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Advertising media buyer

Media buyers book advert space on newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites.

Average annual salary

£21,000 to £36,000

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Entry Requirements:

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • specialist courses run by professional bodies

University

You could get into advertising with any degree subject.

However, for this role some employers may prefer subjects like:

  • advertising and marketing
  • statistics or operational research
  • communication and media studies
  • business or management

Entry requirements:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Entry requirements:

Apprenticeship

You could do an advertising apprenticeship like an assistant buyer higher apprenticeship or an advertising media executive advanced apprenticeship.

With experience these may give you some of the skills, knowledge and industry contacts you need to move into advertising media buying roles.

Entry requirements:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Work

You could start in a junior position like office assistant in a small advertising agency and work your way up through training and promotion.

Volunteering

You'll find it useful to get experience before you apply for roles. It will help you understand the industry and make contacts.

You could try:

  • work experience
  • internships
  • temporary employment

You could contact agencies directly to ask about placements or contact companies on sites like Twitter or LinkedIn.

OtherRoutes

You could study the Foundation Certificate offered by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising .

To apply, you must have less than one year of experience in an advertising, marketing or communications role.

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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 use your initiative
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • the ability to sell products and services
  • business management skills
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • knowledge of English language
  • customer service skills
  • active listening skills
  • leadership skills
  • the ability to read English
  • the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
  • maths skills
  • concentration skills
  • a good memory
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What you'll do:

Media buyers book advert space on newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites.

You could:

  • work out who the audience is and where to put adverts so they'll see them
  • build relationships with clients and media sales companies
  • negotiate for the best advert spots at the cheapest rates
  • manage budgets and outline costs to clients
  • monitor campaign audience figures
  • analyse sales data, to judge a campaign's effectiveness

Location : You could work in an office or at a client's business.
Uniform : You may need to wear smart business clothes.

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Salary:

Starter : £21,000
Experienced : £36,000

These figures are a guide

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Working hours:

38 - 40 hours a week

Working Pattern is 9am to 5pm

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Career Path:

You can choose to specialise in buying radio, online or TV adverts.

With experience, you could eventually become a:

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