Advertising plays a vital role in a successful business and will include the work of many creative individuals such as writers, designers, and artists. Advertising is a branch of marketing and helps with showing the product to the world. If you have a knack for design and love to take part in advertising products and services for businesses, then getting into this field may be right up your alley. You will, of course, have to have a good education, it would also help to have the technical know-how of design and marketing, and create your own portfolio to share your ideas with potential clients and employers. Read on to find out how you can get started in your advertising career.
Fostering your interests in marketing and advertising
If this area of design interests you and you find yourself immersed in various advertisements and often find yourself creating ideas in your mind to better market a product, then this is a good choice of career to step into. It is however a highly stressful and competitive field and you must have the drive within you to succeed. An advertising or creative agency must attract their ideal clients, plan out various advertising programs and present them to them with flair and creativity. It would be your job to think of innovative ideas, make illustrations and produce draft advertisement options. There are art directors that most agencies typically use to set the initial mock-ups and ideas to come alive, and then they get guidance from the directors to make it a more cohesive advertising campaign to pitch to the client. You must decide what area of advertising you would like to initially be involved in.
University or college degree
The type of formal education depends on the area of the field you would like to be in. For example; if you would like to look at the financials of an advertising company, then a bachelor’s degree in marketing or finance would serve you great. On the other hand, if you would like to step into the designing aspect of advertising, it would be best to attend a school specializing in art, writing, or advertising-focused training skills. Most of these schools typically help you bring out a portfolio by the end of the course which will guide you to making an impression on potential employers. When applying for portfolio or art schools for example; be sure to thoroughly research their program and check their reputation on the work they give in addition to the number of successful advertising graduates they have produced.
Get an internship and experience
There is nothing quite like getting experience through working or interning in an advertising company. You could apply for an internship while you wait to go for a bachelor’s degree or art school. Moreover, this will help you build references and develop contacts at an early stage thus taking you a step closer to being a successful advertising agent. You can also consider applying for entry-level advertising jobs as most firms expect interns as they start from the lowest point and usually work up the ladder to better positions.