If you limit your employment options only to your major, you might be making a mistake. Many graduates start their careers in fields that seem to have little connection to their majors. If you are struggling to choose a field, advertising could be a good choice for you. Here are three reasons why you might consider pursuing a career in advertising.
Prosperity in Advertising
The United States is the most prominent advertising market in the world. In 2019, the media advertising spending was 240 billion dollars, triple the second media advertising market in China (Guttmann). From 2015 to 2021, the U.S. advertising market has shown a steady increase in spending. It is projected that there will be 290 billion dollars spent in advertising in 2022 in the U.S. market (Guttmann). Although the advertising industry, like many other industries, has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years, the U.S. advertising industry has demonstrated a renewed spirit. There has been a structural change in advertising. Traditional advertising like newspapers, TV, text message, and window display were losing their original competitiveness. The product and service companies have transferred their battleground into digital advertising. Online ads attract more and more consumers’ attention; if you spend a lot of time on social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, you are no stranger to digital advertising. The most noticeable shift is a rise in influencers uploading their creative ad videos on social media platforms and receiving an influx of followers and comments. The early pandemic was the exploring stage of digital advertising: In 2019, the U.S.’s digital advertising budget was 132.46 billion dollars (Guttmann). This number is expected to double by 2024. This data shows that the advertising industry, especially digital marketing, has strong potential.
Inclusiveness in Advertising
Generally, an advertisement is the cooperative outcome of three types of positions, whether commercial or non-commercial advertising. The first role is the creative designer, who focuses on producing visuals of advertising. This position is in high demand for artistic creation such as painting, photography, graphic design, and literary writing. Some advertising companies have a demand for technicians, such as Copy and Print Associates, to operate the equipment. The second type of position is marketing and management. Common positions are advertising manager and marketing associate. They research consumers, create advertising campaigns, account for the budget, and help implement advertising campaigns. These positions focus on management, marketing, accounting, finance, and business analysis. The third type of position is data analysis. Analysts observe data from different channels and use computers to create meaningful patterns of data. They use these panels to show patterns behind the data and provide scientific support for marketing and management to develop targeted efficient advertising. Such positions attract skilled people in computer science, mathematics, and economics. If your major is not included in these three types, it doesn’t mean you cannot enter the advertising industry. Advertising is highly targeted; advertisements for different products and services vary in content and audience. Professional expertise is also highly sought out in advertising. For example, real estate ads may require expertise in geography and anthropology. Therefore, the advertising industry is inclusive of many backgrounds and interests.
Flexibility in Advertising
During the pandemic, many jobs in the advertising industry offered remote working models. For more than a year, the advertising industry proved that it could collaborate remotely without compromising its creativity. A diverse workforce can survive in the advertising industry; more organizations of independent marketing workers have emerged on the market. They offer jobs and career support to advertisers who need flexibility. Statistics show that 80% of working mothers want remote work options to continue (Graham). We can credibly describe that the flexible work model in advertising supports the maintenance of your multiple identities.
If you are curious about a career in advertising, investigate resources through The Center for Career Development. We compile featured jobs and internships through our Career Communities, such as the Arts, Media, and Communication community and Business, Finance, Sales, and Marketing community.
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
