The marketing industry is an evolving and exciting world to be in. Digital marketing is booming. Because of the major shift to online, digital marketing roles are in high demand. There is no time like the present to start a career, but what route should you take?
The most popular career path in digital marketing is either a university degree or an apprenticeship.
It can be a difficult decision to make due to many different factors. In this blog, we will explore the comparison between a digital marketing apprenticeship vs degree.
We will do this by highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each and then making a comparison between the two.
What is digital marketing?
With the ease of accessibility, the use of the internet is increasing daily. According to Statista, there was a total of 5.16 billion internet users worldwide as of January 2023. The online world is growing constantly and so is the way we go about our lives. The way we shop, for example, has changed because of this.
The shift to online means a shift in marketing. To take the example of shopping, shopping on the high street and in department stores is still very popular, but businesses now need to account for their online customers. This is where digital marketing comes in.
So, what is digital marketing? Simply put, digital marketing is the practice of advertising and promoting services online. This is done through digital channels such as websites, search engines, social networks, email, mobile applications and more.
Today, digital marketing is required as standard in any brand’s strategy, in fact, many businesses would not survive without it. Having an online presence is so important because that’s where people spend so much of their time. Think about your average week. How much time do you spend scrolling on your phone compared to out on the street in front of shops?
There are many ways to be a successful digital marketer, but the first step is always learning! If you have a solid foundation to build your experience on, you’ll be better placed to break into this highly competitive industry. Let’s take a look at two of the most common ways to learn digital marketing.
Digital marketing apprenticeship
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a combination of a classroom learning at a college or university and industry experience while working on the job. Apprentices get paid for their work, too. The program enables the learner to have hands-on experience and mentoring from professionals. When an apprenticeship is completed, learners will achieve a nationally recognised qualification.
What are the benefits of an apprenticeship?
Now we understand what an apprenticeship is, we can move on to exploring the different benefits of studying a digital marketing apprenticeship.
On-the-job training
As we mentioned, an apprenticeship is mostly hands-on. Not everything can be taught in a classroom, some things are best learned through doing.
For a student, being in an established marketing department can be an invaluable experience. It will teach certain skills and lessons only learnt from being on the job.
Being surrounded by trained professionals and watching them work, listening to their conversations and asking questions will boost the student’s knowledge at a rapid speed.
Not only will learning occur through practical work, but it also gives a wider understanding of how a business operates. This is particularly useful if someone has never been employed before and will look good on their CV. A creative apprenticeship does help set students up for the working world after completion.
Finance
The financial element of an apprenticeship is one of the most appealing aspects. Rather than being thousands of pounds in debt, people actually get paid to do an apprenticeship! It is typically lower paid than a full-time position with the company, but there are advantages of company benefits such as paid annual leave. You’ll often see this referred to as “earn while you learn”.
Mentoring and support
Being surrounded by industry professionals from all walks of life can benefit a learner’s career knowledge. Colleagues can guide students through daily tasks and teach certain aspects they have experienced themselves.
At the end of the day, these people know exactly what you are going through as they were all beginners too. Read more here on what A Day in the Life of a Digital Marketer looks like.
What are the drawbacks of an apprenticeship?
Although doing a digital marketing apprenticeship can be very beneficial, like anything it also has its negatives.
Potentially lower pay
Once enrolled in a digital marketing apprenticeship, wages are earnt as well as paid holidays. The downside to this is that it isn’t particularly a high wage. Apprenticeships often offer lower than minimum wage which can be very difficult if someone has a high amount of outgoings. For this reason, apprenticeships are usually better for young people still living at home with their parents or with minimal outgoings.
Limited classroom instruction
The skills taught from the practical experiences are invaluable. The downside is that working with professionals as they do their day-to-day jobs can be a challenge. They might not have time to teach basic rules and principles taught in classrooms.
Being in a classroom gives the student more time to concentrate, study and practice the subject without worrying about the outcome. When you’re in a fast paced working environment, sometimes the focus is more on finishing client work rather than the process.
Limited Direction
Apprenticeships are very specific to the topic of study. After joining an apprenticeship, the student is dedicated to that, meaning there isn’t much room to branch out and experience similar areas.
An example could be someone doing a digital marketing apprenticeship and finding they have a natural skill for coding. They might not have time to experiment with that further. This then limits the student from progressing in other, similar areas.
Digital marketing degree
We have covered the pros and cons of doing a digital marketing apprenticeship, now we can dive into what a degree is and what it entails.
What is a degree?
An undergraduate degree in the UK is a step up from A-Level qualifications. The most popular type of degree is a bachelor’s degree. They are typically 3 to 4 years long and take place at a university or other higher education campus, usually on a full-time basis.
A bachelor’s degree offers in-depth knowledge of the course chosen and the potential to explore similar subjects and is the perfect stepping stone to a master’s degree. Some degree courses even offer work experience or the option to study abroad. If you want to learn more about what a degree is, read more here.
