Putting together an ad campaign requires the work of creative talents to plan, design, and write copy, along with business experts to manage sales and track results and, critically, tech savvy geniuses to write code and use the latest AR and VR technologies to deliver campaigns across multiple platforms.
Helping you find out more about careers in advertising
Advertising is all around us
Traditional advertising includes TV, radio, cinema, magazines and newspapers, to name but a few. There are ambient ads attached to bikes, taxis, buses, escalators, bus stops, petrol pumps, building sites and even store floors. Sponsorship is another form of advertising – from supporting your local football team to the huge branding opportunities of having your business attached to the World Cup. As well as advertising to consumers (B2C), businesses advertise to other businesses (B2B) in order to pass their products on to consumers. And in the last 10 years, targeted advertising via web and social media has skyrocketed. There’s also experiential – ever been given a free chocolate bar at a train station? Influencers are advertising daily and you are too, when you post a picture of the beach or bar you’ve just visited. Advertising is a huge part of our lives.
All businesses, charities, celebrities and governments depend on advertising to make themselves known and to relay their latest messages. It could be to show you the benefits of driving electric or to ensure you wash your hands to the tune of happy birthday. Whatever the reason, there are thousands of talented people working with these companies to ensure their messages are impactful, engaging and delivered in the most convenient and effective way to reach the right people and achieve the commercial objective set out by the company.
Where do these talented people work?
In Adland. Adland is the name we give to the advertising industry in the UK. It’s a collection of advertising, marketing, digital, branding and media agencies across the country who specialise in creating promotions for clients. These clients could be selling their services, such as a bank, or their products which could be anything from washing powder, a car or even dog food. But they are just as likely to want you to change your behaviour – like public Health England’s Stoptober campaign. Or they could be information-led campaigns that you may be familiar with, such as those relating to Brexit or the NHS’ eat five a day. Or how about influencer campaigns from the likes of Greenpeace, who advertise to help mobilise members of the public to influence and bring about changes in world policies? And let’s not forget celebrity endorsements (influencer campaigns) which are so popular now, some agencies have departments dedicated to this area.
Underpinning all these types of advertising is Technology and Analysis. Our clients depend on us to use the latest technologies and monitor every single interaction of each customer’s journey.
The economic performance of the UK advertising industry has a huge impact on our economy. The annual expenditure on advertising is £20 billion and the overall contribution was estimated to be £120 billion or 6.4% of total UK GDP (according to the Advertising Pays 6 report, produced by the Advertising Association.)
According to Deloitte, almost one million jobs are supported by the advertising industry, which is equivalent to 3.2% of overall nationwide employment.
This figure is broken down as follows:
- 350,000 jobs in advertising and in-house (within the brand’s office) production of advertising
- 76,000 jobs in the media sectors supported by revenue from advertising
- 560,000 jobs supported by the advertising industry
Technology is moving fast and providing new ways to reach audiences all the time, so nothing stays still in the world of advertising.
Where do I fit in?
Putting together an ad campaign requires the work of account services teams and planners to liaise with clients and work with agency creative talents to plan, design, and write copy, media experts to plan and place the ads in the relevant space, along with business experts to manage sales and track results and, critically, tech savvy geniuses to write code and use the latest AR and VR technologies to deliver campaigns across multiple platforms.
Adland is made up of people with different kinds of knowledge and skills; from crunching the numbers, to creating artwork, to programming, coding and strategy, through to writing the perfect words (aka as copy).
Agency sizes, structures, departments and salaries
One of the best ways to understand how the advertising world functions is to understand how an advertising agency works. There are many different types of advertising agencies. Some have hundreds of employees, whereas others will have just a handful.
The right role for you
Whatever background you’re from, whatever educational level you’ve achieved, whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, whether your skills lie in art, humanities, STEM subjects, analytics, or if you’re just great at building excellent relationships – advertising could be the right career for you. You can view some sample job descriptions to get an idea of what some roles involve.
Teacher's toolkit
This toolkit comprises 21 games and exercises for teachers to show students skills used in the advertising industry, jargon and key concepts such as data analysis, proofreading, listening without agenda and many more.
Get your foot in the door
It's hard to imagine a career in any industry without first-hand experience. Why not dip your toe in to get a feel for the environment and the work you’ll produce by attending the annual adland open day, Advertising Unlocked.
Some agencies are offering taster programmes for new and diverse talent to remove barriers for people who want to break into the advertising or communications industry but have not had the support or access to do so.
Starting your search for the perfect role
There are all kinds of ways to secure a job within the ad industry. Here are some helpful external and internal links.
Debut
Download the Debut App. It's dedicated to entry-level jobs, schemes and internships in the industry.
IPA Members' Job Board
See the latest job opportunities at IPA member agencies.
The Dots
Check out this professional network for people in the advertising industry.
Creative Equals
Get in touch with Creative Equals who work with agencies and recruiters to help give creatives from a diverse background the support, mentoring and training they need to make it all the way to the top.
Brixton Finishing School
Find out more about Brixton Finishing School that runs a programme for ‘under-represented’ groups in the creative industries (Multi-Cultural, Working Class, NeuroDiverse, Female) to find those with untapped potential.
Stemnet
STEMNET creates opportunities to inspire young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The School of Communication Arts (SCA)
Find out more about SCA. The 10-month programme helps students fulfil their potential, the school's relationships with agency partners create employment opportunities for all alumni. They also run a Scholarship programme helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds onto the course, and into the creative industries.
Preparing for an interview
Preparation is key. Remember that you are the best subject expert on yourself. At interview, expect to be asked about your knowledge of the agency you’re applying for, including knowing about their recent work and the advertising industry at large. Here we give you some tips on how to prepare and commonly asked interview questions.
FAQs
Do you need a degree, what is the pay like, what are the hours of work, how diverse is the advertising community and many other questions answered.
Last updated 17 January 2024