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California State University, Long Beach
Student receiving Career advise on choosing a Major
 

Advertisting: What can I do with this Major?

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
CAREER
Sales
Development
Marketing
Administration
EMPLOYERS
Advertising agencies
Corporate advertising departments
Specialty advertising firms
Consulting firms
Marketing firms
Self employed/Freelance
STRATEGIES
Gain sales experience. Work in sales at campus newspaper or radio station.
Develop organizational and communication skills. Learn to think strategically
CREATIVE SERVICES
CAREER
Art
Copywriting
Print Production
Publishing
Technical Writing
EMPLOYERS
Advertising agencies
Consulting firms
Publishers including: Trade books, Paperback, Educational materials, Technical, scientific and medical texts
Internet sites
STRATEGIES
Develop and strengthen art skills. This is the creative side of advertising. Compile a portfolio of writing, graphics and ideas. Gain knowledge of production and printing. Work with college or regional magazines and campus publications. Take technical writing courses for technical areas of interest. Learn how to sell your ideas. Get experience in the field, even if unpaid.
MEDIA
CAREER
Advertising Sales
Planning/Buying
Public Relations/Promotion
Research
Design, Art and Production
Direct Marketing -Direct marketers advertise directly to the customer through mail, magazines, radio, or TV to get an immediate response by telephone, mail, or fax.
EMPLOYERS
Advertising agencies
Business corporations
Publishers
Television
Radio
Newspapers
Magazines
Government agencies
Internet marketers
STRATEGIES
Secure internships. Get practical experience through part-time or summer positions. Develop creativity and learn to take initiative. Join campus or local newspaper or radio advertising staff. Create a portfolio.
RESEARCH
CAREER
Statistics
Focus Group Moderation
Interviewing
Project Management
Supervision
EMPLOYERS
Advertising firms
Corporate advertising departments
Specialty advertising firms
Research laboratories
Consulting firms
STRATEGIES
A Master’s or Ph.D. may be required for advanced statistical analysis. Need experience with statistics, data interpretation, and writing. Complete a co-op program or internship at a market research firm. It is critical to be computer literate and somewhat mathematically adept since research tends to involve “number crunching.”
PUBLIC RELATIONS
CAREER
Special Events
Media Relations
Risk and Crisis Communication
Health Communication
Fundraising
EMPLOYERS
Public relations firms
Corporate in-house public relations departments
Trade associations
Government agencies
Colleges and universities
Non-profit organizations
Labor unions
Hospitals
STRATEGIES
Get practical experience, even if unpaid. Perfect public speaking ability. Demonstrate enthusiasm, interpersonal skills, persuasion, teamwork, integrity, good judgment, and intelligence. Develop creativity and initiative. Secure internships, even if unpaid.

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • For advertising management positions, courses should include marketing, consumer behavior and market research.
  • Promoting experienced staff fills most advertising positions. Be willing to start in an entry-level position in order to get your foot in the door.
  • Be willing to relocate to larger markets such as New York, Chicago or Los Angeles for more job opportunities.
  • Obtain experience through a summer job, part-time job or internship.
  • Save work along the course of your studies and employment to be used for a portfolio. It is better to have too much to choose from instead of too little.
  • You may need additional areas of expertise for newspaper or television, such as printing and photography.
  • Overall, individuals in the advertising area need to be excellent communicators, good listeners, team players, professional, hard working, creative, flexible and enthusiastic.
Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (2005)
UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA /ADEA Employer
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