We recently sat down to talk to Sarah, a graduate who has moved from being a vet nurse to becoming the Digital Marketing Coordinator at PetDirect, combining her experience as a vet nurse, and her newfound skills in digital marketing.
Sarah’s decision to study the Diploma in Digital Marketing was brought on by a high-pressure career that lacked flexibility. After working as a vet nurse for three years, Sarah wanted to shift her work/life balance to a more sustainable point, where she could take the time she deserved, and settle into a more relaxed pattern.
“After the last lockdown I was like, that’s it, I’m doing it. And I quit my job and started studying full time.”
On how life has changed
Sarah says her life has changed drastically since graduating.
“As a vet nurse, I was working 10 – 11-hour days. No lunch breaks. A high-stress environment. It was just about treading water.”
But now, after studying and changing careers, Sarah enjoys going to work every day.
“I’m excited about what we’re doing. It made me realize that your job doesn’t have to be boring or stressful. It can actually be quite fun.”
It’s not just the working structure, it’s also the working culture for Sarah, going from high-pressure 11-hour days to working with a team that encourages development and learning.
“It just makes life so much easier knowing that you have a company that’s supportive, and you’re all working towards common goals. It’s awesome.”
Getting to now enjoy flexible working, Sarah looks forward to getting stuck into the workday. With work-from-home days and an office that encourages four-legged visitors, Sarah has entered a new style of working.
“It’s been one of the best decisions because it’s given me a whole new career and different avenues to go down. And yeah, it was basically just to have a more flexible, manageable life where like, it was just a job you could enjoy.”
On the variety of subjects, and some personal highlights
“It’s not just theoretical, you actually put it together.”
Each of the eight courses in the Diploma taught through the diploma works to build upon your skills and knowledge of digital marketing as a whole, Sarah says the variety of topics “perfectly knitted together”, allowing her a comprehensive understanding of the potential for digital marketing.
Her highlights were the social media course and the digital design course, which both introduced her to a new range of skills and tools, which she says she now uses on a daily basis.
Taking the skills learned and applying them at work
Thinking about those top skills that she developed during the diploma, Sarah says learning the foundations of digital marketing was what was the key to being prepared for a new career.
Working from the first step of strategy all the way to executing those campaigns means that Sarah was prepared for the practical applications within her role. Which Sarah says was one of the most valuable parts of the diploma for her:
“It’s been a really easy way to translate the course into life. So, I think that’s probably the most value you get from it, those practical skills of actually doing the work and mimicking that process”.
Sarah’s current role at PetDirect
Working with a small team at PetDirect, Sarah’s new role as Digital Marketing Coordinator brings together all she learned through the diploma and supports her understanding of each marketing element at play. Although not the dedicated data and analysis specialist, her rounded education means that Sarah has a foundational understanding of the topic and is able to contribute suggestions for improvements.
On what makes NZIE special
Sarah says the tutors make the difference at NZIE, while the practical assessments support real-world application.
“The tutors are so experienced. And yeah, it’s super fun. The classes are really interesting and engaging. The assessments (while it’s still an assessment), they’re actually really beneficial and definitely helped set you up. So yeah, just enjoy it.
What do you say to someone who’s looking to enter the world of digital marketing?
“If you’re sitting on the edge of making a decision or questioning, will it be right for me to switch to something else: Do it, it opens so many doors because you gain those practical skills you’ll take with you, and it gives you some experience. The skills are applicable to a whole range of things in life.”
Think you’re ready for a career that aligns with your passions? Check out our Diploma in Digital Marketing.
