Career Advice for an Art Director

Art directors work with designers, graphic designers, and marketing teams to drive the visual aspects of media and advertising campaigns. They supervise various team members, create design concepts and make sure that the finished art meets the marketing brief.

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How to Become an Art Director

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to become an Art Director

Should you wish to work as an Art Director you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for an Art Director

  • 2 or 3 A Levels
  • Degree in Advertising Design, Graphic Design or similar
  • Graduate apprenticeship in advertising

Key Responsibilities for an Art Director

  • Meeting with clients to discuss brief and ad campaign themes
  • Collaborating with the art department to develop strategies
  • Overseeing the creation of visual elements of ad campaigns
  • Setting goals and providing client updates
  • Presenting final campaign to clients
  • Conducting market research to understand target market and trends
  • Hiring and training design personnel
  • Establishing budgets for campaigns and ensuring these are met
  • Troubleshooting problems if they arise
  • Ensuring campaign fits client brief

What to expect as an Art Director

Art directors oversee ad campaigns and ensure visual elements fit the brief. They work with various creatives and drive the whole campaign, so that you will need excellent leadership and management skills. To be successful, you will need a great creative mind and be adept at working on multiple projects simultaneously.

Recommended Art Director Jobs

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How to get Art Director Jobs

Our advice on how to get an Art Director job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete an Art Director application. If you have not held an Art Director position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held an Art Director role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your Art Director CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each Art Director application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become an Art Director in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become an Art Director 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be an Art Director and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical Art Director experience.

How to get Art Director Experience

What does it take to be an Art Director? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for Art Director jobs. You can learn how to be a successful Art Director through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be an Art Director Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into Art Director part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time Art Director or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

Art Director freelance work

If you have impressive Art Director qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.