Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Advertising isn't like a humanities degree; it doesn't lead to a wide array of jobs. Getting an ad degree means going into advertising or a related field, like marketing. With that in mind, you're much more likely to get a job with an ad firm if you have what they do on your diploma. English majors, on the other hand, might have it a bit harder to get their feet in the door.
Internships are the name of the game with advertising. If you don't do them during school, you run into the classic dilemma upon graduating—you need experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain that experience. Yikes. It's a real chicken/egg situation, and this situation means you need to find some creative ways to break into the business.
One of the best parts of this field is that it is evolving constantly. If you don't believe us, check out the difference between a candy ad from the 1940s and one from only fifty years later in the 1990s. You'll be forced to stay with the times, or risk becoming an old curmudgeon. This will keep you up-to-date and on your toes, and you'll soon become that person who's always asking, "So…what are kids into nowadays?"
Common Career Fields
Account Executive: With this job, you'll be in charge of figuring out just what clients need. They might think they need to put ads in magazines, but your expertise may guide them towards viral videos instead. You'll know the difference because you've worked with other clients and can assess the needs of future clients better because of it. If you're lucky enough to work within a larger agency, you can take on multiple clients at once. Watch out, world,
Advertising Management: Managing other advertising executives means being the big, creative head above all the other little heads in the totem pole. Some ideas will work and some won't, and you're in charge of making sure the right one goes to the client. The larger firms deal more with in-house affairs, like putting the right people on the right jobs. This just shows that management is similar with pretty much all jobs.
Creative Director: Creative directors are at the top of the creative food chain. Copywriters have to pick and choose the right words and graphic designers have to create delicious eye candy, and it is the creative director's job to make sure that when they combine they don't look like Bill Bucker fielding a grounder (read: terrible). They also present the final product, so it will look like they are taking all the credit—a necessary evil/perk.
Marketing Manager: The creative aspect branches down to the hard-thinking style of things, and this is where marketing managers come in. These managers develop the strategy for how to advertise for each client. When and where to advertise are the keys here, and advertising in the wrong place or time can mean spinning your wheels. Having a good marketing manager could be the difference between a product making millions and a product flopping hard.
Market Researcher: A position in market research will put your psychology and statistics courses to good use. In order to sell something, you've got to know how it'll be received. If you're looking at a market that has open arms for what you're selling, put that thing on the shelves and pronto. On the other hand, if you're still trying to pitch HitClips in the age of MP3s, you might want to rethink your strategy.
Public Relations Manager: PR is kind of like selling a person's image instead of a product. We're not talking about strolling through town with polaroids of a client on the inside of your trench coat. Ever wonder how celebrities mess up, but still get jobs? The public's perception of a person matters almost as much as whatever makes them famous in the first place. Think of any celebrity that has been accused of something terrible, but remains successful. In order to overcome some of those nightmares, you need a good PR person.
Current unemployment of the major
6.5%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
15%Stats obtained from this source.