Advertising Worker Job Description, Career as a Advertising Worker, Salary, Employment

Training/Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in advertising or marketing

Median Salary: $724 per week

Job Prospects: Fair

Job Description

An advertising worker is an integral part of the advertising agency. Individuals in this role can expect to be involved with the development of campaigns and advertisements to meet client needs. There are a variety of roles an advertising worker takes on as they work their way up the ladder.

Most advertising workers begin in an entry-level positions, working as a traffic coordinator or other related jobs. This provides them hands-on experience and helps them learn the ropes of the industry. Individuals in this role may expect to attend client meetings, shadow senior level workers, or be involved in the creative process through coordination among the various departments.

Even though there are specific areas an individual may focus on, most advertising workers start off in a more general role to give them exposure to the firm as a whole. The intent is to have them involved in the process for how advertisements and promotions are developed based on client needs. They may assist a specific role, such as an account manager, to see what the next steps would involve for them, or work hand in hand with various departments including graphics, creative, strategy, account management, and writing. If an individual in this role has a specialized background, it may be utilized as they progress throughout the advertising agency.

Training/Educational Requirements

Most advertising workers have a bachelor’s degree, as this is the minimum requirement for this type of role. It can be quite helpful if their degree is in advertising or marketing, or if they have taken some classes in either area. Most agencies will hire advertising workers into an entry-level position, working within the traffic or account management area. Having any experience, particularly within a field such as market research, can be an excellent way to get hired at a slightly higher level.

Since an advertising worker is expected to know how an agency runs, their chances of getting hired increases if they have agency experience or worked as an intern. Competition can be high for these types of positions, so any education, background, or experience can prove to be quite helpful in getting hired. Advertising workers often move from agency to agency, and therefore any experience gained elsewhere will be quite helpful in an individual’s progression.

How to Get Hired

The first step to getting hired is to have a bachelor’s degree, particularly in advertising or marketing. Another important step is to demonstrate agency experience and knowledge. In an entry-level position, a degree will often be sufficient in getting hired. If an individual wants to get hired into a more senior level role as an advertising worker, demonstrating agency experience will be pivotal.

There is a perception that this is a glamorous field, and competition is high, particularly for the entry-level positions. Therefore, it can help to know somebody within an agency. Having a connection to a manager or supervisor can increase the chances of getting hired in an area where competition is fierce. Actual experience within an agency also increases the chances of getting hired. Anything an individual can do to stand out from the crowd, or show knowledge or experience of advertising or the process used within an agency, can help increase their chances of getting hired.

Job Prospects, Employment Outlook, and Career Development

The outlook for jobs in this field is fair. As it is a highly competitive field and industry as a whole, there is a less than average chance of getting hired. Another reason that contributes to a lower likelihood of getting hired into a position as an advertising worker is that it’s one of the first areas to be cut in tough economic times. Layoffs are quite common within the advertising industry as a whole. There is also a great incidence of smaller agencies merging, forcing entry-level positions to be eliminated.

The one silver lining in job prospects for an advertising worker is that turnover is high, which means positions come open all the time. The hours can be long and the pay starts off rather low, so oftentimes people hired into roles as advertising workers jump ship for another agency or corporate position. This helps open up positions for new candidates to be hired.

Working Environment

Although this is typically an office environment, that may be the only typical thing about it. The working environment for an advertising worker is often fast paced and borders on being a bit chaotic at times. Various departments work together to complete a client project, oftentimes with a quickly approaching deadline. Since the work within an advertising agency is very deadline oriented, changes are quite frequent based on client demands.

It is quite common to work long hours as an advertising worker. Since the work is based on client requirements that may change frequently, individuals need to have flexibility in their hours. It is common to work evenings and even weekends to meet deadlines. The environment can also be quite stressful at times as coordination between departments can be challenging. Clients can be demanding, which often results in additional stress. There is usually a high concentration of young workers, particularly in the entry-level positions.

Salary and Benefits

The median salary for a non-supervisory advertising worker was about $724 per week as of 2006. As an individual gains experience within an agency and progresses into more responsible roles, the pay goes up. The progression can happen fairly quickly for those who show dedication and hard work. Most advertising workers receive standard benefits such as medical benefits and paid vacations, but they may not be eligible for days off until a probationary period ends.