Hiring and Sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors (SOC Code 2494)

Advertising Accounts Managers and Creative Directors, classified under SOC Code 2494, are vital professionals in the marketing and advertising industry who excel in strategic planning and creative execution. Their roles encompass a variety of responsibilities including:

• Client Liaison: Engaging with clients to discuss the specific products or services to be marketed, facilitating an understanding of client goals and objectives.
• Target Group Definition: Identifying and defining the target demographic for marketing efforts, ensuring that campaigns resonate with the intended audience.
• Campaign Conceiving: Creating comprehensive advertising campaigns that effectively communicate the desired product image in a cost-efficient manner. This involves:
• • Media Planning: Selecting appropriate media channels, such as print, television, radio, or online platforms, to maximize campaign reach and effectiveness.
• Campaign Review and Revision: Analyzing campaign performance through sales figures, market surveys, and audience feedback to make informed revisions and improvements.
• Staying Informed: Keeping up-to-date with industry trends, changes in media consumption, readership, viewing figures, and advertising rates to maintain competitive edge.
• Event Arrangement: Organizing conferences, exhibitions, and seminars to promote product images, services, or the overarching brand and organization.

As the landscape of marketing evolves, the demand for skilled advertising accounts managers and creative directors continues to increase. This creates opportunities for companies to attract talented professionals from around the globe. This guide aims to assist HR professionals in understanding the hiring and sponsorship process for these crucial roles within the UK’s immigration framework.

What is SOC Code 3411 for Advertising accounts managers and creative directors?

SOC Code 2494 refers to advertising accounts managers and creative directors who are responsible for creating and executing marketing strategies to promote products or services. Their responsibilities can include:

• Liaising with clients: Engaging in discussions with clients to identify and understand the product or service that needs to be marketed.
• Defining target groups: Assessing and determining the most suitable audience for the advertising campaigns.
• Conceiving advertising campaigns: Developing creative strategies to effectively communicate the desired image of the product while considering cost-efficiency.
• Planning media use: Deciding on the appropriate channels for advertising, which may include print, television, radio, or online platforms.
• Reviewing and revising campaigns: Analyzing sales figures and surveys to assess the effectiveness of campaigns and making necessary adjustments.
• Staying informed: Keeping up-to-date with changes in media, audience demographics, viewing figures, and advertising rates to optimize campaign performance.
• Arranging promotional events: Organizing conferences, exhibitions, and seminars to enhance the visibility and appeal of a product, service, or organization.

Advertising accounts managers and creative directors play a vital role in the marketing landscape, driving brand awareness, fostering customer engagement, and influencing consumer behavior.

Eligibility to Hire Advertising accounts managers and creative directors (SOC Code 3411)

1. Job Requirements

Advertising accounts managers and creative directors must convey their expertise in marketing and creative strategy while meeting specific qualifications. These may include:

• Client Liaison Experience: Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with clients to understand their product or service needs.
• Target Market Analysis: Skills in defining target groups and assessing the suitability of various media for effective marketing campaigns.
• Campaign Development: Proven track record of conceiving and executing advertising campaigns that impart the desired product image effectively and economically.
• Media Planning: Expertise in selecting appropriate media channels, including print, television, radio, and online advertising, to optimize campaign reach.
• Analytical Skills: Experience in reviewing and revising campaigns based on sales figures, surveys, and market research to enhance effectiveness.
• Industry Awareness: Up-to-date knowledge of changes in media, readership/viewing patterns, and advertising rates to inform strategic decisions.
• Event Coordination: Ability to arrange and manage conferences, exhibitions, and seminars to promote the image of products, services, or organizations.

Ensure the job description aligns with SOC Code 2494 and that the candidate’s experience and work meet the expectations for the role.

1. Salary Thresholds
2. Use the Minimum Salary Calculator to ensure your salary offer meets immigration requirements.

Sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors: A Step-by-Step Guide for HR Professionals

Once you’ve confirmed that the role and candidate meet the eligibility requirements, follow this step-by-step guide to sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors under SOC Code 2494.

Step 1: Obtain a Sponsor Licence

Before hiring non-UK Advertising accounts managers and creative directors, your company or institution must obtain a sponsor licence. This licence enables you to legally sponsor overseas Advertising accounts managers and creative directors under the Skilled Worker Visa program.

• Sponsor Licence Application: Submit documentation proving that your business is legitimate and has a genuine vacancy. Visit the sponsor licence application guide for more information. 
• Sponsor Licence Fees: Small businesses typically pay £574, while larger institutions pay £1,579. For more information, visit the sponsor licence fees guide. 
• Processing Time: Applications typically take up to 8 weeks, but using the Sponsor Licence Priority Service can reduce the processing time to 10 working days.

Once your sponsor licence is approved, you will receive a sponsor licence number, which allows you to assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS).

Step 2: Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

Once you have your sponsor licence, the next step is to assign a CoS to the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors. This document provides key details about the job and the individual being sponsored.

• Defined vs Undefined CoS: Use a Defined CoS for Advertising accounts managers and creative directors applying from outside the UK, and an Undefined CoS for those already in the UK. Learn more in the Defined & Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship guide. 
• Required Documents: Provide details such as the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors’s portfolio, passport and job offer. Refer to Documents Required for Certificate of Sponsorship for a full list of necessary documents.

Step 3: Apply for the Skilled Worker Visa

Once the CoS is issued, the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors can apply for the Skilled Worker Visa.

• Visa Fees: Fees vary depending on the role and visa length—use the visa fees calculator to estimate the costs. 
• Immigration Skills Charge: Employers are required to pay this charge as part of sponsoring non-UK workers. This is separate from visa fees.

Conducting a Right to Work Check for Advertising accounts managers and creative directors

Before the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors begins working, you must conduct a right to work check to ensure they are legally allowed to work in the UK.

• Manual Right to Work Check: Verify original documents such as the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors’s passport and visa. 
• Online Right to Work Check: If the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors holds an eVisa, you can use the UK government’s online system to verify their right-to-work status.

For more details on how to perform these checks, see the right to work check guide.

Post-Hiring Responsibilities and Compliance

1. Record-Keeping and Reporting  
2. • Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors’s employment details, salary and contact information. 
   • Reporting Changes: Report any significant changes to the Advertising accounts managers and creative directors’s role—such as promotions or salary increases—via the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
3. Sponsor Licence Duties and Compliance
4. Failure to comply with your sponsor licence duties can result in penalties or sponsor licence revocation, impacting your ability to sponsor future Advertising accounts managers and creative directorss.

How Borderless Can Help with Sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors

Sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors under SOC Code 2494 can be a complex process, but Borderless can simplify it for you. We offer comprehensive support to help you manage the entire sponsorship process.

End-to-End Sponsorship Support

At Borderless, we assist with:

• Sponsor Licence Application: Guiding you through the application process and ensuring all required documents are submitted correctly. 
• Certificate of Sponsorship Assignment: Streamlining the CoS process to make hiring easier. 
• Compliance Management: Helping you stay compliant with immigration laws to avoid penalties.

If you need assistance with hiring or sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors, get in touch for personalised support.

Conclusion

Hiring and sponsoring Advertising accounts managers and creative directors under SOC Code 2494 can be a rewarding way to enrich the cultural landscape of your organisation. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully navigate the sponsorship process while ensuring compliance with UK immigration laws.

For further guidance, Borderless is ready to assist you with all your sponsorship needs. Contact us for expert advice.