Posted on Monday 30th May 2016 by James Howell
Advertising careers are changing in the digital world, but remain extremely popular.
According to data released by graduate-jobs.com, one in five graduates want to work in Advertising & Public Relations. The findings reveal that despite major shifts in the industry driven by technology, Advertising & Public Relations remains one of the most popular options for graduates.
The independent job board found 20% of university leavers registered to the site in the past five years want to work in the sector, putting it ahead of traditional graduate careers like Consultancy (17%) and Media (17%). One graduate in the industry says changes in the field mean there are more options than ever for graduates.
"Advertising agencies usually have a focus on either creative elements or media planning and buying," says Adam Garnsey, who studied Economics at the University of Manchester before starting his career in Advertising.
"It's important for graduates understand the differences and which kind of role suits them."
Technology is having a noticeable impact on the field, Adam says, and graduates should be prepared.
"Advertising is becoming more data-heavy as technology improves and everything becomes more measurable," he says.
"It's important to be able to analyse data, recognise and understand important metrics as well as be able to identify trends in order to stay ahead of the curve and deliver great results for your company or client."
In his role, Adam deals with new advertising channels available on the internet.
"My job is to run high-spending, digital advertising campaigns for clients of Mindshare-one of the biggest media agencies in the UK," he says.
"This involves running activity on Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and any other platform that we feel can add value to our clients and generate results for them."
Adam wanted to work in Advertising ever since taking Business Studies at secondary school, and says his focus on social sciences helped him land his role.
"Although my degree was not directly linked to advertising, I focused on Sociology and Criminology. This helped me gain a broad understanding of people and psychology which has certainly helped in my position."
The sector is the sixth most popular career path for graduates. Adam believes this is because the industry does not require a specific degree focus.
"People come from a wide variety of degree backgrounds and I wouldn't necessarily say you are at a disadvantage from coming from non-marketing related degrees," he says.
"I feel that advertising is very popular for graduates as you get immediate responsibility and there's no limit to what you can achieve, even in your first few years. There's really clear career progression and advertising companies are full of young, ambitious graduates determined to prove themselves."
Adam warns the competition can be intense and graduates may need more than their grades to get their foot in the door.
"The barrier to entry is not the highest in terms of prior qualifications and degree requirements but competition is fierce and always increasing so it's important to try and stand out however you can-be creative!"
"You will almost certainly need to become an Excel guru to succeed."
For graduates aiming to find a position in Advertising, Adam shares the best advice he has ever received:
"Be outstanding at the basics," he says. "It sounds simple but so many people and companies go wrong when they try too hard and forget about the basics."
"This applies to job hunting and interviewing as well. Figure out what kind of role you want, why you want it and why you should be hired for it."
Adam also offers his own personal words of warning to graduates entering the world of events and networking soirees: take it easy at the open bar.
"I've had too many free media-drinks-gone-wrong situations to mention," he says. "Know your limits and remember why there are probation periods!"
Image Credit: Nicolai Berntsen