Education system must encourage more women into technical roles to close the digital skills gap

Pay-per-click is one of the key skills that needs to be mastered by those wanting to excel in the digital sector, according to our latest Digital Destination research.

1.46 million people are currently employed in the digital industries, and revenue for the sector is expected to increase by 90% next year, so we undertook research into the career paths of digital professionals to discover the skilled people shaping the industry.

Our findings revealed the majority of digital professionals cite PPC in their top five skills, ahead of organic search, SEO and eCommerce.

Of the 150 successful digital professionals involved in the research, 82 noted PPC as an essential skill, with just a few professionals referring to organic search.

Earning on average double of their non-digital counterparts and with the typical salary hitting over £66,000, we're not surprised that more people are being attracted to a career in the digital sector. But for many people the industry is a minefield of roles requiring different skills, making it tricky for beginners to know where to start.

There is a lot of budget spent on PPC in many digital marketing campaigns, so it isn't surprising that the majority of marketers cite this in the skill set. And it makes sense for this to be the starting point for those wanting to progress a career in the digital industry.

PPC marketing offers entrants to the digital marketing industry commercial, analytical, and optimisation experience, all key facets of a leading digital marketer's skill set.

If a jobseeker is trying to kick-start a career in digital marketing and needs to gather important skills like PPC, like in any industry, work experience is key. Luckily, because digital is a relatively new industry, there are a lot of start-ups that welcome help from interns. Getting in touch with a company directly or through a college or university is the best way to gain skills you'll need to demonstrate in your CV when you go for that first job in digital marketing.

On the other hand, if someone is already working in marketing and wants to throw themselves into the digital world, training is out there to reskill or upskill. You know the basic principles of marketing, but digital is different and it goes without saying that there are new skills you will need to pick up.

The digital marketing landscape is transforming faster than anyone could of anticipated and to keep up individuals are having to expand their current digital repertoire and become experts in a number of areas.