Career in Advertising Media

Advertising is no longer a subtle play of rosy and gleaming pictures and words but as the world is dealing with heavy digital media indulgence, it has increasingly acquired a more personalized and creative place. Ad agencies regularly experiment and try to find a fine balance between being informative and communicative along with a bit quirky and unique. Moreover, they are integrating various types of Mass Media, especially in the online space through social media and not entirely neglecting traditional ones like newspapers and radio. The bottom line is, therefore, if you have that spark, know how to sustain it through thick and thin while handling the dynamic and ever-growing new technologies, then a career in Advertising Media is cut out for you. 

Popular Advertising Media Courses

As advertising is a brewing pot of dozens of core marketing and communications’ fields along with allied and interdisciplinary specialisations such as art history and direction, amongst others. Further, one can also delve specifically into the new media technologies through Digital Advertising courses or programs available in Media Management and Public Relations, etc. A few of the popular courses include:

• Masters in Advertising
• MBA in Media Management
• Masters in Marketing
• Masters in Mass Communication
• MBA in Communication
• MA in Journalism

Eligibility Criteria 

The eligibility criteria may vary for different universities and it greatly depends on the level of course. It is advisable to go through the university website for detailed information on admission requirements before you proceed with your application. The standard eligibility criteria to study postgraduate Advertising courses at the top universities abroad include:

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
• A valid GRE score, if you planning to pursue postgraduation courses.  
• Since the medium of instruction is English, you need to take language proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL or PTE.
• Apart from fulfilling the eligibility criteria, you will also be required to submit a statement of purpose (SOP), letter of recommendations (LOR), updated CV/Resume, university transcripts, etc 

Top Universities for Advertising Media Abroad

There are a multitude of academic institutions across the globe that offer diverse degree and diploma courses in Advertising. Refer to the following table for information on universities that can help you build a strong career in Advertising Media.

Name of University	Location	Courses in Advertising Media
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	USA	BA in Media & Journalism- Advertising
University of New South Wales	Australia	Bachelor of Design/ Bachelor of Media (PR & Advertising)
University of Leicester	UK	MA Media & Advertising
University of Wollongong	Australia	Bachelor of Communication & Media [Marketing, Communication & Advertising]
University of Essex	UK	MA Advertising, Marketing & Media
Swinburne University of Technology	Australia	1. Bachelor of Media & Communication [Professional/ Non-Professional] Major in Advertising 2. Bachelor of Media & Communication [Professional/Non-Professional] Major in Digital Advertising Technology
Goldsmiths University of London	UK	MA Promotional Media [Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing]

Top Job Profiles in Advertising Media

Here are a few of the most popular avenues and career profiles available in the vast domain of Advertising Media: 

Advertising Manager

The job of an advertising manager can be said to be the most comprehensive one, right from liaising and negotiating with media organisations and professionals to managing budgets and planning. They are the de facto in-charge of all advertising operations and consistently communicates with the senior management on strategy, creative development and so forth.

These responsibilities can also be shared by a group of professionals in larger organisations or handled by one in relatively smaller firms.

Advertising Sales Representative

Specialising in client management, consumer outreach and information dissemination efforts, the job of advertising sales representatives can be safely termed as one of the most challenging options amongst the varied profiles for a career in Advertising Media. Adept in skills of persuasion, communication, presentation as well as motivation, they are in constant touch with both potential and existing clients, maintaining correspondences and grievances, amongst others.

Digital Strategy Manager/ Marketing Manager

The demands of creativity exemplifies the profile of a digital strategy manager. He is in charge of leveraging market research tools and techniques in order to design campaigns, tactics, overall and market penetration. Furthermore, they also report performance data, review and learn from prevalent strategies of competitors as well as remain updated with the recent development in the field of advertising.

Copywriter

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Strictly focusing on the writing and content part of advertising, the job of copywriter or advertising content writer generally involves creation of ad-materials such as blogs, posts, captions, scripts, etc that are aimed at making a customer connection. Advanced writing abilities, fundamental knowledge of marketing, social media and other tools are amongst the essential skills you need to qualify for this profile in Advertising Media. 

Researcher

For those acclimated to all-nighters and working constantly through days and nights which, however, is representative of all major choices for a career in Advertising Media, the job of a market researcher is particularly well-suited. As a rough estimation, typical tasks include conducting business research, designing campaigns, analysis of market data and drawing tangible inferences, amongst others.

In addition to the above, you can also explore varied opportunities in Advertising Media such as:

• Digital Operations Manager
• SEO Manager
• Product Manager
• Public Relations Officer
• Social Media Manager
• Advertising Account Executive
• Creative Director

Books on Advertising Media

 Given below are some of the best books that you can read to learn more about advertising:

Books	Links
Ogilvy on Advertising in the Digital Age	Click Here to Buy!
The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells (4th Edition)	Click Here to Buy!
Advertising Concept Book: Think Now, Design Later by Pete Barry	Click Here to Buy!

We hope this blog was able to present a detailed analysis of what a career in advertising media comprises of. If you wish to enter this field but don’t know how to go about it, consult the experts and mentors at Leverage Edu for quality guidance and take a step towards a rewarding career.