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Seriously Considering a Career Change After 6+ Years in the Industry
Hello everyone!
I’ve been a lurker on this subreddit for a while; however, I haven’t come across anyone in the same position that I’ve been in for the past year.
First of all, I’m a digital marketer (29m) based in London (UK) with 6+ years of experience. My portfolio boasts a wide array of past projects, complete with screenshots showcasing the impressive results I’ve achieved.
My skill set spans extensive areas like PPC (Google Ads, Meta), direct response copywriting, email marketing, growth hacking, and SEO. I’ve also meticulously documented my tangible achievements on my CV with specific, concrete examples.
A bit of context: I’ve been freelancing/contracting for the past few years. However, there’s an unusual issue I’ve been grappling with.
I’ve applied to nearly 2000 jobs across platforms such as Linkedin and various job platforms. The primary reason behind my job search is the unpredictability of income while freelancing. Although the pay can be great, the lack of stability has prompted me to explore more consistent options.
With the rise of AI, competition has shifted. I often find myself competing with freelancers from other countries who offer lower rates on projects they bid for on platforms like Upwork. This has unfortunately led to fewer successful projects for me.
Out of all these applications, I’ve only managed to secure 2 interviews. The first interview, for a role paying 30k, was with a startup. During the interview, I discussed various growth hacking strategies I’ve employed in the past. However, they opted for another candidate, deeming me overqualified.
The second interview, for a role paying 40k, went well. Nevertheless, they ultimately chose a candidate who was already in their 3rd stage of interviews. It felt like I was their backup plan.
Initially, I aimed for roles in the 60k range, given my experience and past compensation. However, as desperation set in, I expanded my search to roles in the 20-25k range, with no success.
Out of curiosity, I took to LinkedIn and observed instances where candidates with much less experience or fresh graduates were hired over me. This left me perplexed and wondering about the missing piece of the puzzle.
I’ve sought advice from various recruiters who have reviewed my CV. Most of them suggested only minor changes, as they agreed my CV is strong. Their support added to my bewilderment regarding my inability to secure a job.
As things got more challenging, I even considered whether my foreign-sounding name might be a factor, despite my UK birth and native accent.
Given the severity of the situation, I’m now genuinely contemplating a career change. But the thought of stepping away from a field I’ve been in my entire professional life feels daunting.
I would greatly appreciate any advice you could offer or even a review of my CV. At this point, I’m struggling to understand why landing an interview, let alone a job, has proven so elusive.
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27 Replies
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Move to Dubai. You’ll easily land a job there for way more than what you’re currently earning.
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With 6+ years of experience you shouldn’t be having to apply for jobs that pay $20-25k. I didn’t even know those existed for PPC people – especially with that much experience.
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Cautionary tale for all of those who wish to do freelancing right there.
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Run affiliate offers and make 1M + a year
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Something isn’t adding up here. Post your resume with your name redacted. I hire marketers. I’ll give it to you straight.
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You’re entering a job market where there is a lot of supply and not much demand. This is a complete turnaround to the job market 6-9 months ago where there was a lot of work and few candidates. Still, if you are a strong candidate you should be picking up interviews regularly. There must be another issue with how you are promoting yourself.
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applied for over 2000 (two thousand) jobs …
How is there that many jobs out there for digital marketingOnly two interviews ? And no job offers?
Mate I think it’s you
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As someone who was recently in the market for a new role, I can speak to this with first hand experience.
First, the 2000 jobs you’ve applied to is very realistic. Searching for a new job is a full time job in itself. I’d make sure you’re customizing your resume/cover letter (yes, write them) for each role.It sounds like you’re applying for roles in which you’re either not qualified for or entry level roles…why? 6+ years of experience is better than entry level, but not quite Senior Manager/Director level (unless, you have led a team before).
Personally, I’d focus on applying to start-up companies that have a good VC/PE backing. Use your experience as a freelancer to speak to your ability to quickly pivot, work on multiple projects (across departments), and prioritize, as these are all qualities needed in a start-up environment (they often pay much better than “corporate” positions…at least over here, across the pond.).
In the end, finding a new job is tough and can often leave you feeling demoralized, beat down, etc. Keep your head up and keep grinding. What’s meant to be, will be.
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If you think your name on the CV is the issue, many people change it to see if that changes the situation. You should not have to do that at all though.
I lived in London and one thing I always took away is how competitive the market is. Most places want to hire the cheapest people to do the work, even if it costs them more time or money in the long run. All my jobs in London came via recruiters or applying on job sites that were not LinkedIn.
I would say maybe go out and networking and meet people in the industry. You are more likely to get a job that way over applying via LinkedIn. LinkedIn is where jobs go to die. Everyone can apply in one click, which makes it a waste of time for job seekers, imo. The job market has tanked and changed a lot in the last 8 months. It is an employer market again and tons of people are out of work.
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I struggle with these types of posts here and on LinkedIn.
I make six figures and I’ve been marketing 12 years. I have 3 kids.
But if I got fired today I’d go and get a job at Target for $14/hr an hour later. Then apply to marketing jobs outside of that time and try to line up consulting/freelance on the side.
I mean no disrespect OP, just saying: a day job or a career change might be good for you. There are a lot of low wage jobs out there, and low wage is better than no wage.
If you want to stay in marketing .. Only advice I have for your job search is that you should try and build relationships with hiring managers instead of just sending resumes and applications.
Find out what problems they need to solve, then help them solve them.
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> I even considered whether my foreign-sounding name might be a factor
I wasn’t a native speaker and honestly I have one of the shittiest name combination you cannot even imagine (sounds like something about female genitalia), but I never had an issue with getting interviews and job offers. 0.1% interview rate really sounds like a *you* problem.
Update your LinkedIn profile, with 6+ years experience you should have some recruiters DMing you. If not, reach out to recruiters who are specialised in the PPC/digital marketing niche.
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Freelancing / being an agency is as much about being good at your job as it is about being good at networking.
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>With the rise of AI, competition has shifted. I often find myself competing with freelancers from other countries who offer lower rates on projects they bid for on platforms like Upwork. This has unfortunately led to fewer successful projects for me.
This might sound counter-intuitive, but try pricing yourself on Upwork so that you are in the top 10% of most expensive. When I hire contractors from Upwork, I immediately disregard anyone I see with super low rates because I assume the quality is going to be poor.
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I had trouble too when I got fired…. decided to go the freelance path. It’s definitely harder but it’s worth it. I would start with cold email asking people for an audit. Or people that are your friends/ contacts on any platform ask them if they know anyone or business that needs help with PPC. Until you get a Agency job. If you have any questions I can help you.
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I’m in a similar situation. But I have decided to go a different route. Instead of applying for jobs, I will use that time to become a content creator in PPC industry trying to showcase my skills and knowledge. This is a great way to get more qualified leads and continue freelancing without worrying too much about stability.
I also recommend finding a new focus that is close to PPC or somewhat related to it but not too far so you don’t have to start from scratch. But something that could also be a full time freelance once you get better at it in case PPC is not working out at all.
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Agencies don’t want to hear about your growth hack strategies. They already have best practices in place for campaign design and growth. All you’re doing is telling them you will be a problem when you disagree with their methods.
What they want is someone moldable. You have to show you learn fast, can handle a demanding workload, are good with clients and will adapt to their needs. Anything else is wasting their time.
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