Advertising ---> Career Options

Advertising

Adverting as an industry
Advertising is a service industry geared towards the communication of information and ideas to and on behalf of others. It is the main arm of marketing, involved in the communication of information and ideas to and on behalf of others for promoting goods and services in order to optimize sales or levels of awareness. An advertising is not an end in itself but a means to builda relationship between the product and the consumer.

Advertising plays a significant role in today's highly competitive world. A career in advertisement is quite glamourous and at the same time challenging with more and more agencies opening up every day. Whether it's brands, companies, personalities or even voluntary or religious organizations, all of them use some form of advertising in order to be able to communicate with the target audience. The salary structure in advertising is quite high and if you have the knack for it one can reach the top. It is an ideal profession for a creative individual who can handle work-pressure.

Main areas of work in advertising field
Advertising is handled by advertising agencies that vary in size and scope. Soem large companies have set up seprate departments to handle specialized areas liek market research, film, video production etc. Advertising serves three basic purposes:

• Sales Promotion: To persuade people to buy a particular product or service.
• Public Relations: To create a positive image of a company.
• Education: To influence social attitude on matters of general concern and inform people about welfare schemes through public interest campaigns inititated by government or private organizations.

Following are the main areas of work in the advertising field:

• Client Servicing
• Creative Department
• Media Department
• Production
• Television and Film
• Photography
• Market Research
• Exhibition and Event Management
• Promotion and Direct Marketing

Eligibility for advertising career
Eligibility for most of the advertising postgraduate courses is graduation in any descipline with a minimum of 50 percent marks. Admission to most of these courses is based on an entrance exam and/or interview. Some colleges also offers BA courses in advertising, for which they need students who have cleared class XII.

Advertising Academic Programmes
Most of the advertising courses are offered at postgraduate level. Courses generally include an overview of communications with and introduction to research methods; an understanding of marketing issues; financial and creative aspects of advertising; public relations; media planning and some technical training in graphics and production.

Students work in groups on practical issues, such as problem solving or campaign development, and are expected to submit a project of their choice for evalution at the end of the course.

Advertising Institutions
Many institutions offer a general course in mass communication where advertising is one subject along with public relations and journalism. Postgraduate diploma courses in advertising are offered at a limited number of institutions in India. These include Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA), Ahmedabad; FORE School of Management, New Delhi; and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai.

Job Prospects in Advertising in India
Career opportunities in advertising include openings in private advertising agencies; advertising department in private or public sector companies; in advertising sections of newspapers, journals, magazines; commercial section of radio or television; market research organisations etc. One can also do freelancing.

Career opportunities in advertising include placements in following:

• Advertising Agencies
• Market Research agencies and companies
• Advertising sections of radio and television
• Advertising sections of newspapers
• Advertising departments in private and public sector companies

Remuneration in Advertising
Career in advertising brings attractive remuneration and perquisites. Fresh graduates can start with a salary of Rs. 9,000 - 15,000 per month. While those with MBAs and professional training in advertising can get salaries ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 per month. Salary of a successful advertising person you can be around 30,000 to 50,000 per month depending on the advertising agency or company.

Careers related to advertising

• Management
• Marketing and Sales
• Market Research
• Public Relations
• Retail
• Distribution
• Television and Films
• Graphics and Design