Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Selling or Influencing Others Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

The Work

Advertising media salespeople are employed by national, regional and local newspapers, magasine publishers, radio and television companies etc, to sell advertising space and time. Buyers of advertising space include members of the public, individual companies, or advertising agencies.

Jobs range from selling classified advertisements in free newspapers to more prestigious and better paid work selling display adverts in the national media. The work varies to some extent between the different media & social media.   
  
Advertising media salespeople may canvass for new customers, get in touch with previous clients, and negotiate the terms of contracts, all of which involves a great deal of telephone work. They have to persuade potential advertisers that their particular media reaches the target audience. This involves keeping up-to-date with the information provided by their market research section.   
  
Advertising media salespeople may advise customers on the most appropriate length and design of the advert, and need to be able to make rapid calculations of cost. They negotiate the price to be paid for the space or time, the number of times the advertisement is to appear, its position in the newspaper or magasine, or the time of day it is on radio or television.   
  
Advertising media salespeople working for local radio or local newspapers may write the advert themselves. Part of each day must be spent on paperwork arising from sales made.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
• Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
• Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
• Locate and contact potential clients to offer advertising services.
• Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
• Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
• Prepare promotional plans, sales literature, media kits, and sales contracts, using computer.
• Process all correspondence and paperwork related to accounts.
• Draw up contracts for advertising work, and collect payments due.
• Deliver advertising or illustration proofs to customers for approval.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

There are many pathways into a career in advertising. Courses and experience in Marketing, Media and Communications will all be relevant starting points. 

Training & Development Pathways

FET Centre Traineeship: Business Admin, Customer service, Digital Marketing courses in centres around Ireland at NFQ Level 5 Search our FET Coursefinder

FET PLC Courses: Business, Sales, Marketing, Commerce, and Digital Marketing at NFQ Levels 5-6 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder

Apprenticeship: Sales, Auctioneering, Recruitment Apprenticeships NFQ level 6-8 Search Apprenticeships

Higher Education CAO Entry: Business, Commerce, Marketing, Advertising, Digiital Media marketing at NFQ Levels 6-8 Search our CAO coursefinder

Professional Development

Postgraduate Study Options Sales, Business, Marketing NFQ level 9

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €40k - €90k

Salaries vary depending on employer, location, experience, and duties.

Data Source(s):
Morgan McKinley/ Sigmar / Clark / Prosperity/ Brightwater/ Lincoln/ Excel

Last Updated: March, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Despite a strong employment growth rate for this occupation, employment levels fell between 2021 and 2022. Employment is spread across a number of roles including marketing associate professionals, buyers & procurement officers, conference/expo managers and estate agents. Employment permits issued in 2022 were primarily for roles in the ICT sector such as digital marketing and accounts managers with language skills required for some.

The Recruitment Agency Survey highlighted issues in sourcing candidates for procurement roles. The number of job adverts for this role grew in 2022, driven by increases for buyers/procurement officers and conference organisers etc. In addition, procurement/tendering documentation skills were not confined to this occupation, but were also in demand outside of sales roles, albeit in small numbers.

• Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland

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