The Instagrammer turning a passion into a career in just 4 months. Meet Charlene.
With a bachelor’s degree in social work in the bag and a steady job, Charlene didn’t think she would ever pick up studying again, let alone venture into a completely different career in just over 4 months. Now a social media executive at Lovin Malta, this is the story of how Charlene navigated her way into the industry she had set her sights on with the help of the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing.
Even though I loved my previous job, after five years in the field, I felt it was no longer for me. I’d been thinking of doing something different for some time before I gradually built up the confidence to start looking for a new job. But when I started applying for roles in content creation and marketing, I soon realised that not having the right qualifications was going to be an obstacle. So that’s when I decided to actually do something about it, to get more serious about my career change, and I signed up for the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing.
I was near the end of the course when I saw the vacancy and applied, but because I’d been rejected before, I didn’t want to raise my hopes. However, the fact that I was studying digital marketing turned out to be something that was noticed and valued, and I was absolutely thrilled to learn I got the position.
I am very satisfied with how all this turned out. If you were to ask me one year ago if I thought any of this was possible, I would have said no. At the time, I didn’t even think I had the patience to go back to a classroom, but the fact that the diploma is only ten weeks long made the commitment seem a lot more manageable.
I’m a huge book lover and I have my own Instagram page, which I’ve been growing over the past 8 years, dedicated to that. I’ve always had an interest in content creation and social media, but it wasn’t what I actually covered in terms of my education. Even though I started the page for fun, it’s how I realised I was really into the subject, and I’ve actually used what I learned at ICE Malta to improve how I manage my page. Before, I was just winging it really, but with the course, I was able to target the right audience with my ads, for example. The lesson material was so on point that I was able to test out tricks and strategies I was learning about straight on my actual page.
I really enjoyed the course! The educator always had fun and memorable examples to share, and he made sure to include everyone. The lessons were really interactive too, which is something I really appreciated. In fact, I felt comfortable enough to speak up and participate in class, even though I’m a bit shy.
Before I joined, ICE Malta had already been on my radar. I’d seen the other student stories, and one of my friends had even told me that she knew someone who had managed to change careers after completing the same diploma. This had really encouraged me at the time because you start thinking, “Ah, it can be done.” Also, the fact that the programme was online live was a plus for me because I was still working full-time in Gozo, and catching up with missed lessons through the recordings came in handy.
I didn’t even think I had the patience to start studying again but the 10-week duration made it much more manageable. The fact that I was a digital marketing student was something my employers noticed & valued.
CHARLENE GALEASocial Media Executive
