If you want to work as an advertising specialist, you’ll most likely need a mix of post-secondary education and work experience. Although a four-year degree in communication, journalism, media studies, or another related field is not required to become an advertising specialist, you may want to pursue one. You’ll need to find work with an advertising or marketing agency, or a large company that employs in-house advertising specialists, in addition to obtaining a relevant education. If you want to advance beyond the position of advertising specialist and into a managerial or executive position, you may want to pursue a master’s degree in business administration (MBA).
Advertising specialists are in charge of a variety of creative and logistical aspects of ad campaign creation and management. Although other professionals may be consulted, some advertising specialists work with clients to determine what they want from a campaign and then construct it on their own. Graphic designers, copywriters, and other creative professionals frequently collaborate closely with advertising specialists to develop a campaign that meets the needs of a potential client. After pitching the idea to the client, the advertising specialist usually puts the campaign into action if it is approved.
If you want to work as an advertising specialist, you’ll need a well-rounded education because they have to do so many different things. Some people succeed without a post-secondary education, but this is a difficult path to take to become an advertising specialist. In most cases, you’ll need a four-year degree to get started in your career. Many different majors, such as media studies and mass communication, can help you develop the necessary skills. Other degree concentrations, such as psychology, can also help you gain the knowledge you need to work as an advertising specialist.
There are several different job opportunities that can lead to a career as an advertising specialist. The most common route is to work for an advertising or marketing firm. You may need to start at the bottom and work your way up, but creative professionals can often work their way up to become advertising specialists. Unless you want to start your own creative agency or move into the managerial or executive side of the business, you will have typically reached the pinnacle of your profession as an advertising specialist. In that case, you might want to consider returning to school for an MBA.