Advertising Account Planner

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £45,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 a week

9am to 5pm attending events or appointments

How To Become a Advertising Account Planner

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying for a graduate training scheme

College / University

You could do a degree in:

advertising and marketing
statistics
communication and media studies
business or management
psychology

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

Apprenticeship

You could start by doing an advertising and media executive advanced apprenticeship.

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

Routes into this Career

In smaller advertising agencies you may be able to start in a junior position like an administrator, and work your way up as your experience in the industry grows.

Other Routes

You could apply for a graduate training scheme and learn on the job if you have a degree.

Some large agencies recruit graduates as trainee planners, while others recruit them as trainee advertising account executives or advertising account managers.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of media production and communication
the ability to use your initiative
knowledge of English language
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
excellent verbal communication skills
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

meeting clients to find out about their products or services
analysing data from past market reports and campaigns
carrying out market research, or employing a market research agency to do it
developing an advertising strategy to reach the target audience
presenting the strategy to the client
working with the project team, including art directors and copywriters
briefing the agency's creative team about the client's product or message
monitoring audience response and sales figures and assessing the success of the campaign

Working Environment

You could work in an office or at a client's business.

You may need to wear smart business dress.

Career Path & Progression

You could become a senior account planner or move into management.

You may choose to work as a freelance planning consultant, or set up your own agency.

Volunteering Opportunities

Experience will help you understand the industry and allow you to meet new people who may help you find paid work in advertising. You could try:

work experience
internships
temporary employment

You could contact agencies directly to ask about placements, and make industry contacts through social networking sites like Twitter or LinkedIn.

Tips & Information

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the APG for professional development, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in advertising from the IPA, the APG and Discover Creative Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.