Would you love to be the creative mind behind the next Coca-Cola Christmas advert, or do you fancy making something as catchy as Compare the Meerkat? Great ads can leave a lasting impression. Whether you want to dazzle people with your copy, dream up new ideas or decide where the advert will be seen, there’s a wide range of careers in the industry. So where to start?

Show commercial awareness

First, look at developing your skills. Advertising jobs require a good commercial and mathematical mindset, says Aadil Seedat, digital marketing executive at Vision Support Services Group. “You need to show that you’re knowledgeable about the industry you’re advertising for,” he says. “As well as that, you need to be able to put a number on everything about that campaign – measuring the success of the campaign, so looking at return on investment, how many potential views the ad may have had, etc.”

Paul Earnden, head of consultancy at digital marketing agency Prodo Digital, says that while you certainly don’t need to be an artist to work in advertising, you do “need to be able to think creatively, react quickly to the market and ultimately provide value to a client”.

Build up your work experience

Aside from building skills, how else can you make yourself an attractive potential employee to an ad agency? Like many industries, it’s about building up work experience with agencies. “These are likely to be unpaid at first, but will give you a good idea of the sort of scenarios you’re likely to get in to while working for an agency,” says Earnden.

But how should you go about organising work experience when you have no contacts? “My stock answer for gaining experience in most fields is volunteering and making use of your time at university,” says Jenny Lowthrop, freelance digital advertising expert at She Gets to Work. “It is amazing what skills and experience you can gain through getting involved with clubs and societies. I write a travel blog and have gained so many skills through practising creating adverts for my own blog, which I have since used to get jobs and clients. It was primarily my blog that helped me make the switch from volunteering to digital advertising.”

JWT lead talent Kate Bruges advises advertising wannabes to use the resources available from the ad industry body, the IPA. “It’s a one-stop shop with details of all the agencies, their work, contact details, etc,” she says. “Use this information to target your requests for work experience and internships. Make sure you make each approach really personal and specific to that agency, their clients and their work.” Also check the IPA’s website regularly as agencies advertise internships on there.

For those already in the ad industry who wish to jump sides from client to agency, Bruges advises approaching the agencies you’ve worked with to see if it’s possible to gain some experience from their side of the fence.

“Many of our clients like their staff to get direct agency experience and all agencies want to understand their clients’ business better so these placements can be of great benefit to both sides,” says Bruges. “You will also better understand what it’s like to be in a service business, and can make sure that suits you.”

Write a succinct and targeted CV

Look at how you position yourself on your CV. “It’s important to make it sing for the audience,” says Hamish Nicklin, chief revenue officer for Guardian Media Group. “So, what discipline is it that you’d like to get into at an agency? If it’s account management, for example, it might be worth thinking about the skills required to be an outstanding account handler and making sure that a) you have them and b) you’re able to demonstrate their performance at a high level. Once you can do this, focus your CV so it demonstrates these skills at every turn.”

Know the latest trends

To stand out from the crowds when it comes to interviews, it’s also worth keeping abreast of what’s happening in and around the industry. “I know the digital world is constantly changing so read up on the latest advertising trends, social media trends, and always have good examples of what has worked, even just from noticing good TV ads or Facebook ads. Recruiters want to know you have an eye for good advertising,” says Lowthrop.

And a final word of advice from Diana Caplinska, a strategist with experience across brand, communications and innovation. “In the world of ideas, you will find yourself presenting personal thoughts to big groups of people who will push back on them, again and again.” With criticism coming in quick and fast, you’ll need to develop a thick skin.

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