How To Become a Creative Director in Advertising

You need to know the details ahead of jumping into this type of career. Since this is a senior position, it encompasses a whole range of creative and administrative activities. Let’s take a look at some of the core responsibilities: 

Before you start studying to become a creative director in advertising, you’re going to want to know how much you could earn. You may work your way up from an advertising creative position first, and since this is a high-level position, you can expect to make a decent salary here. 

Creative directors in smaller projects or those working for smaller companies can expect to earn around £23,000 per year but this can rise to as much as £60,000 or higher. As you become more experienced in the industry and gain prominence, this amount will quickly skyrocket.

The first step towards becoming a creative director in advertising is likely to be gaining a bachelor’s degree. There are many subject options here. You might choose to study fine art, graphic design, art direction, or even something more operational such as business administration. A solid degree in Business and Marketing might be the best way to begin your career in this area. Since this is a varied role, there are plenty of pathways to get you started. 

Much like all creative careers, you’re going to need to work your way up the ladder. When you have graduated from your degree, you could start working as part of a creative team in an advertising agency or within a creative department at a larger business. 

As you’ll be in charge of managing how a campaign will be received on a variety of platforms, having a qualification in LinkedIn, Facebook, and wider social media advertising could come in handy.

Alternatively, many graduates find that it’s useful to further their studies. Gaining a master’s degree in a creative or art-centric field could bolster your chances of success. It’s important to remember that your career path is likely to be as unique as you are. 

If you’re looking at ways to dip your toes in the water, it’s worth checking out online courses. If you don’t want to take a degree-led route, courses such as Become an Advertising Master or a general Advertising Diploma can be excellent choices.

As we have already covered, the role of a creative director tends to be extremely varied. This position will put your creative skills to the test. One of the best ways to understand this position is to look at a creative director job description. 

Each one will be unique to the company or agency that is advertising it. However, there are some core skills that hiring managers expect to see across the board. Here are some of the essential ones:

The realms of advertising are fast-moving. When you work in any creative field, you need to continuously learn new things. 

While you should have the above skill set down, you also need to dedicate time to advancing your education and strengthening your creative process. Investing time and money in your professional development is always a smart move.

Before you can bag yourself a creative director role, you will need to gather years of experience in the creative field. This is a high-level position, and so potential employers will expect you to have worked your way up. You may need to take an entry-level position in a creative team when you first start out. For example, you may start your career working in-house with an advertising firm. That way, you can gain the professional experience you need. 

Getting your foot in the door can be challenging. However, when you have worked with a creative department for a matter of years, you will likely get the opportunity to progress. For instance, you may be able to become a project team leader or lead designer. Once you have worked in one of these high-level roles for some time, you can look into Creative Director positions.

Now that you understand how to become a creative director in advertising let’s talk about the ongoing career prospects. There’s not much room to move up when you have reached this senior position. 

That’s because creative directors are often at the top of the food chain. 

However, if you work in this role for a matter of years and the company facilitates it, you may find that you can get a promotion. 

For example, you could become an executive creative director within a global brand. Whenever you’re looking for a new job in this field, ask your potential employer about the career prospects you can expect.