Advertising specialist to advertising manager
An advertising specialist already meets 30% of what the advertising manager role asks for. The move turns on 23 required skills not yet in the profile.
75.1/ 100
1 How much of what an advertising manager is expected to do is already part of an advertising specialist’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 manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An advertising manager role treats 10 of its required skills as things an advertising specialist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advertising techniques
- advise on public image
- advise on public relations
- coordinate advertising campaigns
- copyright legislation
- develop creative ideas
What stands in the way is 23 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 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An advertising manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an advertising specialist background worth leading with.
- already held examine advertisement layout information skills
- already held develop public relations strategies management skills
- already held approve advertising campaign communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held advise on public image communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held draw conclusions from market research results information skills
- already held evaluate advertising campaign information skills
All 16 carried skills, including the 10 the advertising manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 39 missing skills fall into 7 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 establish relationship with the media required
- still to learn conduct public presentations required
- still to learn draft press releases required
- still to learn give interviews to media required
- still to learn manage contracts required
- still to learn perform public relations required
- still to learn prepare presentation material required
- still to learn protect client interests required
- still to learn use different communication channels required
- optional, not held advise on communication strategies optional
- optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
- still to learn coordinate marketing plan actions required
- still to learn develop communications strategies required
- still to learn integrate strategic foundation in daily performance required
- still to learn organise press conferences required
- still to learn perform project management required
- optional, not held manage account department optional
- optional, not held manage creative department optional
- optional, not held manage media services department optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held manage the handling of promotional materials optional
- optional, not held receive actors' resumes optional
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- still to learn corporate social responsibility required
- still to learn forming of public opinion required
- still to learn market research required
- still to learn strategic planning required
- optional, not held business strategy concepts optional
- optional, not held pricing strategies optional
- optional, not held reputation management optional
- still to learn analyse external factors of companies required
- still to learn provide cost benefit analysis reports required
- optional, not held make price recommendations optional
- optional, not held manage project metrics optional
- optional, not held use analytics for commercial purposes optional
- still to learn diplomatic principles required
- still to learn rhetoric required
- still to learn communication principles required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an advertising manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 corporate social responsibility study this
- 02 establish relationship with the media practise this
- 03 analyse external factors of companies 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 16 skills that carry over
- already held advertising techniques knowledge
- already held advise on public image skill
- already held advise on public relations skill
- already held coordinate advertising campaigns skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held develop creative ideas skill
- already held develop public relations strategies skill
- already held draw conclusions from market research results skill
- already held identify customer's needs skill
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held approve advertising campaign skill
- already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
- already held evaluate advertising campaign skill
- already held examine advertisement layout skill
- already held give live presentation skill
- already held graphic design knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held desktop publishing optional
16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held make price recommendations optional
- optional, not held advise on communication strategies optional
- optional, not held business strategy concepts optional
- optional, not held desktop publishing optional
- optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
- optional, not held manage account department optional
- optional, not held manage creative department optional
- optional, not held manage media services department optional
- optional, not held manage project metrics optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held manage the handling of promotional materials optional
- optional, not held pricing strategies optional
- optional, not held receive actors' resumes optional
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- optional, not held reputation management optional
- optional, not held use analytics for commercial purposes optional
26 held skills the advertising manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on market strategies skill
- not needed by the target role analyse consumer buying trends skill
- not needed by the target role analyse cultural trends skill
- not needed by the target role assist in developing marketing campaigns skill
- not needed by the target role brainstorm ideas skill
- not needed by the target role brand marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role create advertisements skill
- not needed by the target role create media plan skill
- not needed by the target role define brand identity skill
- not needed by the target role develop digital content skill
- not needed by the target role develop media strategy skill
- not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
- not needed by the target role follow a brief skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with advertising agencies skill
- not needed by the target role marketing principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role media planning knowledge
- not needed by the target role media studies knowledge
- not needed by the target role meet expectations of target audience skill
- not needed by the target role monitor media industry research figures skill
- not needed by the target role perform market research skill
- not needed by the target role perform media outlets research skill
- not needed by the target role persuade clients with alternatives skill
- not needed by the target role public relations knowledge
- not needed by the target role publishing market knowledge
- not needed by the target role receive appropriate permissions for use of recorded audiovisual examples skill
- not needed by the target role types of media knowledge
11 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn corporate social responsibility required
- still to learn communication principles required
- still to learn diplomatic principles required
- still to learn forming of public opinion required
- still to learn market research required
- still to learn rhetoric required
- still to learn strategic planning required
- optional, not held business strategy concepts optional
- optional, not held desktop publishing optional
- optional, not held pricing strategies optional
- optional, not held reputation management optional
Other moves recorded from advertising specialist
- advertising copywriter 62% covered · moderate
- creative director 55% covered · moderate
- advertising media buyer 53% covered · moderate
- advertising assistant 50% covered · moderate
- advertising media planner 43% covered · substantial
- political campaign officer 32% covered · substantial
- promotion assistant 26% covered · substantial
- publications coordinator 26% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can an advertising specialist become an advertising manager?
Yes, and it is a career change move. An advertising specialist already covers 30% of what an advertising manager is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 10 of which the advertising manager role treats as required.
What skills does an advertising specialist need to become an advertising manager?
23 required skills are missing, plus 16 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is corporate social responsibility.
How hard is the move from advertising specialist to advertising manager?
Its learning distance is 75.1 out of 100, which is the career change 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.