For part three of our series, we interviewed Lauren, a media buyer at a marketing agency.
Skills required: Analytical skills, oral and written communication, presenting, organisation and problem-solving
£££: Starting salary c.£18K, specialist/senior roles £50k+
This week in our dream jobs series, we speak to Lauren, a media buyer in a marketing agency. The perfect career path for a Media graduate? We caught up with Lauren to find out.
Tell us about a typical day in your job
A day in my role will typically include planning and implementing campaigns, speaking with publishers on new and existing formats, negotiating, reporting and interrogating data.
What made you want to get into being a media buyer?
I've always had a keen interest in Media, it’s what I studied at university and if you look back into the Dark Ages, I spent my school work experience with a local magazine (I made a lot of tea). Growing up, I also used to make my own magazines - which no one read!
How did you get into being a media buyer?
I used to work for The Guardian but couldn’t hack the long commute and wanted to be agency-side, a friend put me in touch with a contact at an agency and the rest is history. Media Buying was an opportunity to put my love of planning into a role.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about being a media buyer?
That you can’t track return on investment on out-of-home (OOH) advertising or that brand awareness through publishers isn’t worth it. HOLD MY BEER (G&T)! We can track OOH using products from different publishers to suit the campaign and brand awareness is always worth it.
What's your most memorable career experience?
I have two!
A huge part of my role is relationship building and my team went out to the Netherlands to visit a publisher’s offices and see how they work. It was a great and valuable experience which we will never forget. We also had a day at Portsmouth News where we were privileged enough to have a tour of the factory and see the news go to print. It was absolutely fantastic to see how it all worked, knowing what an impact the news produced would have on the world - or in this case, Portsmouth!
What was your dream job when you were 16?
I really wanted to be a book critic and used to record my reviews on tape (cringe).
What courses or training did you do?
I studied Media Communications and Cultural Studies at university.
What was your university life like?
My university life was full of excitement, everything was new. I loved the social side and learning with like-minded people. I left with two long-standing and unbreakable friendships, I'm very lucky.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a media buyer?
Work hard, be open to change and don’t ever be afraid to ask questions.
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