If you are someone aspiring to take up advertising as a career but are wondering what skills you would require, then you are at the right place. Advertising is a versatile field of work and in this article, you will get to read and comprehend what skill you will need to master to excel in advertising and its likes. It is a blend of technical skills, practical knowledge, critical thinking and creativity. Keep reading further to know more about them.

1.  Effective Communication Skills

Advertising requires you to communicate with various people. From communicating with clients to even speaking to an event manager or a vendor, you will need to be equipped with good communication skills. For instance: You probably have a brilliant idea in mind but you struggle with articulating it - that can pose a challenge and you may miss out on opportunities. You can work on this skill by reading extensively, speaking to your friends and colleagues, access online tools and by even talking to yourself.

2.  Strategic Thinking

As dynamic as the industry is, it can also seem a little tricky at times. In advertising, there is never a one-size-fits all approach. Every project must be handled as though it is your first time, with regards to the methodology you incorporate. Most advertising projects may require you to study target audience, budgeting, work around recent trends, and draft proper messaging. All of these will need strategic thinking and planning.

3.  Listening Actively

Perspectives often help with coming up with effective plans and solutions. It is imperative that you actively listen to what people have to say. We often believe that our ideas are sufficient enough without probably exploring other options, listening can change that. You may need to listen to various pitch ideas, marketing strategies, ways to fix budgeting and much more.

4.  The Capability to Multitask

Since advertising is all about working quickly and effectively, you often may not have the luxury to focus on one aspect at a time. It is about mindfully planning your work and rest times for maximum productivity. Churning out work alternatively can be mastered with time and practice. It is also important to understand to not get absorbed by the hustle culture without you being able to take breaks.

5.  Teamwork and Collaboration

As cliche as this may sound, team work definitely makes the dream work. Now, this has various benefits.

-          You get to enjoy work while working with a team

-          Divided tasks makes work-load less for individuals

-          Tasks when delegated can be finished without wasting a lot of time

-          You get new perspectives and ideas that benefit the project

-          You get to form connections

6.  Time Management

Work does not essentially cease when in advertising, it is always one project after the other and everything must be equally prioritized. This requires managing tasks and time effectively to optimize your attention and effort for each task. Most advertising projects are time-bound and must be completed within a deadline as they are dependent on trends and advancements. Time managing skills can be acquired with time and practice.

To Conclude,

Learning new ideas and technologies, practicing on the job, exploring more options and knowing that there is always more knowledge to acquire - All these can take you further in your career. Job satisfaction also contributes to better mental wellbeing and holistic benefits. Advertising offers lucrative and rewarding career choices, gives you the opportunity to work with different people and be a part of projects from various niches. It is a win-win situation.

You can read more about AAFT’s School of Advertising, PR and Events