Function

• An adverting agent will spend a large amount of time attempting to secure new clients and keeping existing clients happy. This might be done from the office via telephone cold calling on many occasions, while at other times it might be done through face-to-face meetings at client offices. Before visiting a client the agent must research their company thoroughly so that they can outline the benefits advertising will bring to the company. Once a sale has been confirmed the agent will then put together a proposal outlining the costs and specifications of the sale, including the size and placement of the ad.
  
  

Work Environment

• The working environment of a sales agent can be very stressful with their salary being directly impacted by the number of sales they make. Also, a sales agent will only keep her job as long as she is successfully bringing in money for a company. With monthly deadlines and quotas to be met, many agents spend more than 40 hours in the office a week, working during weekends and evenings when required.
  
  

Prospects

• Although most employers prefer their sales agents to have a bachelor's degree, officially there are no minimum academic requirements to enter the profession. A bachelor's degree in a related field such as business, communications or advertising will increase a candidate's chances of landing an entry-level job. Most training occurs on the job with experienced agents supervising new agents initially passing on their knowledge and tips.
  
  

Prospects

• In 2008 there were 166,800 advertising sales agents in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sector is set to see growth of seven percent up to 2018, which is about as fast as the national average for all jobs in the U.S. The decrease in advertising for print media is expected to be offset by a rise in advertising on the web.
  
  

Earnings

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average salary for an advertising sales agent in 2008 was $43,480 in 2008 with the highest 10 percent earning more than $93,600 a year. Motion pictures and video industries paid out the most followed by cable programming and then radio and television broadcasting. These figures included commission, which makes up a large part of an agents overall salary.