There are all kinds of ways to secure a job within the ad industry. Here are some helpful external and internal links.
Some advertising agencies are offering taster programmes for new talent such as workshops, crash courses, work experience to create opportunities for students and school leavers from all backgrounds. Some of these programmes are specifically targeted at students from diverse backgrounds to enrich the industry.
See the latest job opportunities at IPA member agencies. Very occasionally, there may be an entry level role or apprenticeship.
The ERIC app is worth downloading if you are Gen Z and interested in any of the creative industries' roles. They regularly ‘drop’ opportunities and are a great source of profiles of those industries/case studies of fresh entrants. The IPA regularly produces mini blogs about the industry.
A professional network for people in the advertising industry. They occasionally publish roles for new starters or internships
Although Creative Equals work with some big agencies they tend to concentrate on getting career break or underrepresented groups back into work. Possibly useful though is the free online training. There is no interview at the end of it but clearly useful to those who’d like to try to get into UX Design, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing type roles.
Common People, a group trying to increase social mobility in our industry, recommend Creative Lives' list of 17 platforms with creative jobs out of London.
"Land your first role in the marketing, advertising & communications industries. We offer a range of free online and in-person courses designed to upskill you to win. Our courses allow you to explore the many types of roles on offer and learn from industry experts and employers. We're here to break down the barriers for underrepresented groups."
Both students and schools can register to receive help, such as talks, downloadable resources, and partner ideas.
You can visit an agency one day in November and learn what everyone does, so you know what role to argue your way into, maybe starting with finding out about work experience at that agency!
The London Portfolio course lasts 12 months and then there is a placement of six months. It has a good rep and high % who get into a creative role. But it costs £18,150 unless you are a lucky recipient of a SCA scholarship. Even then, you will need to think about living expenses.
"We are on the cusp of a crisis that should not be happening. A generation of kids is leaving school unaware of creativity as a career option. And yet, the creative industries are crying out for new voices and perspectives. Supply is real. Demand is real. Upriser by Saatchi & Saatchi exists to bring them together.
This programme matchmakes creative companies with UK secondary schools and provides an open-source playbook to facilitate meaningful and sustained partnerships. The ambition: inspire state secondary school students with the power of creative thinking and make them aware of the career opportunities in the creative industries."
If your school signs up and commits long-term and is matched with a creative business then there is support like mock interviews, real-world projects, on-site trips, talks from industry leaders. There are no guaranteed jobs but there is work experience which is a good start to finding a permanent role.
Register on the National Apprenticeship website to find employers looking for talent. You have to search hard – try putting ‘creative’ or ‘media’ in – but occasionally there will be an agency offering an apprenticeship.
Ucas.com has included since 2023 a number of apprenticeship opportunities, including degree apprenticeships. Degree apprenticeships are not much used in advertising but this may change with Digital User Experience UX, the Level 6 Advertising Creative or Level 6 Data Scientist.
It has a good advice section, written by many at the early career stage.
Compare UK university advertising degrees, explore course content and entry routes.
Disclaimer: While many universities offer excellent advertising courses, a degree is not the only route into our industry. There are plenty of alternative pathways including apprenticeships, internships, entry-level roles, and training programmes that can lead to a successful career. University is just one option, not a requirement.
Rarely has starter roles but at the very least it shows you the range of roles that come after and their pay.
Research the top 30 creative and media agencies websites and see what roles they are posting. Or write to their HR team and ask!
Sign up to the Discover Creative Careers mailing list for the latest news, events, updates and opportunities across the 2023 - 2025 programme. Discover is now a whole month and spreading beyond England.
Some training providers will also help employers with recruitment, such as Apprentify. So worth getting in touch with training providers and asking to be added to their list.
Apparently, their ‘task-based psychometric assessment uncovers true potential in a way that the CV and traditional assessments no longer can.’ It is now not about experience but about potential. But well worth trying the tests, as it may help funnel into the right role and at least one major agency group thinks it is a great way to find suitable candidates.
They place people in the media, marketing and comms sectors and occasionally they have starter roles or internships in agencies.