A Graduate Guide to becoming an Advertising Executive

Advertising executives manage advertising campaigns from start to finish, ensuring that work is completed on time and delivers the desired message. They will be consistently meeting with the clients and reviewing the progress of the advertising campaign to monitor its launch and subsequent success in the market place.

This role involves a lot of delegation and management. Co-ordinating groups of workers to deliver on time. Advertising executives often have to work under pressure when meeting deadlines and when delivering proposals to clients.

Account executives will be expected to:-
·         Deliver presentations
·         Write reports and keep project documentation up to date
·         Co-ordinate teams of people including Researchers, Copywriters, Media Executives
·         Project Manage advertising campaigns and be responsible for the effectiveness
·         Be first point of contact for clients.
 
There are many other alternative roles within Advertising which maybe more accessible direct from graduation.
 
Becoming an advertising copywriter is a far more creative, artistic approach to advertising and is often fraught with competition. Copywriters are responsible for the ideas, taglines, slogans and visual imagery that will be used during an advertising campaign. Their aim is to promote the name or brand through strategic and unique design ideas. The will also come up with the wording and overall theme for an advert. 
 
 
They may even have to find a voiceover or actors to be able to deliver their ideas to the Art Director or Advertising Executive.
Copy writers will spend time brainstorming ideas and studying the advertising brief in detail.

Qualities needed to become a Copywriter:-
·         Creative
·         Good sense of market trends and fashion
·         Able to create visual and literary suggestions, essential for catchy slogans.
·         Able to continually develop new and original ideas
·         Enthusiasm for catching the public interest.

Degrees that cover Marketing, Advertising, Business or Media are all relevant. An ideal starting point would be working within an Advertising agency during your studies either as voluntary work experience of a paid industry placement.
This will help you to get an insight into the industry and build up networking contacts for when you come to look for a full-time position.