Advertising, marketing and PR: Entry and progression

search for » job vacancies in advertising, marketing and PR

How can I find a job?

• Search job vacancies.
• Some organisations, agencies and consultancies offer graduate recruitment schemes. For further details, visit your university career service or visit the website of the relevant professional body, e.g.. Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
• Jobs are advertised in specialist press, including Marketing Week, PR Week and Campaign and the national press, particularly The Guardian.
• The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), IPA and DMA advertise jobs.
• Recruitment agencies specialising in advertising, marketing and PR exist. However, these generally deal with experienced candidates.
• Your university careers service will advertise vacancies within this sector.
• Jobs are generally advertised all year round.
• Industry-specific directories may be useful in identifying contacts for speculative applications. Examples include the Advertisers Annual: The Blue Book, Creative Handbook, Hollis UK Public Relations Annual, and the PRCA Yearbook.
• Read trade journals and keep informed about the industry. They can also help in identifying organisations to target with speculative applications.
• Find out more about applications, CVs and interviews.

What skills do I need?

• Type of degree is not as important as work experience, enthusiasm and dedication.
• Statistician graduates are highly sought after in the advertising and direct marketing industries.
• Employers look for: excellent communication and interpersonal skills; social skills, such as being involved with student radio or university societies; teamwork; negotiation skills; ability to use initiative; creativity and imagination; flexibility; ability to cope under pressure and think strategically as the work often involves tight deadlines; organisational skills, e.g. organising events, such as student balls or sports events.
• Advertisers want people with a real passion for advertising, and an understanding of what makes a good advertisement.
• In PR, writing skills are very important. It can be helpful if you can provide evidence that you are a good writer, e.g. writing for your student magazine.

Where can I find work experience?

• Relevant work experience is crucial and can lead to offers of permanent employment.
• Some agencies offer formal internships, but the majority of graduates find work-experience through speculative applications and networking.
• The IPA, the DMA and CIPR websites have details of agencies that offer work experience placements.
• Voluntary organisations sometimes have opportunities in their marketing/PR departments, which can provide useful experience and will prove necessary should you choose charity and development work.
• For posts within PR, experience of working in newspapers and radio will help your understanding of how the media works.

Is postgraduate study useful?

• Although postgraduate study is not essential, gaining a postgraduate qualification will increase your chances, as this area of work is becoming increasingly competitive
• Further study once working in the industry is generally supported. Some organisations may offer financial support and/or study leave.
• Formal qualifications offered by the CIM, such as the Professional Certificate or Diploma in Marketing, are available. The Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing is available to those who have already gained a significant level of knowledge and/or experience of marketing.
• The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) offers a variety of formal qualifications.
• The CIPR offers formal qualifications including the Advanced Certificate or Diploma in Public Relations.
• The CIM, CIPR, IDM, IPA and DMA deliver a variety of short courses.

How can my career develop?

• There are various opportunities for career development, e.g. an account executive within an advertising or direct marketing agency will generally progress to an account manager after one to two years, then to account director after three or four years.
• In general marketing positions, promotion is to marketing manager after three to five years, and then to marketing director. Increasingly, further qualifications, such as those offered by the CIM, are becoming a pre-requisite for more senior marketing positions.
• The CIPR advises that PR professionals can expect to spend one to two years as junior account executive, two to three years as an account executive and two to three years as a senior account executive or account manager, before moving to associate and then account director.
• Career progression is linked to gaining relevant experience and key transferable skills. One way of achieving this is by moving between in-house departments or working in a marketing agency/consultancy for several different clients. It may also be advantageous to move companies to obtain more rapid career development.
• Although advertising, marketing and PR are very distinct sectors in their own right; many of the skills and experience are transferable, therefore allowing professionals to move from one sector to another.