18.1 Introduction
Getting into a career that is appropriate to your
field of study and interests is not an easy task.
In many cases,
one needs to have a university degree and internship in the field that
they wish to choose, though some people get lucky and fall into a career. This
module will describe how one can kick-start a career in advertising and
marketing, and shows what job opportunities are available in the industry.
18.2 How Can
You Progress in the Field of Marketing and Advertising?
In order to become an excellent marketer or advertiser, one
needs to get a degree in marketing or advertising.
Once you have earned a marketing or advertising degree, you can move ahead in
this field. However, in some cases, a degree in marketing may not be enough.
Instead, you need to get relevant experience and complete an internship in a
leading marketing firm to get a good job.
Marketing and advertising are creative fields. Therefore, individuals who are
creative and have the ability to multi-task are perfectly skilled for jobs in
this field. Furthermore, unlike many other fields, marketing and advertising
require individuals to work long hours and travel from place to place.
In case you are aiming at becoming a marketing manager, you will also need to
complete a master's degree in the field of marketing or business
administration, but this can be done in the future. It is not a requirement to
get into this industry.
18.3
Tips for Those Interested in Marketing and Advertising Careers
If you
are interested in marketing and advertising, there are a number of things that
you can do in order to increase your chances of finding a job in this difficult
to get into industry:
Educate Yourself About Marketing and Advertising
The first thing
you should do before getting into the marketing and advertising field is to
educate yourself about it. Find out as much as possible about the advertising
business, the career possibilities, the role of an agency and any focus that
you might be interested in. You should also start networking in the field when
still at university, and read publications such as Adweek and Ad Age, which are trade
magazines featuring the latest trends and information in the marketing and
advertising world.
Network At All Times
You also want to
talk to people, especially those in the business. However, you may find that
talking to others about your desire to get into the field can help you make
contacts too, as you do not know which of your friends or acquaintances may
know someone in the field. Also, make sure to sit down with your instructors or
counsellors to find out if they know anyone in the field that they can put you
in touch with. It is also a good idea to contact professional organisations,
such as the International Advertising Association. There may also be small
local organisations, depending on where you live.
Target Your Prospects
The next thing
you want to do is to decide on the factors that are important to you about a
firm, and then evaluate your potential employers on that scale.
For instance, if
you are against large corporations, you probably want to focus on obtaining
employment in boutique advertising firms. You also might want to consider using
the Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies. This is a great resource, known
as the 'Agency Red Book', which lists all advertising agencies throughout the
world. It is available at most libraries, and it gives information such as
title, size of the agency, key people and the accounts of the agencies.
Develop a Strategy
There is a lot of
competition in the advertising field, and because of this, you must develop a
USP, or 'unique selling proposition', to communicate to potential employers
what makes you unique. It is not enough in the advertising field to simply tell
someone that you have completed A-levels in art and design and art history, and
that you write articles for a local website. Guess what? So did and so does
everyone else who is trying to get an advertising job.
So, you must
think of a way to connect these things with what you can do for the agency in
the future, and make it unique. By doing this, the agency will see that you are
committed, that you have a good imagination, and that you are an analytical
thinker, all things that are good to have in the advertising industry.
18.4 Tips for
Making Yourself Stand Out and Finding the Right Opportunity
There are a number of tips that can help you stand out from your
competition and find the right opportunity.
Since advertising and marketing are difficult industries to get into, most
people will have to keep these tips in mind as they go through the process of
finding employment.
Consider Joining a Non-Advertising
Employer
If you have found yourself struggling to find an agency to join in the
marketing or advertising field, you might want to consider looking at employers
that are non-agency companies.
For instance, large companies and corporations often have their own advertising
departments, which can give you a lot of experience. Once you have this
experience, you will have a step-up on the competition when you attempt to
apply to a mainstream agency.
Look Outside of London
Everyone who is anyone in the advertising field knows that London is the hub of
the most famous marketing and advertising agencies in the country. However, you
should not limit yourself to London only. There are agencies across the
country, including Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Birmingham. In
many cases, the same agencies located in London have satellite offices in these
cities. You also might find that there are small, local agencies in your own
area that will give you a good, overall experience. Some people even find that
they are transferred to London after a year or two of working for the agency.
Do Research and Know What Is Going On
in the Advertising World
Many people mistakenly believe that they must have studied advertising in order
to get a job at an advertising agency, but this is simply not true. Most
agencies are seeking out employees who have top-notch communication skills,
passion and determination. The rest of the job can usually be taught.
Remember, this is also a business built for people and by people,
so communication is often placed higher than other aspects of the personality,
so keep this in mind as you go through the searching and interview process.
People will get a good impression of your communication skills from the start,
so even if you are in an interview, make sure to turn on the charm and show
them what you can do. Additionally, make sure that you are up to date on the
latest news in the industry, and do not be afraid to drop some facts, such as
the latest big merger or a popular advert that is creating buzz. You can be
sure that the interviewer will be impressed.
Get to Know Agency Roles
You should also try to understand the different roles available in an agency.
Most agencies have different departments, and different departments contribute
in different ways. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising is a good
place to start if you need assistance with this, and it is best that you define
the role you want to take before you start the interview process. Going into
the interview and saying you 'just want to work with an agency' is not
something that will impress the interviewer. Instead, tell them that you have
always seen yourself in a certain role or list off a couple of roles that you
have an interest in.
