MSU Rep Yaself

Q: What’s the difference between marketing and advertising?

A: Marketing is anything a brand does to attract their customers to their product or service, everything from creating the product itself to deciding how much to charge for it. Advertising is anything that has to do with — you guessed it — ads.

Q: What degree(s) do you need to have to work in advertising?

A: Unlike many professions, most ad agencies don’t require a specific degree for the majority of roles. Account Managers, Account Planners, Media Planners and Social Media Strategists come from all different types of educational backgrounds and experiences.

Q: Are there particular cities you have to live in to work in advertising?

A: No. Ad agencies are located throughout the majority of medium and large-sized markets in the country. In addition, more and more agencies are now allowing for either partially or fully-remote work.

Q: Are there specific types of ad agencies?

A: Yes. No two agencies are exactly alike — they’re usually categorized by the type of advertising they specialize in. Common types include: traditional (TV, print, radio, billboards, etc.), digital, social media, experiential, design, media planning and full-service. Full-service agencies are one-stop shops that have expertise in all types of advertising.

Q: How can I get my foot in the door?

A: An internship at an ad agency is a great way to learn first-hand about the industry and the different types of roles. Some internships can even lead to full-time employment offers. Agencies will usually post open full-time roles and internship opportunities on their websites, which you can apply for directly. A list of local Baltimore agencies is included in the resources section below just to get you started.