How to become an advertising art director
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- graduate trainee scheme
University
Employers will often expect you to have a foundation degree, higher national diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification in:
- graphic design
- advertising design
- illustration
- fine art
With your degree you can apply for graduate training schemes in advertising companies.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
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Apprenticeship
You could do a junior advertising creative advanced apprenticeship. This would give you some of the skills and knowledge you need to be an advertising art director.
The apprenticeship typically takes around 18 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and study.
After the apprenticeship, you could get a job with an advertising agency and then work your way up to an art director.
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
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Work
You can start as a junior creative to develop your skills on the job and work your way up through training and promotion.
Volunteering
You could get some experience before applying for your first job. This will give you a better understanding of advertising and is a good way to make contacts.
You could contact agencies directly to ask about volunteering opportunities. You could also make contacts on social networking sites like Twitter or LinkedIn.
You can get more advice on how to contact advertising agencies from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
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Career tips
Your creativity and ability in art and design are the most important things to many employers.
When looking for jobs, you'll need to show a portfolio of examples of your creative work. Some agencies recruit creative teams rather than just individuals. You could work with a copywriter and create ideas you can pitch together.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising to find training opportunities and make industry contacts
Further information
You can find out more about careers in advertising from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising and Discover Creative Careers.