These are all entry level roles that exist across Creative Agencies and Media Agencies, find out more about the different types of agencies via the IPA website.
Please view detailed job descriptions and see where each of those roles leads as you move through your career.
Roles based in creative agencies:
These roles work as part of the wider account management team, they manage the relationship between the client and the agency.
Salary range: £22 – 28,000
Common entry routes to the role include becoming an apprentice from sixth form college or university, no requirement for any vocational qualifications.
Career progression opportunities include climbing the ranks via Senior Account Executive, Account Manager, Account Director, Senior Account Director and possibly then onto the Boad and Agency Management. Very occasionally they move sideways into different departments such as Planning/Strategy or New Business.
Junior Creatives come up with creative ideas which help bring forward fresh thinking and transform businesses and behaviour.
Salary range: £28 – 33,000
Common entry routes to the role include becoming an apprentice from sixth form college, university, internships at agencies or placements via a specific postgraduate course.
Career progression opportunities include moving up the ranks of the Creative Department – Middleweight Creative, Group head, Creative Director, ultimately Executive Creative Director.
Junior Account Planners help to represent the voice of the consumer in the agency. They are part of the team responsible for developing the key strategic insights that underpin advertising ideas.
Salary range: £22- 31,000
Common entry routes to the role are mainly via graduate schemes or occasionally via transfer from a client service, data/insight or media planner disciplines.
Career progression opportunities include becoming Account Planners and Senior Account Planners, and may then progress into agency management as Heads of Planning or Planning Directors. Sometimes they may move into marketing departments of client companies as brand specialists.
The Social Media Manager supports the team with social media strategy and execution for the client/agency’s (global) social media channels.
Salary range: £21-29,000
Common entry routes to role include coming in direct from A levels or a semi relevant degree course such as digital marketing.
Career progression opportunities are to become Social Media Director or Head of Social Media.
User Experience (UX or UE) Designers focus on the entire process of acquiring and integrating a product. This includes aspects of branding, design, usability and function.
Salary: can be anything up to £35,000
Common entry routes to the role include joining an agency with in house training following a good university level qualification, not necessarily in a technical subject, but often from Human Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Web Development, Graphics Design, Visual Design, Programming, Information and Communications or Psychology studies.
Career progression opportunities are to more senior UX roles, with some eventually becoming UX Director for their agency. Others may transition into a variety of related roles, including User Interaction Design or Digital Strategy.
The job involves providing general support to the production team, helping to keep the work flowing and maintaining the organisation of the projects.
Salary range: £24 – 31,000
Common entry routes to the role - while a degree in advertising, film studies, or a related field can be advantageous, it is by no means mandatory. Most of the knowledge and skills necessary for this role are acquired on the job, under the mentorship of experienced production staff. They may even come via an apprenticeship such as Production Assistant – Screen and Audio.
Career progression opportunities usually follow ladder of Producer, Senior Producer, Head of Production.
Roles based in Media Agencies:
Media Planners develop strategies that determine which media channels should be used to communicate with a client’s target audience.
Salary range: £25-27,000
Common entry routes to the role – they often start work as graduates within media agencies, although apprenticeships offer another route into the role. Many will start in a combined Junior Media Planner/Buyer role, and rotate through different departments, before specialising in planning once some experience has been gained.
Career progression opportunities include climbing the ladder to Media Planning Managers then Media Account Directors and Media Planning Director.
Media Buyers negotiate and purchase media space and airtime on behalf of clients. These purchases are led by the media plans that are developed to best reach a client’s target audience.
Salary range: £25-27,000
Common entry routes to the role include graduates from a wide range of course subjects, although apprenticeships offer another route into the role. A range of degree disciplines may be of interest; psychology, business studies, communications, marketing and management. Their mathematical aptitude and ability may well be tested as part of the recruitment process.
Career progression opportunities include climbing the ladder to to become Senior Media Buyers, Media Managers, Media Directors, Media Account Directors, Head of Trading. Others may choose to specialise in the buying of particular media; TV, Biddable etc. while some may move to sales and marketing roles, or even to media owners (such as Sky, The Guardian, Spotify etc.).
The Biddable Account Executive delivers market-leading campaign activation, execution and performance analysis for Paid Social and Search Campaigns.
Salary range: £25 – £28,000
Common entry routes to the role are usually via a degree in e.g. digital or business; however some will come via the Advertising and Media Executive Apprenticeship.
Career progression opportunities include staying in Biddable and eventually becoming Head of that Department, or moving into other areas such as Social Media or Search.
The Operation Executive focuses on the tracking and monitoring of media briefs and deals; providing responses to off-line media briefs within agreed timelines.
