Graphic designer to advertising specialist
A graphic designer already meets 37% of what the advertising specialist role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.8/ 100
1 How much of what an advertising specialist is expected to do is already part of a graphic designer’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 7 of its required skills as things a graphic designer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advertising techniques
- brainstorm ideas
- copyright legislation
- develop creative ideas
- develop digital content
- identify customer's needs
What stands in the way is 5 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 11 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 a graphic designer background worth leading with.
- already held brainstorm ideas communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held create advertisements communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held meet expectations of target audience information skills
- already held follow a brief communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held develop digital content working with computers
- already held graphic design arts and humanities
All 11 carried skills, including the 7 the advertising specialist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 31 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 give live presentation 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 analyse consumer buying trends optional
- optional, not held analyse cultural trends optional
- optional, not held draw conclusions from market research results optional
- optional, not held evaluate advertising campaign optional
- optional, not held examine advertisement layout optional
- optional, not held monitor media industry research figures optional
- optional, not held perform media outlets research optional
- optional, not held create media plan optional
- optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
- optional, not held coordinate advertising campaigns optional
- optional, not held define brand identity optional
- optional, not held develop media strategy optional
- optional, not held develop public relations strategies optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- 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 media planning optional
- optional, not held media studies optional
- optional, not held types of media 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 give live presentation 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 11 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 identify customer's needs skill
- already held perform market research skill
- already held create advertisements skill
- already held follow a brief skill
- already held graphic design knowledge
- already held meet expectations of target audience skill
26 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 analyse consumer buying trends optional
- optional, not held analyse cultural trends 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 coordinate advertising campaigns optional
- optional, not held define brand identity optional
- optional, not held develop media strategy optional
- optional, not held develop public relations strategies optional
- optional, not held draw conclusions from market research results optional
- optional, not held evaluate advertising campaign optional
- optional, not held examine advertisement layout optional
- optional, not held manage budgets 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 perform media outlets research optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
- optional, not held types of media optional
53 held skills the advertising specialist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role 3D lighting knowledge
- not needed by the target role 3D modelling knowledge
- not needed by the target role Adobe Illustrator knowledge
- not needed by the target role Adobe Photoshop knowledge
- not needed by the target role Adobe Photoshop Lightroom knowledge
- not needed by the target role Capture One knowledge
- not needed by the target role GIMP (graphics editor software) knowledge
- not needed by the target role Microsoft Visio knowledge
- not needed by the target role SketchBook Pro knowledge
- not needed by the target role Synfig knowledge
- not needed by the target role adapt to type of media skill
- not needed by the target role adobe creative suite knowledge
- not needed by the target role aesthetics knowledge
- not needed by the target role apply 3D imaging techniques skill
- not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role computer graphics knowledge
- not needed by the target role convert scribbles into virtual sketches skill
- not needed by the target role create 3D characters skill
- not needed by the target role create 3D environments skill
- not needed by the target role create animated narratives skill
- not needed by the target role create moving images skill
- not needed by the target role design graphics skill
- not needed by the target role design greeting cards skill
- not needed by the target role design management knowledge
- not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
- not needed by the target role desktop publishing knowledge
- not needed by the target role develop an artistic framework skill
- not needed by the target role develop animations skill
- not needed by the target role digital compositing knowledge
- not needed by the target role digital media knowledge
- not needed by the target role draw design sketches skill
- not needed by the target role edit digital moving images skill
- not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
- not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
- not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
- not needed by the target role graphics editor software knowledge
- not needed by the target role interactive media knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
- not needed by the target role motion graphics knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate 3D computer graphics software skill
13 further entries not listed here
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 marketing principles optional
- optional, not held media planning optional
- optional, not held media studies optional
- optional, not held public relations optional
- optional, not held types of media optional
Other moves recorded from graphic designer
- special effects artist 56% covered · moderate
- animator 56% covered · moderate
- advertising copywriter 52% covered · moderate
- desktop publisher 49% covered · substantial
- animation director 47% covered · substantial
- animation layout artist 46% covered · substantial
- cartoonist 43% covered · substantial
- creative director 40% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can a graphic designer become an advertising specialist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A graphic designer already covers 37% of what an advertising specialist is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 7 of which the advertising specialist role treats as required.
What skills does a graphic designer need to become an advertising specialist?
5 required skills are missing, plus 26 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 graphic designer to advertising specialist?
Its learning distance is 60.8 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.