Career guide
How to Get Into Advertising: Entry-Level Routes Into an Ad Agency
Pick the side of the agency you want to work in, then build the proof that side asks for. Account roles hire for organization and client sense, creative roles hire from a portfolio, strategy hires for thinking and writing, and media hires for comfort with numbers and platforms. Internships, fellowship programs and portfolio schools are common ways in, and many people start as coordinators or assistants.
Key takeaways
- Getting into advertising starts with choosing a route, because account, creative, strategy and media roles at an agency each hire for different proof.
- Creative roles such as copywriter and art director are hired mostly from a portfolio of ideas, not from a degree or a resume.
- Common entry-level agency titles include account coordinator, assistant account executive, junior copywriter, junior art director, assistant strategist and media assistant.
- Internships and programs such as the 4A's Foundation's MAIP fellowship are a structured way into agencies for students.
- Researching an agency's clients and recent work before applying is one of the clearest ways to show you want that agency, not any agency.
Advertising can look like a closed world from the outside: people seem to know each other, titles are confusing and the creative side asks for a portfolio before you’ve had a job. It’s more open than it looks once you know which door you’re knocking on. Each department hires differently, so the first step is picking one.
How do you get into advertising?
You get into advertising by choosing a department, building the kind of proof that department hires for, and applying to the agencies whose work you know. Here’s how the four main routes compare.
| Route | What the job is | Entry-level titles | What gets you hired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account management | Running the client relationship, timelines and budgets | Account coordinator, assistant account executive | Organization, clear writing, client sense, an internship |
| Creative | Coming up with ideas and making the work | Junior copywriter, junior art director, junior designer | A portfolio of campaign ideas |
| Strategy / planning | Audience research, insight and the creative brief | Assistant strategist, junior planner, strategy intern | Sharp thinking and writing, curiosity about people |
| Media | Planning and buying where ads run | Media assistant, assistant media planner, media coordinator | Comfort with numbers, spreadsheets and ad platforms |
Production, project management, social and analytics are also real ways in. Our advertising agency structure guide explains how the departments work together.
How do you get into the account side?
Account roles are the most common entry point at many agencies. Coordinators and assistant account executives keep work moving: they take notes in client meetings, track timelines and budgets, prepare status reports and get to know the client’s business.
To get hired:
- Show you can organize. Any job where you juggled deadlines, people or events counts: student organizations, retail management, event planning.
- Show you understand clients. Talk about a brand the agency works for and what you’d want to learn about its business.
- Write clearly. Account people write constantly: recaps, emails, briefs. Your cover letter is a writing sample.
The account manager vs account executive guide explains the ladder, and account manager interview questions shows what agencies ask.
How do you get into creative advertising?
Creative roles are hired from a portfolio, often called a book. A junior book usually has a handful of campaign ideas, each showing a problem, an insight, the idea and how it would run across channels. Spec work (ideas for real brands you weren’t hired by) is normal and expected for juniors.
Ways to build one:
- On your own: write briefs for brands you like and solve them, then get feedback from working creatives.
- With a partner: copywriters and art directors traditionally work in pairs, and many juniors build their book with a partner.
- At a portfolio school: programs built around making a book and connecting students with agencies. VCU Brandcenter, for example, is a two-year master’s program with tracks in art direction, copywriting, strategy, creative brand management and experience design.
Our guides on how to become a copywriter and the marketing portfolio go deeper.
How do you get into advertising strategy?
Strategy hires people who are curious about why people do what they do and can write it down simply. Entry routes include strategy internships, junior planner roles, and moving over from account management, research or social media.
Build proof by writing two or three short strategy pieces: pick a brand, describe its audience and problem, find an insight and write a one-page brief. The creative brief template is a good format, and the account planner guide explains what planners do.
How do you get into media?
Media departments hire for comfort with numbers, platforms and detail. Assistants and coordinators help build plans, set up campaigns, check that ads ran and pull reports.
To get hired, learn the basics of the major ad platforms (the platforms’ own free training and certifications help), get comfortable with spreadsheets, and be ready to talk about how you’d judge whether a campaign worked. The media planner and media buyer guides cover both jobs.
Are there advertising internships and programs for students?
Yes. Many agencies run summer internships, often posted in the fall and winter for the following summer. Industry programs also help students get in:
- 4A’s Foundation MAIP. The 4A’s Foundation runs the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), a fellowship that places students at agencies and marketing companies, with training and mentoring. Eligibility, dates and format change each year, so check its page for interested students before you plan around a deadline.
- Agency programs. Many large agencies and holding companies run their own internship and early-career programs. Check the careers pages of agencies whose work you admire.
- Your school. Advertising and communications programs often have agency relationships and alumni who’ll take a call.
Our marketing internship guide covers how to apply, and the marketing internship interview questions page helps you prepare.
How do you get a job at an ad agency with no experience?
Start with a target list of agencies, learn their work, and show each one why you want that agency. Agencies get many applications that could be sent anywhere, so specificity is what makes yours read differently.
- Pick 10 to 20 agencies whose work you know or like, across a mix of sizes.
- Study their recent work and clients. Their website, case studies and trade press coverage are a good start.
- Find a person, not just a portal: someone in the department you want. A short, specific note works better than “any opportunities?” See how to ask for a referral.
- Bring proof: a book for creative, a short strategy piece for planning, a well-organized project for account or media.
- Apply to entry-level titles, including coordinator and assistant roles, and freelance or contract work, which often turns into a full-time job.
When you write to someone, say it the way you’d say it in person; a note that sounds like you is much easier to answer than one that sounds like a template. Our entry-level marketing jobs guide has more on where to find openings.
What should you know about agency life before you start?
Agencies give you variety and fast learning, along with client deadlines, feedback rounds and timesheets. It helps to know what you’re walking into. Our guides to agency life and billable hours explain both.
FAQ
Do you need a degree to work in advertising?
Not always. Many agency jobs ask for a bachelor’s degree, often in advertising, marketing, communications or a related field, but creative roles are hired mostly on the portfolio, and agencies hire from many backgrounds. Proof of the work matters more than the major.
Is it hard to get into advertising?
It’s competitive, especially at well-known agencies, but agencies hire juniors every year. Choosing a route, building the right proof and applying to agencies you’ve researched make it much more manageable than sending generic applications.
What is the best entry-level job in advertising?
The one that matches the side of the agency you want to grow in. Account coordinator is the most common starting point, and it gives you a view of every department. Creative, strategy and media roles start with junior or assistant titles.
What is a portfolio school?
A portfolio school is a program, sometimes a graduate degree and sometimes a shorter certificate, focused on building a creative or strategy portfolio and connecting students with agencies. It isn’t required, but it’s a structured way to build a book.
Can you move from in-house marketing to an ad agency?
Yes. Agencies value people who understand what clients go through. Lead with work across channels and audiences and your ability to handle several deadlines. Our in-house vs agency marketing guide covers the move.