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21 June 2026
The one with the A.I career advice...
“…I want out of my job. Based on what you know about me, what job would be fitting?
I’m single but want a family in the next 5 years, so the clock’s ticking. I'm in London ”
- me to ChatGPT, 02.06.26
I held my breath for point something of a second as ChatGPT decided my fate. Then a wall of text appeared. What it said surprised me.
Digital marketing?
Was my prompt unclear?
“I live alone and work a 9-5,” I rebutted. “I don’t have time to complete a degree.”
One A.I reply and YouTube search later, I realised there were loads of people working as digital marketers with no marketing degree - they’d done it with free online courses...
The more I researched it, the more digital marketing seemed to tick the boxes I cared about:
It could be self-taught
It had a relatively low barrier to entry
There was long-term earning potential.
Most importantly, it was creative (design, writing, problem solving and strategy) - and I could start immediately!
I had a destination, now I needed a plan of action - how was I going to become a digital marketer?... On reflection, the qualities that appealed to me before now felt daunting. A low barrier to entry meant anybody could teach themselves digital marketing...
I needed my career adviser again.
Despite my attempt to sound casual, ChatGPT began by assuring me that digital marketing jobs were in high demand - phew!
My request for a plan that would set me apart wasn’t ignored either, it suggested the following:
Continue to research Digital Marketing - be sure it’s a fit.
Complete a list of (free) online courses and foundational books - I’ll be adding these to this site as I go, which leads to the next action…
Create a site/blog - a foundational skill.
Practice SEO and analytics with the site/blog - somewhere to use the knowledge from my books/courses.
This felt doable, exciting even, especially the part about a blog. I’d make it about digital marketing, the content and analysis would feed each other - “but was this enough to set me apart?”.
A.I’s response...
“When interviewing, you can say:
“I built and tracked my own website using GA4. I monitored traffic sources, user behaviour, engagement rates and content performance.”
That sounds much stronger than:
“I watched some courses.”
Who could argue with its dry wit…
It was now time for that immediate start.