The media services department has various job responsibilities and career options available for people who are looking for a career in the advertising industry. A person can start as a media planner and go all the way up to a Media Manager, or if he or she possesses the right skills, they can start as a media manager. Overall, the job controls the media department, the costs and prepares statistical data. Some job roles are more intensive than others.

A basic executive job might involve a lot of research about the trends in the advertising media. This department also takes care of the purchase and time management of media blocks. It is called the media planning and buying role. Every advertising company finds the need to use online and television media eventually as an effective advertising method. For this they need to purchase a lot of air time from various television channels and also manage that airtime effectively.

This is also a profitable business in the advertising industry. How well the media planners manage this time to make money decides the media career of that person, as well as the profits of the company. It could turn out to be a very interesting job in the end.

Advertising – Media Planning Job Education

A basic degree in arts or commerce and additional course knowledge of computers and advertising would be an added advantage for this job. The job requires a lot of practical knowledge; however, it also depends on the theoretical knowledge of the media industry. The more a person understands the dynamics of the media industry in the world of advertising, the better it is for them.

Excellent communication skills are preferred for the ideal candidate. The knowledge in accounting would help when it comes to managing the air time and maintaining records of the air time. In the end, the media planners are the ones who are responsible for airing or printing the respective advertisement, and it all depends on them whether the ad will be successfully publicized. They come in the last step of the advertising process, and yet they play a crucial role. The most essential education the person should have is computer knowledge and operating MS office and other tools.

Advertising – Media Planning Job Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts or commerce
• Computer knowledge- Ms Office

  Advertising – Media Planning Job Skills

A media executive should possess many skills that are used in planning to execution. There are several steps involved before an advertisement finally gets aired or printed. Most of these steps are performed by the media personnel. The various roles in this department are Media assistant, Media Planner, Media Director, media manager. An assistant media planner can expect to earn around $25000 a year to start with.

• The media planner develops a statistical advertising model for the audience
• Circulates the advertisement by planning the time effectively 
• Plans to cut and minimize costs 
• Makes amendments to maximize the advertisement time 
• Manages, controls and purchases air time, media time or space. 
• Makes recommendations to the clients and also allocates the time and space 
• Plans billing terms for clients that is beneficial for both client and the advertising company.

Overall the media planner should have an eye for details, and must be capable of deciding which advertisement to place when. They should know all the TRP ratings of the television industry, and should have a good knowledge of handling prime time ads.

The practical knowledge is very high in this kind of a job, and basic inter personal skills for this job is keenness to know, and application of knowledge grasping power is also required. A person who has all these skills and uses them will do well in this particular department.