Advertising copywriter to advertising specialist
An advertising copywriter already meets 53% of what the advertising specialist role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.
47.8/ 100
1 How much of what an advertising specialist is expected to do is already part of an advertising copywriter’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the advertising specialist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An advertising specialist role treats 8 of its required skills as things an advertising copywriter already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advertising techniques
- brainstorm ideas
- copyright legislation
- develop creative ideas
- develop digital content
- give live presentation
What stands in the way is 4 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 19 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An advertising specialist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an advertising copywriter background worth leading with.
- already held brainstorm ideas communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held create advertisements communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held analyse cultural trends information skills
- already held meet expectations of target audience information skills
- already held perform media outlets research information skills
- already held evaluate advertising campaign information skills
All 19 carried skills, including the 8 the advertising specialist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 23 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn develop professional network required
- still to learn liaise with advertising agencies required
- still to learn persuade clients with alternatives required
- optional, not held advise on market strategies optional
- optional, not held advise on public image optional
- optional, not held advise on public relations optional
- optional, not held approve advertising campaign optional
- optional, not held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies optional
- still to learn receive appropriate permissions for use of recorded audiovisual examples required
- optional, not held publishing market optional
- optional, not held brand marketing techniques optional
- optional, not held marketing principles optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
- optional, not held create media plan optional
- optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
- optional, not held define brand identity optional
- optional, not held develop public relations strategies optional
- optional, not held graphic design optional
- optional, not held media planning optional
- optional, not held media studies optional
- optional, not held draw conclusions from market research results optional
- optional, not held examine advertisement layout optional
- optional, not held monitor media industry research figures optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an advertising specialist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 receive appropriate permissions for use of recorded audiovisual examples practise this
- 02 develop professional network practise this
- 03 liaise with advertising agencies practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 19 skills that carry over
- already held advertising techniques knowledge
- already held brainstorm ideas skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held develop creative ideas skill
- already held develop digital content skill
- already held give live presentation skill
- already held identify customer's needs skill
- already held perform market research skill
- already held analyse consumer buying trends skill
- already held analyse cultural trends skill
- already held coordinate advertising campaigns skill
- already held create advertisements skill
- already held develop media strategy skill
- already held evaluate advertising campaign skill
- already held follow a brief skill
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held meet expectations of target audience skill
- already held perform media outlets research skill
- already held types of media knowledge
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held create media plan optional
- optional, not held publishing market optional
- optional, not held advise on market strategies optional
- optional, not held advise on public image optional
- optional, not held advise on public relations optional
- optional, not held approve advertising campaign optional
- optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
- optional, not held brand marketing techniques optional
- optional, not held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies optional
- optional, not held define brand identity optional
- optional, not held develop public relations strategies optional
- optional, not held draw conclusions from market research results optional
- optional, not held examine advertisement layout optional
- optional, not held graphic design optional
- optional, not held marketing principles optional
- optional, not held media planning optional
- optional, not held media studies optional
- optional, not held monitor media industry research figures optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
16 held skills the advertising specialist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- not needed by the target role conduct search engine optimisation skill
- not needed by the target role create storyboards skill
- not needed by the target role desktop publishing knowledge
- not needed by the target role draft press releases skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate writings in response to feedback skill
- not needed by the target role lay out digital written content skill
- not needed by the target role practice humour skill
- not needed by the target role printing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role product comprehension knowledge
- not needed by the target role proofread text skill
- not needed by the target role social media marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role typography knowledge
- not needed by the target role use word processing software skill
- not needed by the target role write to a deadline skill
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held publishing market optional
- optional, not held brand marketing techniques optional
- optional, not held graphic design optional
- optional, not held marketing principles optional
- optional, not held media planning optional
- optional, not held media studies optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
Other moves recorded from advertising copywriter
- creative director 48% covered · moderate
- advertising assistant 36% covered · substantial
- advertising media buyer 34% covered · substantial
- speechwriter 34% covered · substantial
- desktop publisher 31% covered · substantial
- advertising media planner 30% covered · substantial
- copy editor 28% covered · substantial
- graphic designer 26% covered · career change
Common questions about this move
Can an advertising copywriter become an advertising specialist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An advertising copywriter already covers 53% of what an advertising specialist is expected to do: 19 skills carry over, 8 of which the advertising specialist role treats as required.
What skills does an advertising copywriter need to become an advertising specialist?
4 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is receive appropriate permissions for use of recorded audiovisual examples.
How hard is the move from advertising copywriter to advertising specialist?
Its learning distance is 47.8 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.