Advertising can be defined as a platform which provides information about any product in a creative manner through billboards, television, newspaper, flyer, website and radio. How big is the advertising industry can be gauged from the fact that it is the place from where most of the media houses get their revenue. So needless to say that there is a lucrative career opportunity available for creative thinking candidates.
A career in advertising means working in an advertising agency, where there are two major departments. First executive department and second creative department. The creative side consists of writers, screenwriters, photographers and ‘visualizers’ while the executive side includes people working in the customer service and media and market research departments. The executive department looks after and manages the needs of the customer so as to retain the customer. They also help the company find new customers.
The Media Research and Planning Department is responsible for selecting the appropriate media (TV, print or radio) and recording the placement and timing of advertisements. They also take care of the financial aspect of placing and sourcing and booking the advertisements that the employees produce every day. At the same time, the creative department creates the advertising copy (the text, images, etc. to go with the advertisement) and takes care of the requirements of the company. They make the advertisement seen by the customer a reality. Writers write articles to make an impact on the audience.
The writer comes up with a theme and expresses the campaign slogan, writes the jingles or songs that go with the advertisement and is responsible for producing all promotional literature advertising the customer’s product. They also have to make sure to check the final copies and remove all factual and grammatical errors and determine that the text looks great. The ‘Visualizer’ and the artist draw the rest of the images so that the ad is memorable. They are associated with sketching, graphics and the overall look of the advertisement. According to his interest and ability, the candidate can choose his department. In addition, qualified professionals with sufficient amount of experience can independently pursue a career in advertising.
necessary skills
You need to be creative and communicative to make a career in advertising. For a creative job as a writer, visualizer or photographer, a simple bachelor’s degree or a degree in mass communication is sufficient. If you are going for the visual aspect of the job then it requires knowledge of Photoshop, Corel Draw and the art of it. Photographers need more to know how to work well with a camera, be knowledgeable about the different angles of the camera and the appropriate lighting for each picture, and be good with Photoshop as well. For jobs involving customer service and media research, a formal MBA degree from a reputed college is preferred. You need a logical mind for a job in the field of media research. Good command over the language is also essential for these jobs.
Minimum Qualification
The minimum qualification for making a career in this field is graduation. Advertisement courses are taught as a postgraduate course in most colleges, where you can apply even if your undergraduate course is not an advertising course. The minimum requirement in postgraduate colleges is 50% marks in graduation certificate. There are also some undergraduate courses where one can apply after 10+2. Usually, these colleges have an entrance exam along with an interview that you have to pass. That also depends on the college you want to be a part of.
employment prospects
The advertising sector provides a great career opportunity to any creative and skilled person. Once you have a little experience, you can get a job at the desired pay scale in the advertising agency you want to work for.
- Pawan Vijay (Teacher, DIRD College, IPU, Delhi)