Getting started in advertising...

Advertising is a challenging and rewarding career path for people with creative minds. The sector drives its workforce to constantly develop new and exciting ideas that can translate into real sales for companies, as well as generate interest among audiences.

People employed in advertising work in a number of different areas like copywriting, creative, media planning and buying, account management, production and client services.

Figures from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the trade association for the advertising industry, show that there are more than 20,000 people employed in the organisation's 272 member agencies.

This is the highest number of people working in the sector since the IPA began keeping records in 1960 and points to a trend of increasing numbers of workers joining the industry.

Background

It is not essential to hold a degree or postgraduate qualification in advertising. In some cases, recruiters do not even consider qualifications and look only at experience, creativity that can be clearly demonstrated and a passion for the sector's work.

The choice of subject studied at university could soon be irrelevant to a successful career in advertising, as a number of industry leaders feel that there is a wealth of talent among people who hold degrees in non-advertising or media disciplines.

Neil Francis, creative partner at advertising agency Stephen Francis Whitson, said recently: 'It's my belief that the industry is missing out on the diversity, writing talent and different life skills and experience that these people can bring to the party.

'Communications agencies used to hire graduate scientists, politicos, philosophers, historians and psychologists into their creative departments. Maybe it's time we started hiring them again so that once again we benefit from the diversity that they can bring to our industry.'

Work experience

Agencies prefer to hire people with some degree of work experience for entry-level roles. The IPA runs an annual Summer School programme where agencies are encouraged to offer placements to students and young people over the summer vacation.

People attending the programme are placed within a digital, search or direct marketing agency where they are given an introduction to agency life and can understand better how the industry works.

'You'll get the chance to work alongside the professionals - account handlers, planners, creatives - on real client business,' says the IPA.

Work experience placements and internships also offer young practitioners the chance to network with industry leaders and make contacts that will be useful as their career progresses.

Qualifications

A number of people obtain qualifications after they start working. The IPA offers a number of courses for advertising professionals, which they can undertake right from the beginning of their careers until they reach senior management levels.

The Foundation Certificate is one of the first stages of the qualification process and is held by around 16 per cent of people working in the sector, while more than a quarter of professionals in advertising have visited the course content online.

Launched in 2003, the exam is offered to first year trainees and has become a 'must have' for them, says Patrick Mills, the IPA's head of professional development.

Further information:

Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
http://www.ipa.co.uk/Default.aspx

Advertising Association
http://www.adassoc.org.uk/

Brand Republic – sector news provider
http://www.brandrepublic.com/