In a tough economy, advertising budgets are cut, leading to downsizing in advertising agencies. Advertising majors should be well-versed in sales, writing, promotion, and graphic design. Advertising sales is a common job for recent graduates, with pay based on commission. Copywriting is a starting point for those who want to work for a major advertising agency. Proficiency in design opens up more opportunities, including freelance work. Building a satisfied customer base leads to higher fees.
In tough economic times, companies large and small drastically reduce their advertising budgets. This, in turn, has led to downsizing and cuts in advertising agencies and design houses. To land a good job in advertising, a college advertising major must ensure that he is well-versed in not only sales, writing, and promotion, but graphic design as well.
The most frequently available job for an advertising major and where most recent graduates end up involve advertising sales. Slots for ad sellers are common in newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations. You may very well be hired on a trial basis, and the employee turnover rate is very high. Only the best producers survive in the long run.
Depending on your sales ability and the size of the company you are working for, the pay for these jobs can be direct commission, tie against commission, or salary plus commission. Strive for the latter, but know that your job security depends on your ability to not only serve current clients, but bring in new business as well. This will involve several “cold calls” to companies that may or may not be interested in buying airtime or advertising space. If you don’t like hearing the word “no” or you take rejection personally, advertising sales work is not for you.
Most advertising companies look to work for a major advertising agency, but the path to dealing with national clients and earning lucrative salaries starts at the bottom. Established advertising account executives protect their clients like gold, and you’ll have to prove your worth. Generally speaking, an advertising specialist who lands a job at an agency will start out as a copywriter. Try to be as creative as possible while staying within the parameters of the advertising campaign. Some copywriters, if they exhibit great ideas and have a personality to match, will eventually move up to a junior account executive position.
If an advertising specialist has gained proficiency in design, more doors will open. Opportunities for this creative production position abound in the print industry, but even more importantly, you’ll discover an almost endless number of smaller freelance jobs. The key to success in this area of advertising is building your customer base. As a rule, the more satisfied customers you can acquire, the higher the fees you charge.
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