Job vacancies in new media are starting to be filled again as the industry looks set for growth this year, according to Prosperity, a specialist recruitment firm for the advertising and media industry.
Commenting on the report, Gary Mullan, director of Prosperity Media Recruitment said: “I’ve seen a huge pickup in advertising since last year. Agencies last year were not in hiring mode but they’re considering growth again.”
Within the overall sector, the indigenous online media segment is also set to grow, Mullan indicated. He pointed to sites such as the recruitment page nicemove.ie and the digital advertising firm salesonline.ie as signs that the industry at a local level is picking up once more.
“There is an upturn, print and design had been quiet but they are beginning to show signs of recovery. I’m a lot more optimistic than I was last year,” he told siliconrepublic.com. “The industry has got busier. There were a lot of questions asked about the web but I think a lot of companies have proved to be successful.”
The arrival of the search engine firm Google, which places huge emphasis on a pay-per-click advertising model, “does nothing but help the media sector”, Mullan said. “I think we need that type of investment in Ireland. Online selling is one of their major areas and they are looking to fill a number of sales roles, such as managers and co-ordinators. It’s a positive spinoff for Ireland and that’s filtering through to people who are studying that again.”
Graduates with the necessary qualifications may find themselves enticed by the salary levels revealed by Prosperity in its new survey. Graphic artists can expect to earn between €25,000 and €38,000 per year. Designers skilled in Macromedia Flash would take home from €25,000 to €28,000 before tax, although this figure would rise by €3,000 or more if supplemented with strong knowledge of Actionscript. Similarly a background in the 3D Studio Max program offers a prospective salary between €30,000 and €45,000 per annum depending on experience.
On the marketing side, a marketing manager in the media sector can take home anywhere from €38,000 to €63,000. A marketing director is better off again, earning between €51,000 to €78,000 in a year. Marketing executives typically take home from €22,000 to €35,000. Brand managers or product managers – the two categories are seen as one in the survey – can earn between €35,000 and €50,000.
At an advertising agency, Prosperity found that account managers could make between €33,000 and €66,000 per year, rising to €70,000 to €108,000 for account directors. Media buyers typically earn €23,000 to €60,000; media executives start at €26,000 but are capped at €42,000; media planners come in at the upper range of this figure, making between €38,000 and €42,000. Media managers earn between €40,000 and €80,000 and media directors can make from €80,000 to €135,000.
Salaries will stay at “sensible” growth levels for the time being, Mullan suggested. “I don’t think they’re going to jump up. The web and design sectors are very competitive. There’s an upturn in the market now but I don’t think this will have an effect on salaries for the next year and a half to two years.”
By Gordon Smith
