Marketing, advertising and PR: career FAQs

Your questions answered about graduate careers in marketing, advertising and PR, including getting a job, applications, working life and salaries.

How can I get a job in marketing, advertising and PR?

Some large organisations have a dedicated marketing stream as part of their graduate scheme, or you may be able to get a job with a smaller company in a marketing assistant role, where you will get on-the-job training to help you build the skills required. Speculative applications can be a good way in, particularly to smaller companies, but ensure you research the organisation well before sending your CV and covering letter.

These are relatively small industries so competition can be fierce. The advice from recruiters is to get as much experience as you can.

What are the different areas of work?

Jobs in marketing agencies include:

Account managers who are in contact with clients and will pass on their requirements to the other members of the team working on the project. They are responsible for formulating strategies and agreeing on timescales and budgets for delivery. Marketing assistants will help them with this. Marketing creatives will be involved in producing the copy or artwork for the campaign to the client requirements set out by the account manager. A marketing executive position is concerned with developing sales strategies, attracting new clients and evaluating the performance of campaigns.

Other related jobs include conference management, direct marketing, exhibition display design, market research, marketing management, media analysis and social research.

A PR officer, who may be part of a marketing team, is responsible for writing and publicising press releases, producing company literature such as brochures, and organising and running events. In public relations, those working in-house are likely to be labelled PR officers, while those at a consultancy may be referred to as PR consultants. The work will be broadly the same in both roles.

Within advertising, graduates usually enter one of the following roles:

  • Advertising creative (art director or copy-writer)
  • Account executive or manager
  • Media planner or buyer
  • Account planner.

What’s involved in the application process?

Graduate programmes will follow the usual application process of application forms along with CVs and covering letters. Smaller marketing agencies may not always advertise their vacancies so speculative applications can be the best bet.

When should I apply?

Graduate schemes usually have fixed deadlines so watch out for closing dates during your final year. Other roles will come up as and when staff are required so you need to be eagle-eyed.

It’s important that you perform well at interview as this is evidence of your ability to ‘sell’ yourself, much as you will be expected to do with the products, organisations or individuals you’ll be working with.

What qualifications and skills do I need to work in marketing, advertising and PR?

For all these jobs, you’ll need:

  • Interpersonal and communication skills
  • Creativity
  • Teamwork
  • IT skills
  • Commercial awareness.

The qualities you need to work in advertising will depend on the particular job. Creative positions may specify an art or design qualification or a degree in language or communications, while account management positions will often be open to graduates of any subject. PR roles will also be accessible to those with media and communications qualifications; specific PR degree courses are also available. However, vacancies will often not specify a degree subject, instead requiring that you demonstrate the necessary skills in your application.

Postgraduate and professional qualifications are available in these industries and may give you an advantage in what can be a competitive industry. Work experience is really important within the sector and can be a great way to break in. Your careers service may be able to help you in finding a placement.

What are the salaries in marketing, advertising and PR?

Like many creative sectors, these jobs may not pay well to begin with, but can be rewarding for those with experience.

Graduate salaries in advertising, marketing, PR, media and publishing

What is working life like?

Working hours will often be the standard nine-to-five though you may find yourself working longer if attending events or close to the end of a project. Networking is a big part of the industry so it may be increasingly difficult to separate your working and social lives. The work can be stressful at times, particularly close to deadlines, but seeing a campaign come to fruition can be very rewarding.

PR and advertising roles have a reputation for being glamorous and fun – and this is very much a ‘people’ industry – but they can also involve hard work: coming up with ideas and trying to sell those ideas to other people. Things might not always go to plan so you need to be thick skinned.

Other related career sectors

Media and publishing