What can I do with this degree?
ADVERTISING

AREAS

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

• 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.

AREAS

CREATIVE SERVICES

• 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.

AREAS

MEDIA

• 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.

AREAS

RESEARCH

• 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.”

AREAS

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• 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