Attn: Advertising Managers!?

Question

I'm looking into majoring in advertising to become and advertising manager, but before I make my decision I would like to hear from those of you who are advertising managers or are in school and majoring in advertising. Just tell me the basics in the classes the job and what i should expect as well as what kind of a person i need to be and what the job will require of me. And of course whether you like it or not and if the pay is good and if its easy to find a steady place of work that has good chances for growing and promotions.

Answer 1

Ugh, I can't stand people who tell me that the money, time and effort I spent earning my degree is a waste.

If you want to know what is going on here and now, go to the local ad agencies in your community and ask to be an intern.  

Spend some time at an ad agency or the advertising department of some of the larger businesses in town.  

Get to know the people and the activities they perform.  It will either be a learning experience and a real turn on or a complete turn off.

Answer 2

You need license for everything plus you are producing and even the garbage people will charge you a fee you will be taxed at every move I did a small fly er type add years ago and believe it the job was great but the cost is even greater you will pay or get a write off on your taxes as they come due which is good and if it did not cost so much I would be doing it today the person you need to be is a friendly person and do not fear to approach people in baseness or home fronts the pay you will be at a loss for around 5-7 years you need sponsors more then promotions to start with good luck I know its fun but you will learn a lot as you go.

Answer 3

I worked in print and advertising management for years, and here's what I can tell you.

School is helpful, but it is not the end-all-be-all. We had an old saying in newspaper whenever a college grad came on board, "Forget everything you learned. Your degree means nothing here."

That's a stretch, but the sentiment is true. Theory and practice in advertising are two very different beasts.

What you're not going to learn in school is the level of true creativity involved here. If you're doing everything by the book, you're failing by default because you're not being competitive. You have to have a true passion for this business... and if you don't have that, you're going to be dead in the water.

This is also a cut-throat, fiercely competitive business. It's very stressful and it's probably one of the LEAST ethical professions in the world. You have to have a thick skin, and you have to keep your sales duties separate from your affection for a client. You're after their money, because you're getting a cut of it... and you're trying to meet tough goals.

Sales is a big part of this, too. You have to pester people to buy ads they wouldn't otherwise buy without a lot of pressure... and you have to recognize opportunities where additional ad buys and upsales will be of great benefit to a client... or you have to at least be able to find some way to convince the client that these opportunities will be of great benefit.

But, if you DO think outside the box... and you ARE creative... and you ARE competitive... and you ARE capable of dealing with stress... and you DO have a tough skin... you can do excellent here.

I have known people earning a $75,000 yearly base salary... but end most years making close to $200,000 because their sales and therefore commissions are through the roof.

You can do good here... but in advertising, you either love it or you hate it. There is no in-between.

Good luck with your career. Hope this was helpful.

==ADDED==

I really loved working in advertising, and I made a lot of money (even working primarily on the creative side like I did)... but I came to a point in my life where it was too much for me and I needed to relax.

The hours can be a nightmare. You can spend 12 or 13 hours at work waiting on clients to get their copy or artwork in.

You can lose ALL your commission because someone made a small typo in an ad, so you can't charge your client for it.

As for being steady employment... it really just depends on what side of advertising you are going into. If you're going into creative or copywriting, you can work at a place for years and be very content.

If you're going into sales, odds are you're going to be fired at least 2 or 3 times until you find a place where you excel. As I said, this is very competitive... and employers don't deal with underperformers.

BUT..... you also get a lot of benefits. I have received VIP tickets to every concert and sporting event I have ever been to, and never once paid a dime for any of them. I have been on two free cruises, and eaten more free meals than I can possibly count. Clients love to trade and make deals.

But, advertising gets into your blood... it's a lot of excitement and can be a lot of fun. As I said before, you either do good here... or you decide you can't deal with it, and go into client-side marketing. Like I did. LOL!

==TO THE ANSWERER BELOW==

>>> "Ugh, I can't stand people who tell me that the money, time and effort I spent earning my degree is a waste." <<<

For the record, I can't stand people that cite their degrees as sources, mention them in profiles, or bring them up in casual conversation because it either means that there's some feeling of inadequacy there that's frankly none of my business.

On a side note, to the asker, if you really want to learn about this business and make some great connections, start reading MediaPost and set up a profile there (it's free). It's probably the best source on the web to help you with what you are looking for. :)

MediaPost:

http://www.mediapost.com/