Advertising - Career Profile

The advertising industry is rich in career opportunities, varying from art direction to client relations. To review these various career opportunities, we begin with an analysis of the three main departments which comprise almost all advertising agencies: the account management (also known as client service) department, the creative department, and the media department. 
 

Definitions 

Account Mangement 
Client Services  
Members of the account management or client service department plan advertising strategies in collaboration with clients, mainly the marketing department of the client. They supervise the progress and completion of ad campaigns based on client needs. They are responsible for maintaining the relationship between the client and the agency, and liase between the client and the art and production departments. 
 

Creative   
The creative department is responsible for the conceptualization and creation of advertising material, from print ads to billboards to television and radio commercials. In the creative process from conceptualization to design and execution, the creative team translates the needs of the client into visual and/or audio representation. 
 

Media  
The media department determines a media plan for the client and buys advertising space in magazines, newspapers, and other print media as well as airtime in television and radio media based on the client's advertising strategy and needs. 
 

Job Titles Include 

Assistant Account Executive, Account Executive
Senior Account Executive, Account Supervisor
Account Manager
Account Director  
These members of the account management or client service team are responsible for managing the firm's relationship with the client, developing advertising strategies, and ensuring that the client's campaigns and strategies are conducted according to the clients' needs and achieved within the desired time plan. They are in constant contact with the agency's clients, determining the clients' advertising needs and conveying this information to the art and production departments. They are known to be the link between the agency as a while and the client. 
 

Junior Copywriter 
Copywriter 
Senior Copywriter  
Copywriters are responsible for writing and editing the copy in advertisements. As members of the creative team, they collaborate with art directors in the conceptualization of advertising campaigns and the development of ideas for ad content. 
 

Graphic Designer
Senior Graphic Designer
Assistant Art Director
Junior Art Director
Art Director
Senior Art Director  
These members of the creative department develop artistic content for print and broadcast advertising. Art directors recommend strategies for ad campaigns, often presenting several creative options for client approval. They often work with copywriters developing both the visual and verbal content of advertisements. Art directors are responsible for supervising ad campaigns from their beginning to final production. 
 

Assistant Media Planner, 
Media Planner
Media Buyer
Media Director
Media Manager  
Members of the media department manage the purchase of print space in newspapers and magazines, and broadcast time on radio and television for the clients of the advertising agency. Using statistical models, they determine the best media plan for the client, based on maximum media effectiveness for the client. They deal with media sales representatives and determine where to place ads based on the client's objectives and budgets 
 

Traffic Controller  
Many agencies hire a traffic controller to manage jobs given by the client management to the art and/or production departments. They are responsible for coordinating the internal flow of active jobs and work closely with both ends to meet deadlines. In some major advertising agencies, it is the traffic controller's job to contact the production team to determine price quotations for required jobs and communiate them to the account management team to get a client's approval and feedback. 
 

Production Manager  
The production manager supervises the production of print ads and promotional materials, the filming of commercials, and the recording of radio ads. They are responsible for dealing with production agencies and for meeting deadlines for ad production. Depending on the structure of the advertising agency, the production manager may be a part of the creative department. 
 

Featured Employers 
Ranked the top five advertising agencies worldwide, based on their 1998 Gross Income($ millions): 
McCann-Erickson Worldwide,BBDO Worldwide,Young Rubicam,J.Walter Thompson Co.

Prominent regional firms have partnered with large multinational advertising agencies.Examples include:TEAM/Young Rubicam,Impact/BBDO ,Promoseven/McCann-Erickson ,Memac/Ogilvy Mather, and TD & A DDB Needham. 
 

Education & Skills profile 

Education Required  
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Mass Communication, Journalism, English Literature, Business, Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, or Applied Art (for a position in the creative department).>A background in psychology is considered a plus. 
 

Enhancements & Certificates  
Masters degree in Business, Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, Journalism, Mass Communication, English Literature, or Master of Fine Arts in Art Direction (for creative professionals) 
 

Computer Skills  
For creative department positions, knowledge of desktop publishing and graphic design software is essential. Examples of this software include Macromedia Freehand, QuarkXpress, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. Client service department members need to be familiar with Microsoft Powerpoint and other presentation software, and all departments require good Microsoft Office (especially Word and Excel) skills. 
 

Experience Required  
Many advertising jobs, especially those related to client service or graphics, do not require extensive previous experience, as many fresh graduates are hired. In general, a career in account management requires some background experience in marketing, advertising, public relations or sales. Designers and art directors should present a portfolio of previous work and campaigns, in addition to experience in using design software. Media personnel are preferred to have experience in statistics and tabulation. Production managers are required to be highly experienced in pre-press, printing and/or TV and radio production techniques. 
 

Additional Skills  
Advertising people, from art directors to media buyers, should be highly creative and innovative. Copywriters need to have strong writing and language skills (fluency in all three prominent languages of the Middle East -Arabic, English, and French- is a big plus). Designers and art directors must have strong visual communication skills, preferably with an educational background in art. Account executives, media buyers, and production managers must possess strong interpersonal, negotiation, and communications skills, as well as knowledge of advertising trends. the account team and the traffic controller must be highly organized and efficient in meeting set deadlines for delivery of art work. 
 

Job Vacancies in Advertising 
To search for job vacancies in your country alone, go to our job search page, select the Advertising field and the country you are in, and press Search.