Every entry-level advert seems to want experience you do not have yet. The way out is not to wait for permission - it is to manufacture the evidence employers screen for. Here is a practical order of operations for breaking in from zero.
Stop applying blind, start building proof
Sending 200 applications into the void rarely works. What works is walking into the process with something to show: a small campaign, a mock strategy, real numbers. Employers hire evidence, not enthusiasm. So before you apply, build one or two concrete artefacts.
The fastest evidence: training plus an internship
The single biggest shortcut is choosing digital marketing with training and internship bundled together, rather than a certificate alone. Training gives you the skills; the internship gives you the work history that clears the "1-2 years experience" filter. A digital marketing course with internship means you finish already able to say "I have done this in a real setting".
Build a mini-portfolio from nothing
- Run a small real campaign - a friend's business, a charity, your own side project.
- Audit a brand's SEO or social presence and write up recommendations.
- Create sample content and a mock paid-ads plan with a budget.
Three or four pieces are enough to look serious. See how to build a marketing portfolio with no work experience.
Apply like a marketer, not a form-filler
Tailor every application, mirror the advert's language, and lead with your artefacts. A short covering note that says "here is a campaign I ran and what it achieved" beats a generic CV every time.
Target the roles that actually take beginners
Coordinator, assistant, executive and intern roles are your entry points - not "manager". Aim there, get in, and progress fast.
Next step
If you want the quickest credible route in, choose digital marketing with training rather than theory alone. Explore LSBUK's Digital Marketing in Practice - the best digital marketing course with internship for people starting from zero - or contact admissions.