Industry: Advertising
 In years prior, the advertising industry witnessed significant growth during the dot com era in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, following the dot com bust, many advertising firms either went out of business or weathered the storm and recovered from the loss of wealthy dot com accounts. The job outlook for the industry is beginning to look promising as more firms retain lucrative accounts as more companies have begun dedicating more funds to advertising budgets.
Similar to other industries, advertising has its share of corporate giants that includes leading agencies such as McCann Erikson, Wieden & Kennedy, TMP Worldwide, and Y&R Advertising, to boutique firms that have a smaller client base. Whether you have been in the industry for several years or are considering pursuing a career in advertising, it is an exciting business to participate in. Take into account the team that worked on Nike’s infamous, “Just Do It” slogan and the impact it still has many years later.
Advertising is big business. It has and will continue to be a competitive industry where advertising firms compete for clients business through successful advertising campaigns using a number of different media outlets.
Careers in advertising encompass a number of different options under the industry umbrella. For those who are more interested in the business side, career options consist of account management or account planning where responsibilities include heavy client interaction and ensuring that they are satisfied with the services provided.
Other career options include the creative side of advertising where you design ads for the client. People who are artistic or good writers are well-suited for such positions. Media buying and/or planning are also popular career choices in advertising where you analyze consumer habits and purchase air time to market your clients’ service or product to their target audience. Depending on the type of advertising firm you work in will influence what type of creative work is performed. For instance, some firms specialize in focus on product benefits, where others focus on brand development and management.
Most professionals entering advertising begin their career in entry-level positions, regardless of length of service in the workforce and their professional background. In fact, the industry has a reputation for having people start at the bottom and work their way up. For those who are looking to grow their career in advertising, industry insiders lament that it is necessary to switch firms to move up the corporate ladder.
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