From Outreach Marketing Specialist to Account Manager: My Digital Marketing Journey
Two years ago, I was a nervous university student stepping into my first real marketing role, terrified I wouldn't live up to expectations. Today, I'm managing multi-specialist teams, overseeing client accounts across six industries, and running campaigns that generate hundreds of leads. The path from there to here wasn't always straightforward, but every challenge taught me something valuable about digital marketing—and about myself.
If you're starting out in digital marketing or considering a career change, this is the story of how I went from email campaigns to paid ads, from intern to account manager, and what I learned along the way.
The Beginning: Finding My Footing at Credit Institute of Canada
I've always been drawn to the internet. Growing up, I loved social media and was fascinated by how quickly marketing shifted from traditional advertising to digital being at the forefront. I knew it was what I wanted to pursue, so when York University's co-op program offered me an Outreach Marketing Specialist internship at the Credit Institute of Canada in September 2023, I jumped at it.
This was my first real position in marketing, and while I was excited, I was also extremely nervous. I wanted to put what I'd learned in school to use, but there was this nagging fear: What if I don't get them the results they want? What if they're unimpressed?
When I began, I was mostly tasked with email marketing campaigns and social media management across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). I had my manager to mentor me in learning how to plan and execute campaigns, but here's the thing: knew the basics of digital marketing from school, but I had never actually planned and executed a campaign on my own.
The Learning Curve
What surprised me most was how data-driven everything needed to be. I thought marketing was more creative and less analytical, but I quickly learned that every decision needed to be backed by metrics and testing. Open rates, click-through rates, conversion tracking—it all mattered.
My biggest challenge was building their email list. I had to generate new leads for the institute so they could acquire new students, and I was overwhelmed with how to go about it. But I spent a lot of time studying, testing different approaches, and learning from my manager's feedback.
The breakthrough came gradually. Throughout my time at CIC, I was able to generate over 7,000 new leads for the institute. When I left in April 2024, many were still in the nurturing phase, but they were already acquiring new students from the pipeline I'd built. I improved my email marketing skills significantly, achieving open rates above 40% during key promotions and generating over 100,000 combined impressions per month on the CIC's social media accounts.
The Realization
As proud as I was of those results, I learned something important about myself during this time: while I enjoyed my work at the CIC, loved my coworkers and my manager, and appreciated the effort it takes to run successful email marketing campaigns, I knew email marketing wasn't my true passion.
I loved managing their social media. I wanted to continue pursuing that, or something along those lines. I knew I needed to branch out.
The Leap: Transitioning to Qode Media
I always knew I wanted to work at an agency rather than in-house. I liked the idea of working with multiple clients at once from different industries, all needing different services. Working at an agency would allow me to expand my skills and branch off in so many ways.
When I started at Qode Media in April 2024 as a Paid Ads Specialist, it was a big shift, going from email and organic social to paid advertising on Google and Meta. But from the moment I began training in paid ads, I loved it. It all excited me!
It took some time to get the hang of it, and I'm still constantly learning (the digital world changes quickly), but it was worth it.
Learning the Ropes
I started off mostly managing Meta Ads campaigns since Google Ads is more advanced and technical. I would outline instructions for our graphic designers for the creation of new ad assets, whether videos, static images, or carousels. I was responsible for ensuring the ad creatives were ready, refreshing them monthly or when creative fatigue started, writing the ad copy and headlines, determining targeting, and then monitoring campaigns once they launched.
My first client was Weston Motors, a used car dealership in the Greater Toronto Area. The goal was to generate high-quality leads through Meta Ads and a dedicated landing page while streamlining communication through marketing automation. The learning curve was steep, but seeing 314 leads come through confirmed I was on the right track.
The Promotion: Becoming an Account Manager
About three to four months into my role as a Paid Ads Specialist, something exciting happened: I was promoted to Account Manager.
Here's the thing—I was hired with the intention or hope that I would eventually become an account manager specializing in paid ads. Since I had never worked in an agency before, I needed to be trained and couldn't just be thrown into managing accounts. I spent many days shadowing my manager and other account managers, attending client meetings to see how everything worked, and being trained on how to handle various situations.
The transition to full account manager happened slowly. I first managed accounts alongside my manager before being fully approved to manage them on my own. What made them decide to promote me? My ability to pick things up quickly, strong performance on campaigns like Weston Motors, good communication skills during training, and my proactive attitude toward learning.
When I officially became an Account Manager, I was on top of the world. I knew that's what I wanted to do. Seeing my coworkers manage clients and lead their multi-specialist teams, I knew that's where I wanted to be, and I was so excited to be given the opportunity.
The Dual Role
As an Account Manager, I'm now responsible for overseeing all activities for a client's account and communicating directly with the client. For each service a client has, whether it's a bundle like SEO and Google Ads or just one service, we have specialists for each. I manage these multi-specialist teams to ensure proper collaboration, that tasks are completed by their deadlines, reports are made, and the client is satisfied.
Just running ads for a client versus managing full accounts is like playing an instrument versus conducting an orchestra. Running ads requires technical skill and focus on one area. Managing accounts means coordinating multiple specialists, keeping everyone in sync, and creating a harmonious result for the client. It's a lot more responsibility and requires strong time management and communication skills, especially since I'm now client-facing.
I generally start every day by checking the progress of each campaign, checking in with my team, and setting tasks for the day. Once my account management tasks are sorted out, I prioritize my paid ads accounts.
My Advice to You
If you're just starting out in digital marketing, here's what I wish I knew:
Get hands-on experience as soon as possible. Internships taught me more than any textbook. Theory is important, but application is everything.
Don't be afraid to specialize. You don't need to be a jack-of-all-trades. Find what excites you and specialize in it!
Embrace the learning curve. You will feel overwhelmed. You will make mistakes. That's not failure, that's growth.
Build relationships. Network with other marketers, find mentors, and stay curious. The digital marketing community is incredibly generous with knowledge.
Track everything. Get comfortable with data and analytics early. Your ability to measure, interpret, and act on data will set you apart.
If you're considering a career in digital marketing, take the leap. Start somewhere, anywhere. The industry is evolving fast, and there's room for people who are willing to grow with it.
What's your digital marketing story? Are you just starting out or looking to make a career shift? I'd love to hear from you, let's connect at celineesteves235@gmail.com.
