Advertising Media Buyer

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £50,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

9am to 5pm

How To Become a Advertising Media Buyer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
working towards this role

College / University

You could get into advertising with any degree subject, although some employers may prefer a relevant subject like:

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

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

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

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

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

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
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

identifying the target audience and deciding how to reach them through advertising
keeping up with industry research into people's lifestyles
building relationships with clients and media sales companies
negotiating for the most suitable advertising spots at the best rates
preparing costings for clients
managing budgets
monitoring audience figures
analysing sales data, to judge a campaign's effectiveness

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 might choose to specialise in buying radio, online or television advertising.

You could eventually become a media manager of an agency, or move into media planning, account planning or account management.

Volunteering Opportunities

You'll find it useful to get experience to help you understand the industry and to meet people who may help you find paid work. 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

Career tips

Employers will usually be more interested in your personal qualities, like creativity, quick thinking and business sense, as well as your formal qualifications.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in advertising from the IPA and Discover Creative Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.