Salary range: £25- 28,000
Common entry routes to the role include starting as Advertising and Media Executive Apprenticeship (after A Levels or a degree). Occasionally they come from a related role in another organisation (admin, finance).
Career progression opportunities include becoming Media Managers or Directors, or Head of Trading.
Programmatic advertising buying uses software to buy advertising. Programmatic buying uses algorithms to inform the purchase of the most relevant display space.
Salary range: £25-26,000
Common entry routes to the role are the Advertising and Media Executive Apprenticeship (after A Levels or a degree). They can also join straight into graduate training schemes. A range of degree disciplines may be of interest; psychology, business studies, communications, marketing and management.But if they show mathematical aptitude and ability at recruitment the degree subject will be irrelevant.
Career progression opportunities include becoming Senior Programmatic Buyers, Media Managers, Media Directors, Media Account Directors, Head of Trading.
Pay Per Click (PPC) Executives make their clients’ websites more visible in paid-for search engine rankings. They undertake responsive real-time bidding to deliver valuable traffic for clients.
Salary range: £28-31,000
Common entry routes to the role include agency entry-level PPC positions with on-the-job training, typically for those with a good university level qualification, preferably but not essentially in a technical subject. However, those with relevant A-Levels and a strong interest in website performance may enter through an Apprenticeship position particularly if they have strong numerical skills and interest in analytic tools.
Career progression opportunities: after gaining some experience, they can choose to focus entirely on PPC, with some eventually becoming a PPC Director.. Others choose to develop wider expertise, moving from the PPC team into the broader spectrum of digital marketing, including SEO, display or social media, with some eventually becoming Digital Strategists or Media Account Directors.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Executives make their clients’ websites more visible in ‘natural’, organic, search engine rankings.
Salary range: £25-30,000
Common entry routes to the role include an apprenticeship (post A Levels or degree) or joining a graduate scheme at an agency. Studying technical subjects may help, but passionate interest in the web is vital.
Career progression opportunities: SEO Executives can choose to focus entirely on SEO, eventually becoming SEO Director for their agency. Others choose to develop wider expertise, moving into the broader spectrum of digital marketing, including PPC, display or social media, with some eventually becoming Digital Strategists or Media Account Directors.
Roles in both types of agencies:
Junior Web Analytics Consultants measure, collect and analyse internet and application data to inform and enhance online marketing strategies.
Salary range: £23-27,000
Common entry routes to the role – A Levels or degree in mathematics, statistics, science or computing subjects.
Career progression opportunities: They can go on to more senior Analytics roles, Senior Web Analytics Consultant and then Head of Analytics. Others may transition into Planning/Strategy roles or join the Data/Analytics team at a client organisation.
Insight executives use data collected from premium resources, as well as their own knowledge, to put together cross-sector information and analysis on anything from markets and brands to trends, developments, and recent innovations.
Salary range: £25-26,000
Common entry routes to the role: some will get their first insight job straight after graduating from a degree course with a strong research or data-based foundation, but it is also possible to move across from research roles in other industries. Hiowever, there is a Market Research apprenticeship, which may get used in agencies in future so theoretically anyone with the right A Levels could apply.
Career progression opportunities: Insight Manager or Head of Insight or Head of Research, or they may transition into planning roles. Others may join specialist research organisations, or take on research roles in client or media organisations.
The Marketing Executive assists the Head of Marketing/PR or Communications with the delivery of the annual PR, Comms and Marketing strategy.
Salary range: £26-27,000
Common entry routes to the role may include studying PR or marketing – probably as a degree but showing strong communication skills in others ways may get you in earlier.
Career progression opportunities: become a Marketing Manager, Head of Marketing or related roles such as Content Marketing Manager; Digital Brand Manager; Marketing Data Analyst; Digital Marketing Manager; Community Manager; PR Manager.
The New Business Executive supports the New Business Director with the implementation of the new business strategy.
Salary range: £29-30,000
Common entry route to the role is from a PA or client service role, but they may have a relevant degree. An Account Executive apprentice might move into this role.
Career progression opportunities: related roles such as in Client Services; Content Marketing Manager; Community Manager; PR Manager; or becoming New Business Manager or Director.
The Finance Assistant supports the Finance Manager (or other) in maintaining and delivering accurate and timely financial information, following internal controls and processes.
Salary range: £29-33,000
Common entry routes to the role are generally any degree although mathematical, management or business studies may allow exemptions from some professional bodies’ exams. Apprenticeships offer another route into this area of work, with many agencies taking on those with aptitude post A Level.
Career progression opportunities depend on professional accounting qualifications as they progress into Management Accountant, Finance Manager, Head of Finance, Financial Controller and Chief Financial Officer. These qualifications – which the agency pays for – are relevant in any company.