marketing Institute?

Digital Marketing is still so new, and it's always changing. A course from DMI will give you the best possible foundation to guide you as the market and your career grows.

In one word, how would you describe your time in the Digital Marketing Institute?

Essential