What carries over
| What you did as a media buyer and planner | Where it shows up now |
|---|---|
| Built media plans | Build digital media plans |
| Negotiated rates | Set bids and budgets |
| Checked delivery against booking | Check pacing and viewability |
| Reported reach and frequency | Report reach, frequency and cost |
What is new
- Buying platforms and audience targeting.
- Brand safety and fraud checks.
- Daily pacing.
Try it: Pacing check
Four cards come up. Fix lines that waste budget. Each card's back says why.
Pacing check
Your first proof in 30 days
Turn one old offline plan you know into a digital plan: channels, audiences, budget split, pacing and the 5 numbers you would report weekly.
Worries, answered
I have no platform access. Free certifications and demo accounts show the screens; your planning sense matters more in interviews.
Is TV buying still useful? Yes. Connected TV and online video buying use the same reach and frequency thinking.
Your realistic 90 days
You worked as a media buyer and planner. This plan moves you toward a programmatic and digital media planner role in 90 days, using what you already do.
Assumes 2–3 hours a day alongside job applications, a laptop and a phone, and free plans only. Every step has a smaller version and a way to pause. Use them. It runs in three blocks of 30 days, each ending with a signal that you're on track. A signal is not a promise of a job or income.
Your first 7 days
| Day | Task | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pick an old campaign you know | Chosen |
| 2 | List its goals and audience | Notes written |
| 3 | Choose 4 digital channels | Channels chosen |
| 4 | Split the budget | Split done |
| 5 | Set pacing rules | Rules written |
| 6 | Pick 5 weekly numbers | Numbers listed |
| 7 | Write it up on one page | Plan done |
Days 1–30: Your proof
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebuild one offline plan as a digital media plan with reach, frequency and checks | about 6 hours over 3 weeks | plan published | Budget split only. | Stop at the end of the step you're on and write two lines about where you stopped. Pick it up from those notes later. |
| Show it to 5 digital planners at agencies | about 1 hour | 5 messages | Just 2 this week. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 30: Someone in the field replies to your proof.
Days 31–60: Applications
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish one Google Skillshop certification and note what you learned | about 8 hours | certificate | 1 module. | Optional. Skip it if the week is full; nothing later depends on it. |
| Apply to 10 'programmatic planner' or 'digital media planner' roles | about 5 hours | 10 logged | Just 5 this week. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 60: A screening call.
Days 61–90: Interviews for programmatic and digital media planner roles
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practise explaining a plan that underdelivered and what you changed | about 2 hours | 3 runs | 1 run. | Optional. Skip it if the week is full; nothing later depends on it. |
| Ask 3 former agency colleagues for referrals | about 2 hours | 3 asks | Just 1 this week. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 90: A second round or a paid trial.
Job-hunt moves that matter for this route
- Share the converted plan.
- Talk about delivery checks you ran.
- Apply to media agencies and in-house digital teams.
One search that fits your background
Start with this LinkedIn search string, then add your old job title with AND so results surface roles that want both skills:
("programmatic" OR "media planner" OR "digital media buyer")
The full set of search keywords for LinkedIn and your local job boards is on the route page.
Other worries
Age, a career gap, no degree, English, family pressure and savings are covered on the route page and the role page.
Your 30/60/90 quests
XP: learning 20 · proof 60 · outreach 40. Ranks: Wayfinder → Builder → Pathmaker. Progress stays in your browser only.
Fake-job traps
Watch for postings that charge a registration or certificate fee, 'work from home' review or like-and-earn tasks, and anyone asking for one-time codes, bank or payment app PINs or a deposit before you start. Real employers never charge you to hire you. Use official domains only. Report it to your national cybercrime or consumer fraud agency and to the job site where you saw the ad.
Back to Media Buyer and Planner · About the Programmatic and Digital Media Planner route · Marketing hub
Quick quiz: does this path fit?
Answer each, then press Check. Every answer explains itself.
Make your path card
A shareable reminder of where you're heading. The day count starts the first time you open this page; quest XP comes from your log above.
Scam check before you apply anywhere
- Real job and gig platforms are free to join. Never pay a "joining" or "training" fee.
- Never share one-time codes, bank or payment app PINs. No genuine employer needs them.
- Use official domains only; type the address yourself.
- Report it to your national cybercrime or consumer fraud agency and to the job site where you saw the ad.
Small steps, every day.
Each quest has a smaller version for hard weeks, and a pause button. Nothing is lost.
Keep exploring
Sources
Checked 30 Oct 2026. We opened every link below ourselves. Search volumes on this site come from OpenSEO keyword research (Oct 2026).
The other facts here are shared with the route page, where each is listed in full with its link.
| What we checked | Where |
|---|---|
| Display and Video 360 Help: Google's programmatic buying platform | support.google.com |
| Meta Blueprint: Free Meta ads training | facebook.com |