What are the benefits of a degree?
Like an apprenticeship, there are many advantages to a student choosing to do a degree. The data from Universities UK show that around 1.7 million students chose to do an undergraduate degree in 2021-22, meaning it was the most popular choice in higher education. So what are the benefits?
In-depth classroom instruction
Degree programs tend to be full-time, 3 to 4 year courses taken primarily in a classroom. This offers plenty of time for the students to really dig deep into the subject chosen.
The classroom setting gives close one-to-one sessions with lecturers, which can boost learning more effectively through dedicated time with an expert mentor.
Not only will the student learn their course in great detail, but it is also common to branch out into related fields. Some courses might even allow students to explore this further as part of their degree, with additional modules or options.
An example might be someone studying digital marketing and finding they enjoy design. For their projects, they might experiment with this further and take their design work that step further. This then gives the student a broader knowledge and a larger skillset. In the end, this then normally leads to a higher-paying job.
Skills
Because of all the benefits classroom teaching provides, this lends itself to the student learning a wide range of skills. Degrees offer the time and mentorship to guide students from the basics to the professional level.
A digital marketing degree would cover everything you need to know in detail with projects to test skills out. But if there are certain areas that are preferred, opportunities in the course can be had to concentrate on those.
Not only does a degree offer specific industry skills it will also teach many valuable transferable skills. These will include independent and group work, presentation skills, communication and much more.
Opportunities
Degree programs often have opportunities to gain experience outside of the course. Internships and work placements are sometimes offered or even required. This would be a great benefit for the student, allowing them to gain some hands-on experience that only working on the job can provide.
As well as working, there tends to be a lot of networking opportunities as well. This could be in the form of events, visits to digital marketing agencies or even peer-to-peer relations with students on other courses.
What are the drawbacks of a degree?
Cost
One of the main drawbacks people discuss for doing a degree is the cost as they can be expensive. Tuition fees do depend on the university and the region, however, the UK average is over £9,000 a year. That is for the course alone and doesn’t include accommodation.
Most students will take out a student loan to cover these costs for the duration of their degree. This will then lead to a significant amount of debt but it isn’t as scary as it seems. Most graduates do not start to pay back their loans until they earn a certain amount of money in the future. If the student loan is not paid in 30 years, it is then written off.
Even though the debt sounds daunting, it isn’t as bad as it seems. To learn more about this, UCAS explains it further and even offers tips and support on tuition fees and student loans.
Less Hands-on Experience
One of the main benefits of studying a digital marketing apprenticeship is the hands-on experience. As a digital marketing degree is classroom-based, you don’t get the same opportunity.
Some things can only be learned on the job. Without that experience, some companies will not hire which then becomes a tough position to be in. This isn’t always the case, though, and a strong portfolio can make you just as employable.
Being overqualified
Once graduated, the perfect job position might not be available straight away. This can lead to people applying for lower-paying or entry-level roles. Some companies when hiring have a fear of a degree candidate being overqualified. The fact that the student will know the basics and not need as much training can reduce the time they’ll be in the role. So you may find if you come out of a degree with lots of experience but can only find an entry-level job, you might get bored quickly and look for a bigger challenge.
Digital marketing apprenticeship vs degree
We’ve discussed the pros and cons of a digital marketing apprenticeship vs a degree and what they entail, so we can now make a comparison.
If the goal is to earn while you learn and get stuck in with some hands-on experience, then an apprenticeship might be the best option.
Enrolling in a university course is heavily classroom based. This allows the student’s skillset to broaden as well as specialise which will most likely lead to a high-paying role. This does come with a price of student debt. If this method appeals more, then university is the recommended choice.
Both options offer networking opportunities but a degree takes the lead. Apprenticeships offer more internal opportunities, whilst a degree will typically be more external. Degree courses often include many events, offer work experience as well as be in a place full of others wanting to collaborate.
After the course has finished, apprenticeships and degrees both have advantages and drawbacks. Some apprenticeships may limit the direction specifically to the course chosen. This can become difficult especially if it was not enjoyed or the student has changed their mind. On the other hand, the company the student is working for may offer a full-time role on the back of a successful apprenticeship.
Because a degree covers a lot of ground on the subject matter, it can open up lots of different doors. The downside is that if the job search is hard, entry-level options may need to be taken. Some businesses may not hire due to over-qualification.
Conclusion
Both digital marketing apprenticeships and degrees have their advantages and drawbacks. Ultimately, the decision between the two will depend on the student’s specific goals, learning style, financial situation and personal preferences.
Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and on-the-job training, whilst a degree will provide a broader knowledge, skill set and opportunities for networking. When it comes to choosing, individuals should consider the above.
With the right choice, individuals can develop the digital marketing skills necessary to succeed in the rapidly growing field of digital marketing.
If you are interested in studying a digital marketing apprenticeship then Big Creative Education offer a fantastic opportunity to become a Digital Marketer. Hopefully this blog has helped towards making an important decision!
