Career Profiles Media Director
If you have been actively working in various media related positions, you may be considering an opportunity as a media director. Most companies are searching for media directors who have had at least five years experience as a media buyer or planner before they will consider hiring you as a media director. Here are some of the traits, experience and requirements for being a media director.
Educational requirements
If you are planning a career as a media director, you will have to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, typically in advertising or in marketing. The educational requirements are generally not one that a company will waive, especially if you do not have previous experience as a media director.
Prior work experience
For most media director positions, you will be asked to have at least five and as many as ten years of prior experience. This may be as a buyer, a planner or in other suitable fields where you have had to decide how and where to place advertising to get the most impact.
It is not just about the ad
Advertising is not just about the ad that is placed. In fact, a media director will be largely responsible for examining data such as television viewership, newspaper reader demographics and other data that will help ensure that an advertising campaign is targeting the right audience. This is critical part of the role of a media director.
Skill requirements
Because a media director will be asked to interact with clients, media outlets and others in the company's media department, they must have certain skills. A media director should have excellent verbal and oral communication skills, be technologically savvy, work well under pressure and be analytical.
Media director's roles are varied, they may not only be dealing with the outlets who are handling the actual advertising campaigns, but they may also be working with the person who is creating the campaign. This means that they need to be able to work with people of various backgrounds and temperaments. This job can be very high pressure, but for those who succeed it is also a high paying career choice.
Summary
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a media director, the very first thing you need to make sure of is that you are working towards gaining the experience that you will need. Initial roles as an advertising sales representative, a media buyer and other career paths could lead you to the role of media director.
