TMLA Bootcamp Graduate
Before I started the TMLA Marketing Bootcamp, I had years of experience under my belt – but not a single formal qualification in marketing. Everything I’d learnt, I’d picked up on the job. I knew we were doing well as a team, but I also had this feeling that we could be doing better. I just didn’t have the skills or the time to figure out how we could do better.
So when the bootcamp popped up in a Marketing Derby Bondholder email, I skimmed it – like I usually do – but some keywords jumped out at me. Everything the course promised to cover felt relevant. SEO, brand development, content strategy – these were things I was already doing or wanted to be doing, but had never been taught. It felt like it had landed at exactly the right time.
I work as a Support Care Officer (Comms & Volunteers) at an independent RSPCA branch. It’s a varied role, to say the least. I’m responsible for everything from managing social media and email newsletters to running online raffles, designing shop screen content, and creating animal appeals.
I also handle press enquiries, update the website, support community events, and more. We’re a tiny team, so working over multiple different areas is part of the job. But despite managing such a wide remit, I’d always felt like I was ‘winging it’ a bit. I had ideas. I’d built our tone of voice and online presence up over time. But I lacked the knowledge and confidence to push it further.
I’ll be honest – the one-day-a-week format for 12 weeks felt like a big commitment at first. It wasn’t an instant yes from my manager either. We had to sit down and work out how I could realistically make space for it. But I’m so glad we did.
Because it turned out to be one of the best investments I’ve made – not just in terms of skills, but in confidence, creativity and career growth.
Being in-person made a massive difference. It gave me protected time each week to focus, without distractions. It also meant I was surrounded by other people who were in the same boat – wearing lots of hats, juggling lots of tasks, and quietly wondering if they were really doing it right.
That sense of shared experience created a really safe, supportive environment. You could put your hand up and say, “I don’t know what that is” – and no one made you feel silly. We shared ideas, learnt from each other, and built genuine connections. And the trainers were brilliant – they weren’t lecturing us, they were collaborating with us.
What stood out to me most was how practical the learning was. We didn’t just talk about theory. We applied it to our own organisations, in real-time. One week we’d do an exercise on audience segmentation, the next I’d be rolling that into our social strategy. That shift from hypothetical to personal made everything click for me.
Our social media – especially Facebook, which is our main platform – saw the most immediate impact. I used what I’d learnt about tone of voice, storytelling and audience insight, and within weeks we were seeing huge spikes in engagement.
One of my favourite wins was a job advert for a part-time customer care assistant role. Traditionally, these posts don’t do well – they’re not about animals, so people aren’t as interested. But this time, I took a new approach. I staged a French bulldog puppy called Dolly pretending to apply for the job (complete with “writing an email” and “being caught sleeping on the job”), then explained we needed a human instead. It went bonkers.
We had something like 120 applications. Previously, we might have had 50 at most. People were sharing it, engaging, and creating hashtags like #JusticeForDolly. It was funny, on-brand, and effective – and it came directly from what I learnt on the bootcamp.
When I joined the course, I didn’t realise how much imposter syndrome I was carrying. I’d been doing good work for years, but never felt like I could call myself a ‘marketer’. Now, I absolutely can.
I feel confident putting ideas forward. Confident saying, “This is why I’m doing it this way.” Confident that I know what I’m doing – and if I don’t, I know how to find out. It’s also unlocked a whole new level of creativity. I’ve got so many ideas now, and the energy to follow through on them.
Our Christmas appeal is a perfect example. In recent years, donations had been dropping. We’d lowered the target to £3,000 because that felt realistic. But fresh off the bootcamp, I decided to shake things up.
In a single week, I rewrote the messaging, redesigned the approach, and applied everything I’d learnt about audience targeting and emotional storytelling. We ended up raising nearly £10,000 – more than triple the previous year. Several other branches, and even the National RSPCA team, reached out to ask how we’d done it.
Possibly the biggest change? I’ve since moved into a lead role – I am now ‘Supporter Care Team Leader’. Previously, I’d been told there were no opportunities for progression. But I took the insights and confidence I’d gained from the course, presented a clear case for how we could restructure the department – and they said yes to my ideas.
It’s not just about a title change. It’s about being trusted, respected, and my hard work being recognised. And I genuinely believe that without the bootcamp, I wouldn’t have had the knowledge, the tools or the confidence to make that happen.
TMLA Bootcamp Graduate
To someone in the same position I was in – Invest in yourself. You’ll get so much more out of this than you think – and it will impact every part of your role and your confidence going forward.
And if you’re a manager wondering whether to back someone in your team? Do it. The return will far outweigh the time or resource you put in.
Honestly, I’ve squeezed every drop of value out of this course – and I’m still feeling the benefits every day.
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“As someone in the early stages of their marketing career, I really wanted to broaden my knowledge beyond the scope of my current role. I knew that having a solid, well-rounded understanding of marketing would help me grow and become more confident in my abilities – and that’s exactly what led me to TMLA and the CIM Level 4 course.
The course has given me a much deeper understanding of the wider marketing landscape. It’s really helped me see how all the different pieces fit together, which in turn has made me feel more confident and capable in my day-to-day work. What I love is how practical the course is – you can take what you’ve learnt and apply it straight away. I’ve already made changes to our business newsletter after a really insightful session on adding value for your audience (shoutout to Jessica for that one!). It’s made me think differently about how and why we communicate with our audience, not just what we’re saying.
The support from the tutors was brilliant – they’re always approachable and happy to answer questions, even outside the weekly sessions. And the wider TMLA team was just as great. Communication has been spot on and I’ve always felt well-supported throughout.
Another big plus for me has been how flexible the course is. The sessions are held online in the evenings, which makes it easy to fit around work and other commitments. On top of that, the exams can be taken at any point within the exam window, which has been really helpful – I’ve been able to sit my exams at a time that genuinely works for me.
Overall, I’d absolutely recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their marketing knowledge. The content is engaging, the support is fantastic, and you walk away with skills and insights that you can use straight away. I feel so much more confident in what I am doing and how my career could progress.”
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