Make Your Application and CV Stand Out
When it comes to the application and CV, standing out is the key. Most of the
applications and CVs that an agency receives are largely the same, so it is
very important that you make sure yours stands out from the crowd. You should
make sure that your application and CV is enjoyable and easy to read, and that
it contains something that will make you memorable.
For instance, add a link to a basic website, to a video CV or an online
portfolio of your university work. This shows that you are creative, that you
really care about how you present yourself and that you are serious about
finding work.
You Will Probably Be Rejected…And
That's OK
You should not be afraid of rejection. You are probably going to be rejected,
and you should take this as a learning experience. If possible, email the
hiring manager to find out what you could do better as you apply for more work,
and if this is not possible, talk to a neutral friend or acquaintance who is
already in the field. Also, make a list of agencies that have rejected you, and
then try again. Agencies love persistence, as you will find that you must be
persistent when in this line of work.
Go Out and Meet People
If you are really serious about a career in advertising and marketing, you will
always keep your eyes and ears open for people who may work in the field. If
you come across someone who works in the advertising or marketing field, they
cannot only give you advice on getting into the field, they also may know of a
job opening. It is not enough to simply send CVs out blindly without having a
contact at an agency, because everyone else is doing the same thing. If you
know someone, or even reach out to people via Twitter or Facebook, it is much
easier to get a foot in the door. Creating a relationship via social media is
much easier than you may think. Start a blog, follow people in the field and
interact with them via tweets and messages.
FACT
The Advertising Association has predicted that 70,000 new advertising-related
jobs could be created in the UK by 2019.
Source: thecreativeindustries.co.uk
18.5 Entry
Level Opportunities and Internships
Once
you have a degree in marketing, you should look for a good internship
opportunity to practise the things you have learned at university.
After the completion of the internship, you will be ready to
apply for a marketing position in a firm.
At the entry
level, you will likely find yourself with the experience to get into the role
of a media buyer or planner; a person who is responsible for buying and
planning media placements. You might also get the role of a marketing
specialist, who is more or less the same as a media planner and buyer. A
marketing specialist is also often responsible for product packaging and
promotional copy, and handles a number of small tasks.
Another entry
level role that you might get is the role of a public relations officer.
This role helps set up events and press meet-ups for the company.
Entry level jobs
also lead to brand and product management. This means that if you are
in one of the above roles, then you might get promoted as a brand manager.
A brand manager handles an array of responsibilities relating to a brand,
including marketing, PR, promotion, and campaign design strategies.
Another career opportunity for many marketers is to become a
market researcher. Market researchers are responsible for gathering and
analysing market data.
After you put in
some time in the junior positions, there are many other opportunities in the
fields of marketing and advertising, including the following senior level jobs:
Brand Manager
A brand manager
is a person who is responsible for creating a positive impression of a
particular brand to the market. They will do tasks such as analysing market
conditions in order to create favourable strategies to get a brand in front of
their target customers.
Advertising Managers
An advertising
manager is a creative position, and these people will take care of all of the
advertising needs of a company by working with sales managers and the like.
They must stick to a budget and design a plan to ensure that the money allotted
to them is used in the most effective way. There are two main types of
advertising managers; account executives and media directors. Account
executives are those who have the responsibility for looking after
accounts only, and are generally not part of the creative process, strategy or
even the campaign itself. A media director's job is to choose the best media
for an advertising campaign based on factors such as target audience, location
and product type.
Promotions Manager
A promotions
manager is responsible for managing all of the promotional activities and
tactics. These people may look after store displays, sales events, and other
things related to the promotion of a good or service.
Public Relations Manager
A public
relations manager is responsible for creating an attractive image for clients
in both the market and in the eyes of the target audience.
Marketing Managers
A marketing
manager is responsible for a number of tasks including things like pricing and
market analysis. These people also plan different ways to target the market in
the best and most attractive ways to make products and services sell.
Market Research Analyst
A market research
analyst is responsible for conducting an in-depth market research for a good or
service. These people not only gather data, they also analyse it, and then use
this information to help marketers come up with advertising and marketing
strategies.
Sales Managers
A sales manager
is one who is responsible for designing strategies for the sales team to make a
product or service saleable. These people also set goals for the sales team to
ensure that the client earns more money.
Copywriters
Copywriters are
part of the advertising field, and these are the creative individuals who have
the ability to play with words in the most interesting ways. They are
responsible for writing copy for ads and content for the brand.
Production Manager
Production
managers are responsible for creating advertisements that either use in-house
resources or hire a production company. They produce ads for a brand.
Media Coordinator
A media
coordinator is responsible for coordinating the purchase of media space for
advertisements. They help the media buyers.
Media Buyer
Media buyers are
individuals who buy media space.
Media Planner
Media planners
are responsible for planning media placements for effective results.
Product Development Manager
A product
development manager is someone who is responsible for finding
opportunities in the market and come up with a plan to launch an interesting
product.
Market Research Supervisor
A market research
supervisor is someone who is responsible for looking after market research
activities and helps a market research manager with different tasks.
Module Summary
The field of advertising and marketing are loaded with opportunities for those
who have a creative mind. The above mentioned opportunities can only be availed
by those who have studied the field or have completed relevant courses. People
with experience in these fields can also have a chance to get into these
roles and work in an advertising or marketing firm.
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