Why I Left Teaching for Digital Marketing
A lot of people who find their way into digital marketing don’t come from a traditional marketing background. I’m one of them.
Before working in SEO and PPC, I was in human resources and then teaching ESL for a public school system. I enjoyed working with people, and I genuinely love languages. However, the ceiling was low and the path forward was narrow — not likely to make more money without moving abroad as a teacher. I decided that I wanted something different.
How I Learned SEO and Actually Got Traffic
I’d been tinkering with WordPress since around 2018, building out websites for fun (including a job board for ESL teachers) when something clicked: I had no idea how to get anyone to actually visit these sites. That question pulled me deeper into SEO, and eventually into the broader world of digital marketing.
The Projects That Made It Real
The turning point was building a website for a local church (Vision Baptist Church) and then another one for my brother Nate’s plumbing company, NBR Plumbing. Watching them both rank on the first page for local searches, I knew I was starting to get a knack for SEO — including wins where projects brought in leads, engagement and action from visitors. Those projects are in my portfolio.
The Training That Sped It Up
I could not have done this without completing a structured digital marketing training program from Seth Hymes. After the course I updated my resume, LinkedIn and Indeed profiles and started applying, and within weeks I was getting interviews regularly. One inbound message on Indeed, from a company I hadn’t even applied to, led directly to my current role: a hybrid SEO and PPC position at a digital marketing agency, where I manage Google Ads campaigns, run technical SEO audits and work with multiple clients. My current skills are on my resume.
Watch the Full Interview
I recently got the chance to share the full story with Seth Hymes and Shane Hummus on Seth’s In Demand Career YouTube channel. If you’re a teacher, an HR professional, or anyone from a people-oriented background wondering whether digital marketing could be a real career move, this conversation is worth 35 minutes of your time.
Resources Mentioned
- Seth Hymes — sethjaredhymes.com | YouTube | Digital Career Blueprint Course
- Shane Hummus — shanehummus.com | YouTube