Advertising Executive example essay topic

Career Profile Task Gray McCarty The career that I have chosen to profile is that of an Advertising Executive. Advertising professionals combine creativity with sound business sense to market a product based on financial, sociological, and psychological research. To ensure this complicated process works smoothly, advertisers spend a lot of time in the office (a six-day week is not unusual). Most of their time is spent brainstorming, creative blockbusting, and sifting through demographic research; less time is spent meeting with clients or pitching advertising campaigns. Fluidity of daily activity marks the life of the advertising executive who jumps from project to project. It takes a very disciplined person to handle both the creative end and the detail-oriented side.

Advertising executives work in teams on projects, so working with others is crucial; those who are successful have the ability to add to other people's ideas and help them grow. The need to be flexible can not be emphasized enough. As a number of large players in the industry move toward "computer-based brainstorming", -a way in which creative ideas are kept in a fluid database without regard to account specificity-computer skills will become more valuable. Like most project-oriented careers, you can expect periods of intense activity during which you have little, if any, free time.

At other times, the workload is light and mundane. Education / Training Requirements High-school preparation: Take lots of English courses. Any other writing-intensive courses are good as well. If your high school offers courses that will teach you how to use computer programs or, even better, how to create computer-based graphic art, take them, too.

You " ll probably be required to take a foreign language in college if you choose to major in Advertising. Plan accordingly. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Advertising majors almost universally involve some fairly challenging statistics courses. Consequently, if you ignore math in high school, you " ll be in for a rude awakening. Degrees Possibly Required: . Degree in Internet Marketing.

Degree in Marketing and / or Business Administration. Journalism and / or editorial experience would be an asset. BA / BS. Other specific degrees in relation to the type of advertising. (Example: Internet Advertising = Degree in Internet Advertising Skills Needed: .

Relevant experience. Ability to build and maintain positive and productive interdepartmental working relationships... Excellent written and verbal communication skills... Knowledge of various Internet technologies (HTML, JavaScript, HTTP), and applications, (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS-Project, Macromedia Breeze or other training content development solution)... Highly organized and detailed-oriented... Employee or customer-led Training and presentation experience...

Successful program or project management experience... Graphic Design / Art skills. Psychology. Statistical / Analytical. Creativity / Open Minded Experience Needed: . Many job descriptions state that the applicant must have at least 5 years relevant experience...

Experience in other fields, such as Graphic Design, communications, marketing, data analysis, and media are also helpful. (Although these may not be required, they certainly do help) Facts and Figures Number of people in profession: 507,000 Average hours spent working per week: 50 Average starting salary: $27,500 Average salary after 5 years: $41,000 Average salary after 10 to 15 years: $75,000 Job Satisfaction / Quality of Life Two Years Out At this point, you may have an entry-level position, mostly "assistant ships". This can mean answering mail, entering computer data, returning phone calls and proofreading copy text. Responsibilities can increase, but only with persistence, luck, and the help of someone currently in a position of responsibility. The lack of complicated tasks during these first two years is actually a blessing; much is learned by observing, following, and listening to experienced advertising executives. The drop-out rate for this career at this particular time is around 20 percent.

Five Years Out At this time, rising young executives move into "account representative" positions, with responsibility for coordinating the variety of parts involved in a campaign, but no client contact. Salaries rise by around 50 percent-to about $30,000. The number of hours becomes deadly, and many young professionals, frustrated with the small amount of creative input allowed, long hours, and limited pay, leave the profession (25 percent). The few who have the opportunity to make creative input to a campaign see the results of their input and feel the gratification / consequences of that responsibility. Ten Years Out After ten years, the average industry professional has changed jobs three times and seen about 60 percent of his or her co-workers leave the profession, and hopefully, developed some specialty in an industry, demographic, or a creative branch. Many have risen to "account executive" level or higher.

Another twenty percent have entered other industries as consultants, managers, or executives. Pay can skyrocket-but it can also plummet to zero. The reason it can fall so dramatically is that particular to advertising is the belief that experience, while important, runs second to "freshness". Advertising executives over the age of fifty-two are rare. Past and Future Ancient Romans advertised by placing large painted signs on walls, much like the billboards found today along any highway in North America.

Commercial progress, both individually and collectively, has been encouraged by advertising. It is not unusual for products you use in your home to have had significant advertising budgets and for your tastes or interests to have been unconsciously influenced by modern advertising. The future of advertising is expanding around us today, particularly with respect to electronic media. Smaller, more focused shops are emerging from the gargantuan players of the 1970's and 1980's (although they still are major forces) who use new technologies and response-based personalized advertising as creative marketing strategies. For example, some advertisements on the World Wide Web will analyze what services you use and are interested in, then tailor the advertisement you see according to your tastes. The future is coming to a terminal near you.

Associated Careers The skills you obtain in the advertising industry are transferable to any business-oriented setting, and many executives choose to leave the profession after obtaining their MBA. Others stay in advertising, citing the financial rewards, the creative environment, and the constant challenge of "reinventing" themselves for every new campaign. Those who have specialized in a particular area sometimes move in-house at a particular company to direct marketing efforts or review which advertising firms to hire. It is important to note that this career has a significant rate of burnout and that nearly 35 percent of people who reach the level of executive vice president or higher leave the profession. Some turn into graphic designers, marketers, finance managers, freelance advertisers, retail managers, or head of marketing at some huge corporation.

Some even have a complete career change and become doctors, lawyers, etc... But whatever you do, the skills of communication, creativity etc... will always stick with you know matter what career you aspire to. My Reflection Through my research, I have decided that I still want to pursue this career. I love being creative, and discussing with others possibilities of ideas, designs, and inventions. I love graphic design, and other forms of media. Whenever I see a print ad, or a TV commercial, I always critique it in my head, and say what's good, what's bad, and I would have done to make it better.

I tell my family and friends about my ideas, and they love them! If I had an advertising account to complete, and I had a team of skilled designers, and conceptualist's, I know that I could do the job pretty darn good. It takes an outgoing, creative, social, skilled person who likes to, and can work with others collaborating thoughts and ideas, to be an advertiser. Through all of my personality tests and self-evaluations, I have come to the conclusion that I am almost perfect for this job. I have an outgoing personality, I am creative, I enjoy working with others, I love creating great humour, and I LOVE designing things. I am also somewhat skilled at selling products and ideas, as well as negotiating (this must be hereditary, as my mother is blessed in this area).

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