Marketing
Learning Paths · 7 Roles · Calibrated Entry
Your path from starting point to role readiness.
Every A Factor learning path follows the same structured progression — from diagnostic assessment through foundational training to role-specific capability and portfolio proof.
Programmes
Find your role
Six role-specific programmes. Pick the one that matches the role you're aiming for.
Strategy
Digital Strategy & GTM
Analytics
Marketing Analytics & Insight
Brand
Content & Brand Strategy
Marketing
SEO Specialist Programme
Leadership
Marketing Leadership Track
What a learning path is
Defined progression. Calibrated entry.
A Factor does not offer a single curriculum that every learner follows identically. Nor does it offer an unstructured menu of electives where learners must design their own sequence.
Instead, every learner follows a defined learning path — a structured progression calibrated to their target role and their assessed starting point.
Find my starting point →Why the path matters.
Professional development is sequential. Foundational competencies must precede role-specific ones. Diagnostic clarity must precede programme selection. And demonstrated capability must precede career transition.
The seven roles defined in the Role Framework each have a distinct learning path. The structure is universal — five stages that every learner progresses through. The content and competency weightings within each stage are role-specific, shaped by the demands of the target position.
7 paths
5 universal stages
Role-calibrated
Learning paths by role
The seven role paths.
Each of the seven roles defined in the Role Framework has a dedicated learning path. The five-stage structure applies to all paths — what differs is the competency focus, the role-specific programme content, and the capstone requirements.
PM
Performance Marketing Specialist
Drives measurable acquisition and revenue through paid channels with data-driven optimisation across Search, Social, and Display.
Analytical
Technical
16 weeks
SEO
SEO Specialist
Builds organic visibility through technical, content, and authority strategies that compound over years rather than campaigns.
Technical
Strategic
16 weeks
SM
Social Media Manager
Builds brand presence, community engagement, and audience growth across social platforms with a deliberate editorial cadence.
Communication
Collaboration
16 weeks
CS
Content Strategist
Plans, creates, and governs content that serves business objectives and audience needs. Owns editorial direction, not just output.
Communication
Strategic
16 weeks
CRM
Marketing Automation / CRM Specialist
Designs automated journeys and manages customer relationships at scale. Translates lifecycle logic into measurable revenue.
Technical
Analytical
16 weeks
MM
Digital Marketing Manager
Orchestrates cross-channel strategy, team coordination, and marketing performance. The integrator across specialist functions.
Strategic
Leadership
18 weeks
ML
Marketing Lead
Owns the marketing function end to end — strategy, team, P&L. The Marketing Lead path develops leadership competencies on top of cross-channel command, preparing professionals for Head of Marketing and Director-level roles where business alignment becomes the primary measure of capability.
Leadership
P&L ownership
Cross-channel strategy
18 weeks
The universal structure
Five stages. Every path. Same architecture.
Regardless of target role, every learning path follows the same five-stage progression. The stages are sequential — each one builds on the outcomes of the previous stage.
01
Diagnostic Assessment
The Role Readiness Assessment identifies your strengths, gaps, and starting point. It measures professional judgement under ambiguity — not tool knowledge or memorised definitions.
Judgement-led
02
Base Module
Four weeks of foundational capability-building shared by all roles. Develops the analytical, strategic, and communication competencies every professional needs.
4 weeks
03
Role-Specific Programme
12–14 weeks of focused development mapped to your target role's competency requirements. Structured around ten competency domains.
12–14 weeks
04
Capstone Project
A portfolio-quality project demonstrating capability in context. A structured deliverable that mirrors real professional work, assessed against role requirements.
Portfolio-grade
05
Career Readiness
Reassessment, portfolio review, and transition support. Confirms readiness through a second diagnostic and validates your portfolio against the role specification.
Verified outcome
→
After career readiness
The progression does not end at readiness. The Career Paths page details the professional trajectories available — how role readiness translates into entry, advancement, and long-term growth.
How progression works
Calibrated entry. Sequential progression. Verified outcome.
The five-stage structure is universal, but your entry point within it is not fixed. The Role Readiness Assessment calibrates where you begin. It evaluates your existing competencies against the requirements of your target role and determines which stages you need — and which you may be ready to bypass.
- Respects existing capability — no repetition of mastered material
- Protects against premature advancement
- Maps competency gaps to specific stages
- Both routes lead to the same verified outcome
01
Diagnose
Take the Role Readiness Assessment. It produces a competency profile across ten domains and identifies the gap between where you are and what your target role requires.
02
Calibrate
Your diagnostic profile and target role are combined to set your entry point. Strong foundational competencies route you straight into the role-specific programme. Foundational gaps route you through the Base Module first.
03
Build
Move through Base Module (if required) and the role-specific programme. Develop competencies in the proportions your role demands, through projects and scenarios that mirror real professional work.
04
Prove
Complete the capstone project, submit your portfolio, and pass the final readiness review. Graduate with a competency profile and portfolio that map directly to a defined role.
Neither route is superior
Two entry points. One outcome.
A learner whose diagnostic profile shows strong foundational competencies — analytical reasoning, strategic orientation, professional communication — may advance directly to the role-specific programme. A learner whose profile reveals gaps begins with the Base Module to build the cognitive infrastructure that role-specific training requires.
Both lead to the same outcome: demonstrated role readiness, verified through a second diagnostic and a portfolio that maps to the role specification.
Path calibration
Diagnostic-led
Defined roles7
Universal stages5
Competency domains10
Base Module duration4 weeks
Role-specific duration12–14 weeks
OutcomeVerified readiness
Seven paths
One method, seven destinations.
Pick a path based on the role you are aiming for. Each path covers the same five stages — diagnose, calibrate, build, prove, transition — and ends in a verified portfolio.
Every path starts with a diagnostic.
The Role Readiness Assessment identifies your strengths, gaps, and the right starting point within your learning path.
Take the Role Readiness Assessment →