Myths About a Career in Advertising

Myths About a Career in AdvertisingMyths About a Career in AdvertisingLike lawyers and tax collectors, advertising professionals have a bad reputation, but thats not always a fair assessment of the profession. People who work in advertising are not all slick salespeople in expensive suits. Careers vary greatly, and the diversity of the people filling those roles is just as rich. So if you are considering working in the advertising and marketing industry, familiarize yourself with some common myths and the truths behind those myths. Myth Advertising is unethical or dishonorable Some people believe if you are trying to sell something through advertising that youre trying to trick or deceive the public. The truth is that the last thing an advertising agency wants to do is to harm a clients reputation by producing materials that could be misconstrued as deceptive advertising. Yes, there are a few bad apples out there, but the vast majority of ad agencies are doing everything they can to abide by the many standards imposed by the Federal Communications Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority, among others. Myth Everyone makes a fortune While its true that you can make a lot of money working in advertising, most people arent even earning close to a six-figure salary. The majority of people working in the field departureed at the bottom rung of the ladder, interning for free, possibly even making minimum wage just to get their start in the industry. And some people actually take a job with no pay in the hopes of one day becoming a paid employee. Myth Its difficult to get started There is a lot of competition out there, especially in cities that have a limited number of agencies. However, there are plenty of opportunities for those who want to get started in the field. You can start client-side and move over, which opens up a whole world of different companies for you to start at. You even can work freelance before finding a permanent job. Myt h Advertising is like public relations These two industriesare commonly tagged as being the same profession. While advertising and public relations can go hand-in-hand, their focus is far different. You can use youradvertising skillsto get a job in PR and vice versa, but just because you work in one industry does not mean you automatically know everything about the other. Advertising is about selling a product, a service, or sometimes an idea. Public relations is about refining broader communications strategies. Myth All of your ideas will be put to good use Theres a certain process for every advertising campaign. Some clients givethe advertising agencya basic concept and let the agency run with it. Some leave everything to the agencys expertise. Other clients want to be more involved in the agency process. In most agencies, youll have meeting after meeting after meeting about any givenad campaign,no matter what department youre in. You can exercise some of your ideas to an ext ent, but they may not make it to the client. The idea you throw around in a creative meeting may be the complete opposite of what a client has told itsaccount executiveit wants or what was decided in a previous meeting with other execs within your agency. Myth Youll travel all over the world While its true that bigger ad agencies have clients around the world and that zwischenstaatlich photo and video shoots are part of the picture, travel is rare for most people. If youre in the creative department, its likely you will get to travel to shoot your ideas. However, budget cuts often mean fewer people get to go. Additionally, technology has made it much easier in recent decades to confer with clients without having to meet in person. Agency reps can meet with client reps through online video conferencing while everyone reviews the same documents uploaded to the cloud. Myth Anyone can get a job in advertising That all depends on what your definition of anyone actually is. In the past, people just fell into advertising careers because they didnt know what else to do. These people had writing backgrounds or English degrees. Today, competition for industry jobs is intense, and to get a foot in the door, a relevant college degree is a must. To get more than a foot in the door, youll need an impressive portfolio of work, which youll have to start building during your time as a student or an intern.