Marketing is a vast field and if you’re a graduate looking to start your marketing and media career, it’s important to understand the different roles and responsibilities that come with it. At Mint Talent, we specialize in the Media, Digital, Advertising Technology, and Product Development industries. As a career mentor to our candidates and a strategic skills partner to our clients, we build long-term relationships with both, and take the time to understand the personality of graduates and give them a thorough briefing on what to expect for each role.
Graduates usually have first-hand experience working within social media but there are many more roles in the world of marketing and media that you may not be aware of. In this guide, we will discuss some of the specific graduate roles within these industries so that you can understand the broader roles within each segment of the marketing and media industries.
Creative Agency
Creative agencies come up with the big ideas and sell them to the client while creating the content such as shooting a TV ad, designing a print ad, or copywriting. Creative roles usually involve Project/Account Management or focus on one area such as Graphic Design or Copywriting. You will work with clients and external stakeholders to deliver the concept and completion.
A positive attitude and creativity outside of work are traits companies look for in a Grad. A portfolio or university assignments compiled can also help. An internship can be a great way to gain experience at the agency you admire. It’s a way to seek first-hand experience as well as prove yourself and show your worth.
Media Agency
Media agencies handle the final creative or advertisements to be distributed to the general public via different formats. A media agency takes care of the distribution of advertising across TV, radio, out-of-home (e.g. buses or billboards), print, and digital. Strategic placement of advertisements involves a lot of research, demographic insights, and data to carefully select where and when ads are placed.
Your role as a graduate will involve helping the agency deliver on these placements and reporting on the results. You will work with external stakeholders such as publishers and third-party vendors who deliver on the placement of the ad and collect data on the results such as views, listenership or click-throughs.
A good attitude, curious mind, high attention to detail, variety of hobbies/interests, and demonstrated organizational and communication skills are traits companies look for in a Grad. Reading up on successful advertising campaigns can help understand the mechanics behind the success.
Digital Performance/ Programmatic Agency
Digital is vital to marketing and media, and it’s constantly evolving with new exciting tech such as AI. Programmatic is a relatively new industry but already well-established. Essentially, it’s automated online media buying using the latest technology to narrow down on a client’s requirements.
Digital performance roles can be anything from Social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), Search (Google Ads) or SEO (Organic Search). A grad role in programmatic or digital performance would usually be a campaign coordinator or executive. Someone who is trained up on all the tools and can set up, optimize and report on campaigns for clients.
Your role will involve working with the client and providers of analytical tools such as Google or proprietary software, plus a wide range of third-party tools that you’ll typically only hear about once you’re working in the industry.
In conclusion, marketing and media offer a variety of exciting career paths for graduates. Understanding the different roles and responsibilities is essential to find the right fit for you. A positive attitude, curiosity, high attention to detail, creativity, and good communication skills can be your tickets to success in these industries. So, explore and experience the different fields of marketing to see what interests you the most and use your talents and skills to succeed in your chosen path.
