One thing which is well known about the advertising industry is that advertising agency work is not always easy to secure. Many agencies look for experience in the industry when evaluating the resumes of prospective hires first and foremost - meaning that the biggest challenge for those seeking careers in advertising is simply getting one’s foot in the door in the first place. One way to overcome this obstacle is to seek out an internship at an advertising agency; these internships are a great way to get valuable experience in the industry and can often lead to full time paid positions providing that the intern’s job performance is up to par.
Experience Needed
Of course, if you do have some experience in advertising or marketing, then the path to successful advertising agency careers is a little smoother. You’ll be able to highlight your previous experience in your resume and cover letter; and of course, you’ll have an impressive portfolio of work to draw upon both when you submit your resume as well as in person at an interview. It’s often the case that a prospective employer will be far more interested in your previous work than in your educational background; though again, having previous experience in advertising agency work is a near requirement.
The exact type of experience you’ll want to showcase in your resume depends on the type of position you’re seeking. Copywriters, proofreaders and editors will want to have a portfolio of written work to present and if your portfolio is light, consider putting together some spec pieces (mock up print ads are often your best bet if you’re aiming to impress the hiring manager you’ll be interviewing with) to show prospective employers.
Graphic designers, art directors, and others who work with visual media will also want to have a strong portfolio of applicable work to show when pursuing advertising agency careers. For these positions, your portfolio is everything, perhaps even more so than with copywriters, editors, and professionals who work with the written word. Keep in mind that art directors and copywriters are often hired as a team, so if you happen to be an art director you may want to team up with a writer – or vice versa, as the case may be.
Even if you have no formal experience in advertising agency work, there is still a possibility of landing ad agency jobs. If you’ve done any kind of writing or design work in a previous or current position, then make sure to highlight this in your resume and the previous advice about creating some spec pieces to beef up your portfolio definitely applies here. If your work is strong enough, you may find yourself on the fast track to a career in advertising even if you haven’t really done much if any of this kind of work on a professional basis before. Having the drive to succeed really can go a long way in advertising, just as it can in any other industry.
How to Find Jobs
Of course, before you do anything else, you’ll have to find available advertising agency work which means reading through job listings. While your local newspaper may still be a good source for advertising job listings, it’s often more effective to begin your job search online these days. Online job advertisements usually become available before they appear in print; so if you want to get a jump start on a new career in advertising, then you’ll want to check the online job boards and other web based sources as well as in your local print media. Be persistent; advertising isn’t always the easiest industry to land a job in, but your diligence and the work you put into your job search will pay off in the long run.
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