Dear Mayank,
My son is 20 and studying final year BCom. I have been reading a lot about digital marketing these days. Do you think it would be a good career option. If yes, how can I guide him to pursue it? What course would enable him to get in to the field?

Ans: It depends on individuals. I would not put a macro comment that Digital Marketing is the best career option -- but if you are in the domain of marketing / sales / creative -- digital marketing offers tremendous scope. Digital ecosystem is evolving and growing very rapidly. And therefore marketeers are looking at having a digital experience to be able to climb up in their career. Digital marketing requires one to be good at numbers, analytics, creative thoughts and understanding of consumer. If you are starting off your career and want to build somethin gin the marketing / sales domain - I would recommend trying out digital marketing in the early part of your career.

Ans: Looking at your years of experience and your CTC, I would say you are slightly underpaid at your current experience levels. After 8 years of experience, the average income of professionals in India is likely to be at a CTC of INR 12-15L. Sales & Marketing is one of the best domains that you are in and your experience is a bonus. From your current role, moving to Digital Marketing won't be a big challenge, and hence, I would recommend a few specific steps for you:
(a) Take up internal projects within your current organisation or at a smaller venture in Digital Marketing to build on your profile
(b) Pick up industry certifications with Google or Facebook to enhance your skill sets
(c) Actively work on your own social media profile and be more proactive in the domain of marketing
(d) If you want to build credibility in the market and amongst recruiters, it's critical to pursue an outcome-focused certification or a post-graduate program that will round you up & will also make your CV stronger (e) Within Digital Marketing, know what role you are looking for; is it Social media and Content Marketing, Performance Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Branding and Communications, or a PR professional, etc. and accordingly, aim for the profile that has the closest overlap with your current role. I would recommend doing a session with a career counsellor who can also guide you on your queries and can give you more personalised advice depending on your specific background. Additionally, upGrad gives you the option of completing an online course in Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication with MICA Ahmedabad without having to quit your job along with 4 specialisation tracks (you could choose one based on your interests or skill competencies) to enhance your foundation.