How to Become an Advertising Professional

Nowadays, a lot of products and services are offered to the public. In selling these products and services, advertising is a crucial step to take. Advertising of these products and services opens them to the targeted range of people, as well as to a wide range of people in different places.

Advertising is one of the most competitive industries nowadays. A wide range of products and services offered by many manufacturers and companies, and even the small businesses, require the expertise of advertising professionals in delivering their products’ information to the public.


Most companies look for the most competitive advertising people to help them bring to the public their products and services. Advertising professionals must be adept and knowledgeable on the advertising process. Additionally, an advertising professional must also be creative in generating strategies for an effective advertising plan, highly motivated and possess a very creative mind. Creativity and advertising skills are required for anyone who wishes to work in the advertising field. He must also have good communication skills and have exceptional ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with co-workers, clients and customers.

Aside from all these characteristics, one must also have proper training and education in the advertising field. For most advertising positions, a bachelor’s degree in advertising or journalism is preferred. These courses include marketing, consumer behavior, market research, sales, communication methods, technology, visual arts, art history and photography in the curriculum. Aside from these bachelor degrees, one can also take master’s degree in advertising or journalism to acquire more training and education. Internships in the advertising field are also very useful and can be taken while still in school or right after graduation. These work placements can assist one to be familiar with how advertising professionals work, and get acquainted with the different advertising agencies and individuals with whom one can get to work with after graduation.

In addition to all these, an aspiring advertising professional can also acquire certifications to further enhance his eligibility in the advertising field. Certifications such as those offered by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) are beneficial which one can acquire through a series of examinations offered by the council. The council also offers insights on the common and proper advertising practices, as well as the standard skills and knowledge anyone who wants to become registered members of the advertising profession must have.