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Field Guides to Finding a New Career
Advertising, Sales, and Marketing
The Field Guides to Finding a New Career series Advertising, Sales, and Marketing Arts and Entertainment Education Film and Television Food and Culinary Arts Health Care Information Technology Internet and Media Nonprofits and Government Outdoor Careers
Field Guides to Finding a New Career
Advertising, Sales, and Marketing By Ken Mondschein
Field Guides to Finding a New Career: Advertising, Sales, and Marketing Copyright © 2009 by Print Matters, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Ferguson An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York, NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mondschein, Ken. Advertising, sales, and marketing / by Ken Mondschein. p. cm.—(The Field guides to finding a new career series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-7596-6 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8160-7596-4 (alk. paper) 1. Marketing—Vocational guidance—United States. 2. Advertising—Vocational guidance—United States. 3. Retail trade—Vocational guidance—United States. I. Title. HF5415.35.M66 2009 658.80023'73—dc22 2008043304 Ferguson books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Ferguson on the World Wide Web at http://www.fergpubco.com Produced by Print Matters, Inc. Text design by A Good Thing, Inc. Illustrations by Molly Crabapple Cover design by Takeshi Takahashi Printed in the United States of America Bang PMI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Contents Introduction: Finding a New Career How to Use This Book Make the Most of Your Journey Self-Assessment Quiz Chapter 1 Advertising Executive
vii ix xi xvii 1
Chapter 2 Advertising Creative Director
12
Chapter 3 Sales Representative
21
Chapter 4 Marketing Manager
31
Chapter 5 Marketing Survey Researcher
40
Chapter 6 Trade Show Representative or Coordinator
51
Chapter 7 Copywriter
61
Chapter 8 Graphic Designer or Media Designer
72
Chapter 9 Retail Manager
83
Appendix A Going Solo: Starting Your Own Business Appendix B Outfitting Yourself for Career Success Index
93 107 119
Introduction: Finding a New Career Today, changing jobs is an accepted and normal part of life. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans born between 1957 and 1964 held an average of 9.6 jobs from the ages of 18 to 36. The reasons for this are varied: To begin with, people live longer and healthier lives than they did in the past and accordingly have more years of active work life. However, the economy of the twenty-first century is in a state of constant and rapid change, and the workforce of the past does not always meet the needs of the future. Furthermore, fewer and fewer industries provide bonuses such as pensions and retirement health plans, which provide an incentive for staying with the same firm. Other workers experience epiphanies, spiritual growth, or various sorts of personal challenges that lead them to question the paths they have chosen. Job instability is another prominent factor in the modern workplace. In the last five years, the United States has lost 2.6 million jobs; in 2005 alone, 370,000 workers were affected by mass layoffs. Moreover, because of new technology, changing