Advertising is a great way to promote just about anything. It is a popular method opted by companies and brands to market their products/ services. Advertisements help in reaching out to your potential customers through impactful communication. Powerful ad campaigns that manage to leave a lasting impression on people’s minds are considered successful. For instance, most of you would remember jingles from ads you must have seen in your childhood (reference: washing powder Nirma!). If it is a field that interests you, pursuing a career in advertising would be a great option. You can find scores of lucrative and high-paying work opportunities in this field.
Advertising is done through newspapers, television, radio, flyers, billboards, websites, social media, and other platforms. It is a big industry and attracts huge revenue from different sectors. Lately, a new form of advertising has gained immense popularity. It is digital advertising, and with increasing internet penetration, it is snowballing. It is all about advertising on digital platforms like websites and social media.
Scope of Advertising in India
The advertising industry in India was valued at 564 billion INR. It is predicted to grow to a market size of 700 billion INR by the end of 2022. It is growing exponentially, and thanks to rapid digitalization, the industry is expected to grow more in the coming years.
There are immense job opportunities in the advertising industry. It offers numerous jobs to fresh graduates every year. As per your area of interest and skillsets, you can take up a job in advertising and have a flourishing career in advertising in India. Popular job profiles you will find in the field of advertising are:
- Copywriter
- Account manager
- Creative director
- Illustrator
- Art director
- Production manager
- Media buying manager
- Media planning manager
- PPC and Facebook ad expert
Depending on your skills, you can choose any of the job roles. For instance, if you’re good at creating advertising messages, you can opt for copywriting. Similarly, if you are great at client servicing, you can go for account management.
Career in Advertising: Degrees and Skills
Wondering how to start a career in advertising? The best way would be to get a degree in advertising. Usually, people study advertising as a specialization in their post-graduate program. The minimum eligibility to enroll in these PG courses varies from college to college. A few colleges also offer advertising as a specialization in undergraduate programs.
Skillsets and experience matter more than your qualification in the advertising industry. Irrespective of your educational degree, you should work on developing skills specific to the area of work that interests you. It is one of those careers involving ideation skills. Here are a few other personality-based skills you must cultivate in yourself apart from the required technical skills:
- Creativity
- Patience
- Ability to think out of the box
- Power to influence others
- Time management
- Ability to persuade
- Decision making
Career in Advertising: Top Colleges in India
Several colleges offer degrees in advertising in India. It is essential to choose the one that suits your requirements of location, course structure, fees, etc. Most of these institutions have an entrance test to secure admission to the courses. Let’s look at some of the top-ranking colleges that offer courses on advertising in India.
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi
- MICA – Mudra Institute of Communication Studies, Mumbai and Ahmedabad
- Xavier Institute of communications, Mumbai
- R J College, Mumbai University, Mumbai
- St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
- Panjab University (School of communication studies), Chandigarh
- Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune
- Calcutta Media Institute (CMI Calcutta), Kolkata
- Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi and Mumbai
Career in Advertising: Salary
A career in advertising can be enriching in terms of remuneration. However, it all depends on your profile, skills, and experience. It will also depend on the organization you work for. Big names in the industry hire highly skilled talent and pay them well, while smaller companies may not pay you as much. Therefore, it is crucial to work on your skills and gather the proper knowledge through your degree in advertising so that you’re off to a good start.
What to do After a Career in Advertising?
After you’ve worked in advertising, you would learn the tricks of the trade. It will help you become a competent and sought-after marketer. With your experience in the advertising industry, you can become a freelancer, join a start-up, build an advertising-related product, or extend your services as a consultant. It would be all up to you and your interest. An established career in advertising will help you make money and gain skills that will open up many more avenues for you.
Career Counselling at Mindler
Not everyone is sure of which career to pick, especially when young. Career counselling can help you introspect and realize your area of interest. It can open a world of possibilities for you and assist you in finding the path to a prosperous career of your choice.
If you’re still confused about starting your career in advertising or any other field, opt for career counselling online from our team of experts at Mindler. Like hundreds of other students, they can guide you in achieving your career endeavours and help you fulfil your dreams.
Wrapping Up
To make a successful career in advertising and public relations:
- Start preparing yourself early.
- Study for the entrance exams of top colleges offering advertising courses in India.
- Develop personality-based and technical skills that will help you excel in this field.
With a little hard work and the determination to perform well, you can have a great career in advertising. Since it is also the age of careers in social media, there are ample work opportunities for skilled individuals, and you should make the most of it.
Connect with the experts at Mindler and fulfil your dream of working in the advertising industry.
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