Advertising Job & Career Types – Requirements

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At the intersection of business and creativity is the advertising degree. High school grads and career changers alike are drawn to the advertising field for its multidisciplinary nature and dynamic career options. Find out why the advertising industry is the place to be for students who thrive on competition.

Advertising Jobs & Careers

An advertising degree readies graduates to compete in a thrilling, consumer-driven economy on a global scale. Advertising professionals are experts in appealing to the emotional impulses behind commercial activities. They plan and coordinate a wide variety of branding projects, including marketing campaigns, direct mail projects, social media programs and rebate offers. They combine clear, concise messaging with compelling imagery to relay meaningful information.

The four primary categories of the advertising industry–account management, creative, media, and research–combine best-practices in business with an inherent imaginative accent. In fact, many high school graduates and mid-career changers are drawn to the profession for precisely this reason. Just a few of the potential career paths for advertising degree holders include:

• Account Manager
• Account Planner
• Advertising Account Executive
• Advertising Art Director
• Advertising Design
• Advertising Manager
• Advertising Media Buyer
• Advertising Media Planner
• Advertising Sales Coordinator
• Animator
• Art Editor
• Brand Manager
• Content Developer
• Copy Editor
• Copywriter
• Educator
• Graphic Designer
• Marketing Manager
• Media Coordinator
• Promotions Manager
• Public Relations Manager
• Researcher
• Sales Manager
• Sales Representative
• Social Networker

Advertising Career Profile: Training and Certification

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals an exceptionally receptive job market for advertising degree holders. Employment of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers is projected to grow by 12 percent from 2006 to 2016–that’s about as fast as the national average for all occupations. Job openings exist both locally and globally and in both general and industry-specific advertising.

Although there is stiff competition for top positions, several factors will stimulate professional demand in the industry as a whole:

• An increase in the number of online marketing and advertising channels
• New industries testing the waters of print and media branding opportunities
• Companies looking for freelance and contract project planners
• The demand for smarter ad messages to appear to a savvier consumer market
• Global competition for compelling television, radio, Internet and outdoor messaging

Advertising Degrees and Career Advancement

While entry-level jobs vary widely with respect to academic requirements, many employers prefer graduates with a four-year advertising degree for middle and upper-level positions. Other related degrees that can lead to a position in advertising include:

• Management
• Business Law
• Finance
• Economics
• Mathematics
• Accounting
• Statistics

Those interested in the public relations side of the business can seek out certification from the Public Relations Society of America. Credentials are conferred based on exhibited professional experience and the successful completion of an examination.

As technology continues to play an increased role in the dissemination of branding messages, those candidates with experience in Internet, social networking and mobile content should have the edge. For example, search engine marketing has proven itself as a powerful and cost-effective marketing tool. Combining an advertising degree with expertise in keyword campaigns could prove especially valuable to potential employers. Other marketable technical skills to learn include blogging, copy creation, and consumer surveying.

Experience and past performance in the advertising business is another critical factor in career-building. Many managerial professionals start out as buying and selling agents, account representatives or similar front-line position before graduating to increasingly advanced roles. In this demanding and highly competitive field, you need to be on your game, and there’s no better way to prepare than with an advertising degree.

Kelly Richardson
Kelly C. Richardson, MEd is a freelance writer, marcom consultant and digital entrepreneur. He’s written content for Fortune 500s Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Wells Fargo. Find out more about him at kellyrichardsoncopywriting.com.

Find Advertising Schools Near You

Find the right school today.