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Advertising Career Programs and Courses

Advertising careers are a dynamic and evolving industry, and often range from various public relations and marketing initiatives. Companies, businesses, and organizations work with advertising representatives to develop campaigns, promotions, and programs to improve a brand. Media representatives may work with selling advertising space on radio, television, Internet, and display advertisings while PR divisions work with firms and advertising agencies to target a particular niche. An advertising career is a diverse industry that offers many opportunities in contemporary media, marketing, and public relations.

Job Description and Responsibilities of Advertising School Graduates

Graduates of advertising school are involved with many different projects that include marketing, media relations, display advertising, and public relations. Common responsibilities with an advertising career include:

Working with a team of media professionals
Coordinating marketing campaigns
Conducting market research and field research
Identifying and designing consumer interests
Developing strategies to negotiate and evaluate media vehicles
Managing client relations and nurturing relationships
Being involved with mass communication directives
Working advertising agencies and public relations firms

Advertising careers can evolve into a variety of positions in the media industry, and may lead to work in a specialized firm that focuses on a particular market niche. Many companies are also involved with finding professionals to develop advertising for them. Ad agencies can offer their services and establish multiple accounts as a result and sometimes turn to an advertising school to fill entry-level positions.

Positions and Opportunities with Advertising Careers

Advertising careers are diverse and can run across a variety of departments, offering positions in the fields of creative departments, production, media, and research. The ultimate goal is to meet the client's goals of increasing sales as much as possible. Public relations services are often involved with businesses, governments, and institutions and can help them make effective decisions. Students of an advertising school may choose to pursue a career as a:

Media Planner
Media Traffic
Copywriter/Illustrator
Creative
Production Manager
Director of Advertising
Director of Public Relations
Public Relations Specialist
Account Executive

Any positions involved with direct selling of advertising involve certain personality traits and characteristics. A career often starts as an Account Executive, and can then move up towards a Director or supervising position. These positions are involved with all advertising and public relations activities such as planning, coordinating creation, and production. Sales positions involve meeting with customers, sharing their needs, and creating and implementing effective campaigns.

Key Skills Needed for A Successful Advertising Career

A successful career is possible for candidates who are naturally driven, optimistic, creative, and can handle multiple projects at a time. People skills are essential because the work requires understanding what a client needs and making effective decisions as a result. An advertising school can help train and develop students to learn skills such as:

Strong communications
Creativity
Competitiveness
Working under stress and pressure
Presentation management
Persuasiveness
Confidence
Being a team player
Learning effective online communications

Advertising Programs and Courses

An advertising education can provide the foundation for a long-term, and successful career in advertising. The programs and courses are designed to help students gain a firm understanding of the industry, and apply their knowledge on a variety of projects and simulations. Programs that focus on the marketing and sales aspects of the industry help students understand how to build relationships, nurture their clients, and develop effective campaigns. Students learn how to work with copywriting and art departments, as well as develop creative communications and initiatives of their own.

An advertising education that focuses on public relations provides students with a different scope of industry knowledge. Courses under this division focus on strategic communications, writing and copywriting, press releases and broadcasting, and campaign management. Public relations firms often look for strong students who can demonstrate critical thinking, strong communication skills, and the ability to work well under pressure.

A formal advertising school can help students gain the necessary skills and knowledge they need for a rewarding career. Common advertising courses include:

Copywriting
Journalism
Television News Writing
Creating press kits
Media design
Public relations management
Business administration
Advertising and Economics
Business Law
Business Psychology
Marketing
Online Communications
Media relations fundamentals

Students who pursue an advertising education may decide to pursue an internship in conjunction with their program. This provides additional experience and training before graduating, and can give them some leverage as they enter the job marketplace. Many students also participate in the American Advertising Federation National Advertising Competition. This is offered by a specific department or sponsor within the advertising school, and offers students another opportunity to collaborate on a project for national recognition.

Obtaining an Advertising Degree Online

An online advertising degree is a valuable opportunity for students who prefer a distance program or need a correspondence course format. Online courses are very similar in structure as offline campuses in this format, and obtaining a degree online can prove to be a valuable choice in the long term. Ensuring that the school meets local and national accreditation requirements is the first step, but it can be a simple way to complete an education through a telecommuting structure. Programs are designed with the distance criteria in mind, and often involve collaborating on projects with team members around the country.

Advertising Career Training and Advancement

The majority of advertising career professionals begin after graduating with a bachelor's degree, with an emphasis on business and marketing. Many liberal arts students also have an opportunity to use their creative writing skills to begin in this industry. Obtaining employment with an advertising firm or agency is easier with internship experience, and many students choose to complete this during their senior year. Assistant account executive positions usually require a bachelor's degree in marketing or advertising, but some firms require a master's degree in business administration instead. Bachelor's degrees are generally not required for entry-level creative departments. Assistant media planners or buyers almost always have a bachelor's degree, and may even have a strong background in statistics. A focus on public relations requires at least a four-year degree in communications or a formal public relations advertising programs.

Advertising School Accreditation

Attending an accredited advertising school provides value to the education being completed, and the school is determined to have met specific standards and requirements. The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) is the only independent agency that grants accreditation to advertising and mass communications-related programs. In addition to the ACEJMC, there are six regional accrediting councils throughout the United States.

Earning Potential and Employment Prospects for Advertising Careers

From media planners to public relations consultants, the field of advertising is diverse and offers multiple opportunities for those who are experienced in the field. Careers can move into research and independent freelance work as well; this makes an advertising career a very flexible and attractive opportunity for people who have strong skills in multiple areas.

Advertising careers offer many attractive positions and are competitive by nature; employment in the industry is expected to grow as much as 22% through 2014, with an expected increase for advertising, public relations, and marketing services throughout the world. Students who become skilled and proficient in both online and offline media presentations will do especially well in this career field. The median hourly wage for workers in public relations and advertising was $15.83 in 2004. Managers and supervisors made considerably more, while entry-level and intern positions made much less. Related occupations include: