Advertising art director

Entry Requirements:

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• graduate trainee scheme

University

Employers will often expect you to have a foundation degree, higher national diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification in:

• graphic design
• advertising design
• illustration
• fine art

With your degree you can apply for graduate training schemes in advertising companies.

Entry requirements:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Entry requirements:

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, which may help you to get a trainee or assistant role with a company. They include:

• Junior Advertising Creative Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Advertising Creative Level 6 Apprenticeship, leading to a professional qualification

These apprenticeships typically take around 2 years to complete and are a mix of learning in the workplace and off-site study.

Entry requirements:

Work

You can start as a junior creative to develop your skills on the job and work your way up through training and promotion.

Volunteering

You could get some experience before applying for your first job. This will give you a better understanding of advertising and is a good way to make contacts.

You could contact agencies directly to ask about volunteering opportunities. You could also make contacts on social networking sites like Twitter or LinkedIn.

You can get more advice on how to contact advertising agencies from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising .

Required Skills:

Digital skills : to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Skills:

• knowledge of media production and communication
• the ability to sell products and services
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• excellent verbal communication skills
• knowledge of the fine arts
• thinking and reasoning skills
• the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
• the ability to organise your time and workload
• to be flexible and open to change
• knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
• the ability to use your initiative
• ambition and a desire to succeed
• knowledge of English language
• active listening skills
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• leadership skills
• the ability to read English
• maths skills
• concentration skills
• a good memory

What you'll do:

Art directors design images for ad campaigns, including film, TV, website and printed adverts.

You could:

• work closely with a copywriter to create adverts that your client wants
• create storyboards or sketches of your ideas
• present your ideas to a creative director or account team
• choose studios or locations and attend photo or film shoots
• make sure that budgets and deadlines are met
• manage the final editing of the finished adverts

Location : You could work in a creative studio, in an office or at a client's business.
Environment : Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.

Salary:

Starter : £18,000
Experienced : £45,000

These figures are a guide

Working hours:

38 - 40 hours a week

Working Pattern is evenings occasionally

Career Path:

With experience, you could:

• become a senior art director
• work freelance
• set up your own advertising agency
• move into directing for TV or film