Job Responsibilities
My current position is an assistant media planner / buyer in an
interactive agency. My main duties are:
- Plan out monthly media plans and buy online media.
- Interact daily with the websites serving your ads to ensure that
the clients' spend and ROI goals are met.
- Seek out new websites to advertise on.
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Job Requirements
Media planning / buying is a very numbers-oriented industry. You
have to be comfortable with numbers and understand their meaning
in terms of specific client goals. Since you're also buying
advertising space, you also have to be comfortable with
negotiating; you have to try to pay the lowest price for the
advertising space that you want.
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Uppers
Since it's your job to spend the client's money, there are a lot of perks
bestowed upon you by the companies you're buying advertising space from. You get
treated to many lunches, dinners, and parties.
Unlike working on the client side, the advertising industry is very casual. The
people are usually young and creative. Dress code tends to be lax and most people
wear jeans to work. The office environment tends to be less serious and people
have a lot of fun during the workday.
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Downers
The hours tend to be long and pay tends to be low. Hours are
usually longest when you are renewing media plans or buys. You can
be put on an account with a very picky client.
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Compensation
For an entry-level position, expect to be paid low-mid $30s. The
advertising industry does not usually give signing bonuses -
you'll have to go work in finance for that. The low pay is
balanced by the many perks you're given.
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