Advertising, PR and Marketing
Advertising, PR and marketing
This is one of the top four most popular sectors for Exeter graduates and there is hot competition for jobs. Fifteen months after graduating 7.57%* of graduates found themselves in ‘Marketing associate professionals’ employment and 3.68%* found themselves in ‘Public relations professionals’ employment.
Examples of jobs in the sector include graphic designers, marketing managers, PR consultants, and many more.
For sector statistics, please visit the Media, Advertising and Marketing Industry Report on My Career Zone Digital.
Career Zone Employability Schemes
(to help increase your work experience and networks in this area)
- Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements.
- eXpert scheme: A fuss-free way to connect with University of Exeter alumni to ask careers questions.
- Career Mentor Scheme: A popular employability scheme which matches a student or graduate with an experienced professional, for sector insight and one-to-one careers advice and guidance, over a 6-month period.
- Professional Pathways: a suite of sector specific training courses and paid week-long internships that take place in June.
Information Resources
Videos: Have a look at the following brief videos for an overview of this sector.
Webpages: If you would like to do further research into this sector, the following webpages may be really useful:
- Pressat – a careers guide aimed at helping those interested in the PR sector
- Prospects Marketing, Advertising and PR Sector page – career tips, information on courses, apprenticeships and job opportunities
- Target jobs marketing, advertising and PR sector page – an overview of the jobs, internships, events and employers in the sector, as well as industry specific advice for career progression.
For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page. For sector specific job listings, the following resources may be particularly helpful.
- Brand Republic - online source of jobs in advertising, marketing and PR
- Bubblejobs - niche online jobs board for the latest online marketing, eCommerce, social media, digital, display advertising, web development and graphic design jobs from the UK’s top employers
- Campaign - specialist marketing, advertising and PR job website
- Judy Fisher Associates - an employment agency specialising in jobs in London in the media and are "preferred suppliers" to the BBC
- Marketing Week Online - news and job vacancies in the marketing sector
- PR Week – specialist magazine with news, information and jobs in the PR sector
- Simply Marketing - job vacancies in the marketing sector
If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.
- The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) - advice pages for graduates aiming to secure a career in marketing
- Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) - includes profiles of agencies and careers advice
- Chartered Institute of Public Relations - includes careers information and careers open days
- Communication Advertising and Marketing (CAM) Education Foundation - offers a range of diplomas in digital marketing, which are awarded by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
- The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) - the only government-approved institute to offer professional development to direct and digital marketers
- Institute of Fundraising - professional membership body for UK fundraising
- Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) - a trade body that represents the interests of those engaged in promotional marketing and offers certificates, diplomas and one-day courses
- Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) - offers qualifications in sales and marketing, ranging from levels one to six.
- Market Research Society (MRS) - a leading global research association for commercial and public policy research.
- Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) - represents UK PR consultancies, in-house teams, PR freelancers and individuals
If you would like to pursue postgraduate study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study information page for more information about choosing further study.
It can often be useful to gain postgraduate qualifications in the relevant subject area if your undergraduate degree is in a different topic but, beware, there are many courses on the market, and they are not all equally successful in getting you that "dream job". You can always complement your degree with professional qualifications to show your commitment towards the industry (see Professional Bodies section).
As jobs are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and also apply speculatively.
*Based on the 2017/18 Graduate Outcomes survey: full-time, first degree, UK domiciled graduates in ‘high skill’ employment.