During difficult economic times, both large and small businesses drastically reduce their advertising budgets. As a result, advertising agencies and design firms have had to downsize and make cuts. A college advertising major should ensure that they are well-versed not only in sales, copywriting, and promotion, but also in graphic design, in order to land a good advertising job.
Advertising sales will be the most common available job for an advertising major, and where most recent graduates will end up. Newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations frequently have openings for ad salespeople. It’s possible that you’ll be hired on a trial basis, and employee turnover is high. Only the best producers are able to stay in business for a long time.
Payment for these jobs can be straight commission, a draw against commission, or salary plus commission, depending on your sales ability and the size of the firm for which you’re working. Strive for the latter, but keep in mind that your job security is contingent on your ability to not only service existing clients, but also to attract new ones. This will entail making numerous “cold calls” to companies that may or may not be interested in purchasing airtime or advertising space. The advertising sales job is not for you if you dislike hearing the word “no” or take rejection personally.
Most advertising majors want to work for a large advertising agency, but the path to working with national clients and earning a good salary starts at the bottom. Established advertising account executives treat their clients like gold, so you’ll have to prove your worth. In general, an advertising major who works for an agency will start out as a copywriter. Make an effort to be as creative as possible while staying within the confines of the ad campaign. Many copywriters will advance to a junior account executive position if they demonstrate great ideas and a personality to match.
Even more doors will open for an advertising major who has mastered design. In the print industry, there are numerous opportunities for this creative production position, but even more importantly, there are an almost infinite number of smaller, freelance jobs. Building a client portfolio is the key to success in this field of advertising. As a general rule, the higher the rates you can charge, the more satisfied clients you can acquire.