Hot jobs in advertising: is there an advertising career in your future? - Hot Jobs

Career World, Feb-March, 2003 by Jean Ann Cantore

Just think If there were no advertisements on TV or in magazines, you might not know which music CD was released last Tuesday or the best place to get your hair cut. Ads tell people about products and services that are available. Many people with different skills work together to create that 30-second commercial you see during Monday Night Football or that funny ad in a magazine. If you're creative and interested in advertising, then there may be a place for you in the field. Consider some of the opportunities available. They include graphic design, writing, and selling advertising.

Graphically Speaking

Graphic designers create visual images. They pull together photos, artwork, and logos for printed materials and for commercials. They design logos, draw illustrations, and lay out ads, brochures, and annual reports. They also design Web sites and other kinds of presentations.

Most graphic designers work for themselves, but others work for d agencies. It usually takes two or three years for graphic designers to move from entry-level jobs to supervisory jobs in agencies. After several years in an agency, many designers choose to start their own businesses.

Danni Conway is a freelance graphic designer in Stratford, Connecticut. Before she began working on her own several years ago, she designed for PRMsoft Inc. in Stratford and4SURE.com Inc. in Norwalk, Connecticut. She also worked for several other companies prior to that.

"The best part of my job is the constant challenge to develop new design ideas and solutions to typical visual communication problems," she says. "In addition to designing, I have to manage my projects, which means time tracking, budgeting, and supervising others. I also work with clients, do administrative work, and proofread. There are really no typical days for me. I might meet with clients, develop design ideas, produce art, or manage projects."

A quiet space where they can work without interruptions is important for designers. They also need a good computer with design software. Designers work in an office or studio setting, but they also often visit clients' businesses. Most designers also have drawing tools on hand. Long hours, including late nights and some weekends, are not unusual for designers because they must meet deadlines.

Designers work closely with other creative people, such as writers and photographers. Strong communication skills are a must. In addition, designers have to be able to take criticism. "A big challenge is not to take things too personally," Conway says. "Since design is so personal to the designers, ... it can be difficult not to take criticism and dislike of your design personally. A thick skin helps tremendously."

Designers need a strong background in art. Because most graphic design is done on computers, strong skills in that area are important as well. Conway has a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Loyola College in Maryland and a computer graphic design certificate from Fairfield University, School of Continuing Education.

"Graphic design is a constant in our society--from TV to magazines to books to the Internet to CD covers to billboards to advertisements to video games," Conway says. "There are so many opportunities and avenues to explore. Go out and explore the world!"

The Write Stuff

Words are everywhere in advertising. You read them on the magazine page or on the computer screen. You hear them on the radio or TV. Copywriters put together the words that get your attention in those ads or commercials. These people write to sell.

To write copy for ads, you have to have a strong background in English. Knowing how to write, spell, and proofread is important A bachelor's degree in journalism, English, or some other related field is almost always required for copywriting jobs.

"A copywriter actively abuses the English language," says Jason W. Meeker, a copywriter in Austin, Texas, whose business is called Copywriter on Call. "A copywriter basically writes for the ear and not the eye by appealing to the theater of the mind. We chop down words and make them quick and spicy. You have to have a good understanding of the language to be able to write copy."

Meeker has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and also has completed the Marketing Certificate Program at the UT Thompson Conference Center.

As with graphic designers, most copywriters work independently or for ad agencies. After a few years, many copywriters choose to become freelance writers or to open up their own businesses.

Meeker started his career as a copywriter working for ad agencies. After several years, he realized that he had so many freelance jobs that he could afford to quit working for the agency and start his own business.

"I focus on brochures and ads, direct mail pieces, and Web sites," he says. "I also write leaflets, fliers, and data sheets. In the past, I did more radio production, which is a blast."

Meeker says that when a copywriter works for an agency, he or she is assigned clients and projects. As a freelancer, Meeker is able to choose the clients and types of work he does. He spends about half of his time seeking new projects and clients. He works for a number of companies. He is always looking for new Opportunities.